Schweizer 1-26

Schweizer Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1954 · glider

The Schweizer 1-26 is a single-seat metal glider produced in large numbers for American club soaring, valued for its durability and low cost of ownership. It has its own one-design competition class in North America.

Recognition (WEFT)

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

Spot it by:

• Unpowered sailplane — no engine
• American all-metal single-seat club glider with straight mid wing
• Simple welded steel tube fuselage with metal skin, distinctive blunt nose

Identified by the short 12m span, all-metal construction with rivet lines visible, blunt nose, and the straight (non-tapered) wing typical of Schweizer designs. Smaller and stubbier than the 2-33 two-seater.

Specifications

• The Schweizer 1-26 has a length of 6.01 m (20 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 12.19 m (40 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 175 km/h (109 mph).
• Typical crew: 1.

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

History

First flown in 1954, the Schweizer 1-26 was designed as a simple, affordable single-seater for American soaring clubs. The 1-26 Association maintains an active one-design race series, and the type remained in production until 1979 with hundreds built across multiple variants.

Variants

The 1-26A through 1-26E represent successive improvements to the canopy, controls, and finish; the 1-26E is the definitive version with an improved cockpit and revised tail surfaces.

Where you'll see it

Hundreds remain airworthy at American soaring clubs under SSA registration; the 1-26 One-Design Race Series is an active annual event drawing large entry numbers.

Related aircraft

• Schweizer 2-33
• Schweizer LNS-1
• Schweizer X-26 Frigate
• Ambrosini F.7 Rondone
• Auster AOP.9
• Dornier Do 25
• Morane-Saulnier MS 760 Paris

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