Glaser-Dirks DG-500 Information & Glaser-Dirks DG-500 Links at HealthHaven.com

DG-500
	A DG-505 ridge soaring in Pennsylvania U.S.A.
Role	Two Seater Class sailplane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Glaser-Dirks

The Glaser-Dirks DG-500, and later the DG-505, is a two-seat glider of glass-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction, manufactured in the DG Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bruchsal, Germany. The glider is a trainer with an 18 metre wingspan or a high-performance glider with 20 or 22 m span. The 22-metre version also has wing flaps. The fuselage is the same in all versions, with the exception of the additional control connections for the wing flaps in the 22-metre version. The main landing gear (a single wheel) for both versions is retractable (into the lower fuselage).

The DG-500/18 is mainly intended for flight training, and is fully aerobatic with +7/-5 g-unit rating. There is also a motorglider version, the DG-500M. The DG-500/22 can carry up to 160 kg of water ballast which is not possible on the trainer version. Since 2004, the latest version of the DG-500 has been built as the "DG-505 Orion" in Slovenia.

The DG-500 also holds the all-time Altitude record for gliders, at 50,000 ft, on 30 August 2006 by Steve Fossett (pilot) and Einar Enevoldson (co-pilot) in their high performance research glider, breaking the previous record by 1,713 ft (522 m).

[edit] Specifications (18-metre wings)

General characteristics

Crew: Two
Length: 8.66 m (28 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 18.00 m (59 ft 1 in)
Empty weight: 380 kg (836 lb)
Gross weight: 615 kg (1,353 lb)

Performance

Maximum speed: 270 km/h (170 mph)
Maximum glide ratio: 45

[edit] References

Manufacturer web site