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Wow! I was in the RAF section of the CCF (Combined Cadet Force) when I was at secondary school (mid 60's) and they had one of those, or a very similar glider. Unfortunately I only ever saw it used a couple of times and I never got a go. They used to bungee it across the school fields but it only ever got a few feet of the ground.

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Posted by Peter Miller on 12/01/2017 21:04:27:

Back in the 30s I think FJCamm published a book on model aircraft.

In that book was a complete set of drawings and instructions to build a very similar glider.

I wonder if any ever got build

A model certainly did:

**LINK**

My father still uses an SG38 removable ballast weight as his 'large lump of metal' in the garage!

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Posted by Andy Palmer on 12/01/2017 19:29:59:

Wow! I was in the RAF section of the CCF (Combined Cadet Force) when I was at secondary school (mid 60's) and they had one of those, or a very similar glider. Unfortunately I only ever saw it used a couple of times and I never got a go. They used to bungee it across the school fields but it only ever got a few feet of the ground.

We had one at our CCF as well.... Was it not the EoN Newbury Flyer? Or am I thinking of something else?

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Can I add " I remember it well " I was also in the RAF wing of the CCF ( 1950-59)and we had one of those gliders,

Launched off a twin bungee with 10 cadets either side ,We could only play with it in very dry weather when the grass was not slipery as it tended to launch the guys on the bungee rather that the glider .

The elevator control could be locked so as it would not take off and you had to do 10 "slides " with out the wing tip touching the ground and then you advanced to "hops " which again were limited by the pull on the bungee.

A great machine to learn basics on , I never saw ours at over 30 feet

cheers

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Posted by Pete Willbourn on 13/01/2017 14:57:47:

Can I add " I remember it well " I was also in the RAF wing of the CCF ( 1950-59)and we had one of those gliders,

Launched off a twin bungee with 10 cadets either side ,We could only play with it in very dry weather when the grass was not slipery as it tended to launch the guys on the bungee rather that the glider .

The elevator control could be locked so as it would not take off and you had to do 10 "slides " with out the wing tip touching the ground and then you advanced to "hops " which again were limited by the pull on the bungee.

A great machine to learn basics on , I never saw ours at over 30 feet

cheers

Yes, you've jogged my memory more now, the launch with a twin bungee was the same. I don't remember anything about locking the elevator but it was probably the same. As I said earlier it was very rarely used and I never got a go. Health and Safety would have a fit nowadays!

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Posted by Ian Jones on 13/01/2017 15:53:05:

In the UK this was a Slingsby T.38 Grasshopper primary trainer. There's one still in use (not for training) with the 621 VGS Flight:.

Click here to view the page this image came from
Just found a better photo:

Edited By Ian Jones on 13/01/2017 15:56:34

Thinks there was another name in use, "The Dagling", I think it was the same thing. Saw one at a gliding club a few years back. Never got a chance to fly it as it was undergoing annual checks if I remember.

S

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Posted by Stuart Z on 13/01/2017 17:05:42:
Posted by Ian Jones on 13/01/2017 15:53:05:

In the UK this was a Slingsby T.38 Grasshopper primary trainer. There's one still in use (not for training) with the 621 VGS Flight:.

 

Click here to view the page this image came from
 
Just found a better photo:

 

 

Edited By Ian Jones on 13/01/2017 15:56:34

Thinks there was another name in use, "The Dagling", I think it was the same thing. Saw one at a gliding club a few years back. Never got a chance to fly it as it was undergoing annual checks if I remember.

S

 

Quite right Stuart.

The Grasshopper, Dagling and Zogling can all be traced back to Alexander Lippisch, the Zogling as far as I have been able to establish being the original which has spawned even more designs than those mentioned here.

The Zogling had a pretty good going over in another thread when Stuart Eggerton recorded his model build of one.

Edited By Ian Jones on 13/01/2017 17:48:36

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The Dagling was a licence-built Zogling, built by RF Dagnall of Godalming. They were better known in later years for their RFD liferafts. Later Dagling production was by Slingsby's as the T.3 Primary. These formed the backbone of pre-war gliding instruction before two seat gliders were readily available. The post-war Slingsby T.38 Grasshopper for the Air Cadets and Combined Cadet Forces, although similar, is a different design.

The EoN (Elliotts of Newbury) Primary was a licence built SG38 and known as the 'Eton TX.1' in Air Cadet service.

A friend whose school Air Cadet squadron had a T.38, recalled being given an extra powerful bungee launch, and due in part to his light weight, soared up over a tree on the school boundary and landed in the adjacent field.

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