Göppingen Gö 3 Minimoa

Schempp-Hirth · Germany · first flew 1935 · glider

The Göppingen Gö 3 Minimoa was a high-performance German single-seat sailplane of the 1930s, renowned for its elegant gull-wing planform and long elliptical wings. It became one of the most successful competition gliders of the pre-war era.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, elliptical
E — Engines	1 × none, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage	7 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Unpowered sailplane — no engine
Iconic gull-wing sailplane of the 1930s
Very long elliptical wings with distinctive seagull dihedral

The prominent gull-wing or seagull dihedral — with the inner wing section rising sharply then the outer panel dropping — is unique to the Minimoa and makes it immediately recognisable among pre-war sailplanes.

Specifications

The Göppingen Gö 3 Minimoa has a length of 7 m (23 ft).
It has a wingspan of 17 m (56 ft).
Its maximum speed is 220 km/h (137 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed by Martin Schempp and Wolf Hirth, the Minimoa first flew in 1935 and quickly achieved numerous soaring records. Its distinctive seagull-wing dihedral was both aerodynamically beneficial and visually striking. The type was widely exported before the Second World War.

Variants

The Minimoa was produced in several sub-variants with slightly different wingspans and structural refinements; the standard version had a 17-metre wing but longer-span versions were also built.

Where you'll see it

Used by soaring clubs and individual pilots across Germany, Europe, and the United States in the 1930s and 1940s; surviving examples are prized by vintage glider enthusiasts and fly at heritage events today.

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