Schweizer SGU 1-19
Encyclopedia
The Schweizer SGU 1-19 and Schweizer SGU 1-20 are a family of United States
single-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, utility gliders
built by Schweizer Aircraft
of Elmira, New York
.
The 1-19 was a 1944 development of the pre-war SGU 1-7
and bears a strong resemblance to the earlier craft. It was designed for single place training and soaring flights.
The 1-20 was an improved version of the 1-19 with a wingspan of 43 feet (13.1 m) replacing the 36 feet (11 m) wing on the 1-19.
and SGS 2-12
training gliders for the US military as well as producing many aircraft parts under subcontract for the war effort. As the Second World War
was drawing to a close the company decided to continue to make gliding part of their business plan.
Many economic forecasts had predicted a post war aviation boom, with thousands of military trained airmen returning home to the USA to fly civil aircraft. Like many aircraft manufacturers Schweizer planned to produce new aircraft for the boom.
Once the war had ended the availability of cheap military surplus gliders severely limited the market for sales of new gliders. By the summer of 1948 is was obvious that the boom was not going to occur and this left manufacturers with surplus inventory of powered light aircraft and, in the case of Schweizer, gliders.
None of these designs proceeded to the stage of constructing a prototype.
Schweizer Aircraft decided to concentrate on two designs, both based on the utility glider layout of the Schweizer SGU 1-7
. The single place version was the 1-19 and the two place was designated as the SGU 2-22
, both designed by Ernest Schweizer
.
Construction of the constant chord 1-19 wing was of wood and fabric. It utilized a two spar, double strutted design. The fuselage and tail were made from welded tube covered with aircraft fabric. The 1-19 was originally produced with an open cockpit, but in service most were modified with the addition of canopies. The 1-19 is very light, with an empty weight of just 320 lb (145.1 kg), but it is complex to assemble and disassemble as this requires use of many small pins.
The wings were made available as kits and a number of 1-19s were converted to 1-20s.
The resulting aircraft displayed disappointing performance. The combination of the low-performance 1-19 and the low-power engine left the aircraft unable to climb out of ground effect
. It had a ceiling of ten feet.
During one flight Schweizer test pilot Frank Hurtt was able to find a thermal at ten feet and climbed the aircraft up to 2000 feet (609.6 m). Other than one flight where the aircraft was auto-towed with the engine running at full throttle, this was the only time that the altitude achieved exceeded ten feet.
After complaints were received from the airport manager, the 1-19 was converted back to a glider and the project terminated.
The company finally produced a successful motorglider with the Schweizer SGM 2-37
, which was first flown in 1982 and of which 12 examples were produced.
. K & L Soaring now provides all parts and support for the Schweizer line of sailplanes.
The 1-20 was never certified and these aircraft are flown as experimental aircraft.
SGU 1-19A
SGM 1-19
SGU 1-20
The prototype 1-20 was soared 138 miles (222 km) by Paul A. Schweizer
in 1947.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
single-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, utility gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
built by Schweizer Aircraft
Schweizer Aircraft
The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation is a manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads, New York. It was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers , who built their first glider in 1930...
of Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
.
The 1-19 was a 1944 development of the pre-war SGU 1-7
Schweizer SGU 1-7
|-See also:-External links:**...
and bears a strong resemblance to the earlier craft. It was designed for single place training and soaring flights.
The 1-20 was an improved version of the 1-19 with a wingspan of 43 feet (13.1 m) replacing the 36 feet (11 m) wing on the 1-19.
Background
Schweizer Aircraft had produced the SGS 2-8Schweizer SGS 2-8
The Schweizer SGS 2-8 is a United States two-seat, mid-wing, strut-braced, training glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York.The 2-8 was originally known simply as "The Schweizer Two-Place" when it first flew in June 1938...
and SGS 2-12
Schweizer SGS 2-12
The Schweizer SGS 2-12 is a United States two-seat, low-wing, training glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York.The 2-12 was a development of the Schweizer 2-8 two place training glider, with an all-wooden wing...
training gliders for the US military as well as producing many aircraft parts under subcontract for the war effort. As the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was drawing to a close the company decided to continue to make gliding part of their business plan.
Many economic forecasts had predicted a post war aviation boom, with thousands of military trained airmen returning home to the USA to fly civil aircraft. Like many aircraft manufacturers Schweizer planned to produce new aircraft for the boom.
Once the war had ended the availability of cheap military surplus gliders severely limited the market for sales of new gliders. By the summer of 1948 is was obvious that the boom was not going to occur and this left manufacturers with surplus inventory of powered light aircraft and, in the case of Schweizer, gliders.
Development
With production of the SGS 2-8 and SGS 2-12 military training gliders complete in 1944, Schweizer Aircraft did studies of a series of utility and sailplane designs, trying to determine what would best suit the post-war market. Design studies conducted in this period included:- Single-place SGU 1-16 utility glider
- Single-place SGS 1-17 sailplane
- Two-place SGS 2-18 sailplane
None of these designs proceeded to the stage of constructing a prototype.
Schweizer Aircraft decided to concentrate on two designs, both based on the utility glider layout of the Schweizer SGU 1-7
Schweizer SGU 1-7
|-See also:-External links:**...
. The single place version was the 1-19 and the two place was designated as the SGU 2-22
Schweizer SGU 2-22
The Schweizer SGU 2-22 is a United States two-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, training glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York....
