Schweizer SGS 2-8
Schweizer Aircraft · United States · first flew 1938 · glider
The Schweizer SGS 2-8 was an American two-seat utility glider of the late 1930s, used for ab initio soaring training and utility towing.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- two-seat side-by-side glider
- high-aspect-ratio straight wing
- non-retractable monowheel
A conventional mid-wing glider with a straight high-aspect-ratio wing, a blunt nose, and side-by-side seating in an enclosed cockpit. Smaller and stockier than later Schweizer designs such as the SGS 2-32.
Specifications
- The Schweizer SGS 2-8 has a length of 7.7 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.86 m (52 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 116 km/h (72 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by the Schweizer brothers in the late 1930s, the SGS 2-8 was a practical, robust training glider produced in small numbers for soaring clubs and the US military. It was one of the first Schweizer designs to achieve any significant production.
Variants
All existing 2-8s were drafted into military service in World War II as the US Army TG-2 and the US Navy and Marine Corps LNS-1, then sold as surplus postwar.
Where you'll see it
Used by soaring clubs across the United States and evaluated by the US Army Air Forces during the Second World War.
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- Schweizer SGU 2-22
- Schweizer SGS 1-21
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