title: Akaflieg Darmstadt D-38
text: # Akaflieg Darmstadt D-38
  
  The Akaflieg Darmstadt D-38 is a German, single-seat, Standard Class sailplane that was designed and built by the Fliegergruppe of Darmstadt University.
  
  ## Design
  
  The D-38 is a cantilever, shoulder-wing monoplane with a glassfibre/balsa sandwich shell structure fuselage and wing, the wing has no flaps and has a T-tail. The pilot has a semi-reclining seat in an enclosed cockpit with a transparent canopy and the landing gear is a manual retracting monowheel gear with a tailskid. The D-38 was, in effect, the prototype of the successful Glaser-Dirks DG-100 competition Standard class glider.
  
  ## Specifications
  
  Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74
  
  General characteristics
  
  * Crew: 1
  * Length: 6.96 m (22 ft 10 in)
  * Wingspan: 15.00 m (49 ft 2.5 in)
  * Height: 1.49 m (4 ft 7 in)
  * Wing area: 11.00 $m^2$ (118.4 sq ft)
  * Empty weight: 207 kg (456 lb)
  * Gross weight: 363 kg (800 lb)
  
  Performance
  
  * Maximum speed: 250 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn)
  * Stall speed: 66 km/h (41 mph, 36 kn)
  * g limits: ±6.3
  * Maximum glide ratio: 39
  * Rate of sink: 0.6 m/s (120 ft/min)
  