Der Dessauer
Flugtechnischer Verein Dessau · Germany · first flew 1923 · glider
Der Dessauer, later Der alte Dessauer, was a German single-seat glider built in the early 1920s. It took part in the Rhön gliding contests on the Wasserkuppe between 1923 and 1928.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Thick-section two-part high wing held by a single short tubular lift strut each side
- Rectangular centre section filling about half the span, with slightly swept outer leading edges
- All-moving single-piece tailplane behind a triangular fin
A single-seat glider with a monoplane high wing and a wood-framed fuselage. The pilot sat in an open cockpit under the wing.
Specifications
- The Der Dessauer has a length of 6.1 m (20 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Ludwig Hoffmann designed it around 1923 for the Flugtechnischer Verein Dessau, as a descendant of the Akaflieg Darmstadt D-6 Geheimrat. The wooden fuselage was plywood skinned, and the aircraft landed on a single skid.
Variants
After a crash at the 1923 Rhön contest it was rebuilt at Cöthen with rigid lift struts in place of the original shock-absorbing ones and renamed Der Alte Dessauer.
Where you'll see it
It flew in the Alps and made a 7.75 hour flight at Rossitten. It attended all the Rhön events from 1925 to 1928, when it was irreparably damaged.
Related aircraft
- Akaflieg Berlin B3 Charlotte II
- Akaflieg Darmstadt D-7 Margarete
- Akaflieg Darmstadt D-9 Konsul
- Albatros L 59
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