, both designed by Ernest Schweizer
Schweizer brothers
Paul, William , and Ernest Schweizer were three brothers who started building gliders in 1930. In 1937, they formed the Schweizer Metal Aircraft Company. Their first commercial glider sale was an SGU 1-7 glider to Harvard University's Altosaurus Glider Club. At that time, Eliot Noyes was a...
.
1-19
The 1-19 first flew in 1944 and was quickly ordered by Schweizer's 15 US dealers in large numbers for use as a trainer. Fifty were completed.Construction of the constant chord 1-19 wing was of wood and fabric. It utilized a two spar, double strutted design. The fuselage and tail were made from welded tube covered with aircraft fabric. The 1-19 was originally produced with an open cockpit, but in service most were modified with the addition of canopies. The 1-19 is very light, with an empty weight of just 320 lb (145.1 kg), but it is complex to assemble and disassemble as this requires use of many small pins.
1-20
Designer Ernest Schweizer quickly identified a need for a version of the 1-19 with better performance and designed a new set of wings for it. The new aircraft, with an additional seven feet of span, was designated the SGU 1-20. The additional wingspan brought the glide ratio up to 18.5:1 from the 1-19's 16:1. A single factory-built 1-20 was completed, NX-91840. Two additional 1-20's were created by private owners who converted their 1-19 by replacing their stock wings with the longer wing.The wings were made available as kits and a number of 1-19s were converted to 1-20s.
Motorized 1-19
In 1946 the company experimented with a motorglider conversion of the 1-19. This was attempted because the company had acquired a used Andover engine that produced 12 horsepower (9 kW) at 4000 rpm. A 1-19 was modified by bolting the engine in pusher configuration over the wing/fuselage junction. The installation was completed with a home-made propeller.The resulting aircraft displayed disappointing performance. The combination of the low-performance 1-19 and the low-power engine left the aircraft unable to climb out of ground effect
Ground effect
As it pertains to fixed wing aircraft, "ground effect" refers to the increased lift and decreased drag that an aircraft airfoil or wing generates when an aircraft is about one wingspan's length or less over the ground...
. It had a ceiling of ten feet.
During one flight Schweizer test pilot Frank Hurtt was able to find a thermal at ten feet and climbed the aircraft up to 2000 feet (609.6 m). Other than one flight where the aircraft was auto-towed with the engine running at full throttle, this was the only time that the altitude achieved exceeded ten feet.
After complaints were received from the airport manager, the 1-19 was converted back to a glider and the project terminated.
The company finally produced a successful motorglider with the Schweizer SGM 2-37
Schweizer SGM 2-37
The Schweizer SGM 2-37 is a two-place, side-by-side, fixed gear, low wing motor glider.A total of twelve were produced between 1982 and 1988, including nine for the United States Air Force Academy, which designated it the TG-7A...
, which was first flown in 1982 and of which 12 examples were produced.
Certification
The 1-19 received type certificate G-17 on 19 June 1946. The type certificate is currently held by K & L Soaring of Cayuta, New YorkCayuta, New York
Cayuta is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 545 at the 2000 census.The Town of Cayuta occupies the southeast corner of the county and is northeast of Elmira, New York.- History :...
. K & L Soaring now provides all parts and support for the Schweizer line of sailplanes.
The 1-20 was never certified and these aircraft are flown as experimental aircraft.
Variants
SGU 1-19- The basic factory produced model was designated as the SGU 1-19.
SGU 1-19A
- SGU 1-19s assembled from factory kits were accepted as certified aircraft and were designated as SGU 1-19A. They were otherwise identical to the 1-19.
SGM 1-19
- The factory converted one SGU 1-19 to a self-launching motorglider and temporarily designated it as the SGM 1-19 ("M" for "motor"). The project was not a success and the aircraft was de-modified.
SGU 1-20
- The 1-20 is the long winged version of the 1-19. One 1-20 was completed and a number of 1-19s were converted to 1-20s by installing longer wings.
Competitions & Records
Distance flying in the 1-19 is challenging, given its 16:1 glide ratio and red-line speed limit of just 75 mph (122 km/h). Jim Hard flew an SGU 1-19 190 miles (308 km) to qualify for a Gold distance and Diamond goal flight.The prototype 1-20 was soared 138 miles (222 km) by Paul A. Schweizer
Schweizer brothers
Paul, William , and Ernest Schweizer were three brothers who started building gliders in 1930. In 1937, they formed the Schweizer Metal Aircraft Company. Their first commercial glider sale was an SGU 1-7 glider to Harvard University's Altosaurus Glider Club. At that time, Eliot Noyes was a...
in 1947.
In service
In May 2008 there were still 25 SGU 1-19s registered in the USA along with one 1-19A and three 1-20s, the factory prototype (serial number 1), and two converted 1-19s.Aircraft on display
- Iowa Aviation MuseumIowa Aviation MuseumThe Iowa Aviation Museum is located at the Greenfield Municipal Airport in Greenfield, Iowa, and is dedicated to preserving Iowa's aviation heritage...
- 1-20 - National Soaring MuseumNational Soaring MuseumThe National Soaring Museum is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, USA.The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's official repository...
- three 1-19s, including N91806 and Canadian registered CF-ZBE.