Schneider ESG 31 Schlesierland

Edmund Schneider · Germany · first flew 1929 · glider

The Schneider ESG 31 Schlesierland was a German single-seat soaring glider of 16 m span, one of a group of one-off gliders built at Grunau from 1929.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × none, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage	Wing carried above the fuselage on a pedestal and braced by a single lift strut each side
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Wing carried above the fuselage on a pedestal and braced by a single lift strut each side
Outer wing panels tapered strongly with sweep on both edges, ending in elliptical tips
Hexagonal plywood-covered fuselage with a narrow swept tailplane mounted on top

Look for a pedestal-mounted, strut-braced wing with strongly tapered outer panels and elliptical tips, a plywood fuselage and a small skid or monowheel.

Specifications

The Schneider ESG 31 Schlesierland has a length of 6.6 m (22 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16 m (52 ft).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Edmund Schneider wanted a glider to compete with the 1928 RRG Professor that was easy to build, safe to fly and capable of tow launching. Each example was custom-built and carried a name given by its owner, so the exact date and name of the first is uncertain.

Variants

Named versions included the Wiesenbaude, Stanavo and Commodore. The ESG 31A had a revised, braced tailplane and the ESG 31B added a new streamlined fuselage.

Where you'll see it

Examples flew in German clubs and at the Rhön contests. The surviving ESG 31A Läkerolplanet was delivered to Sweden in 1933 and in August that year made the first glider crossing of the Öresund.

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