Glasflügel 303

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303
Role	15 metre class sailplane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Glasflügel
First flight	1976
Number built	202

The Glasflügel 303 Mosquito is a composite 15 metre Class single-seat sailplane manufactured by Glasflügel between 1976 and 1980.

Design and development[]

Designed for the 15 metre racing class, the Mosquito married the Standard Class Hornet fuselage with a flapped wing employing the then widely-used FX 67-K-170 airfoil developed at the University of Stuttgart by Professor Franz Wortmann. The Mosquito had a new design of one-piece canopy rather than the two-piece canopy used on the Hornet.

This profile and its sister profile FX 67-K-150 are among the most prolific in the history of gliding, as they were employed also in the Nimbus-2, Mini-Nimbus, DG-200 and DG-400, PIK-20, Kestrel, Mosquito, Vega, Jantar and LAK-12 among other types.

The 303 wing featured innovative interconnected trailing edge dive brakes-variable camber flaps. The glider had automatic connection for all controls: ailerons, elevator, air brakes and water ballast. The Mosquito also uses a pneumatic tail wheel rather than a skid. It was available with a tow release in both the nose and near the centre of gravity; in-flight adjustable rudder pedals and seat back. A lever bar to aid in assembly was also employed. A larger than common retractable main wheel with drum brake is also a nice feature, however the brake lever located in the seat pan behind the joy stick is slightly inconvenient.^[1]

The maiden flight of the Mosquito took place in 1976. It is by all accounts a nice-handling, comfortable and pleasing aircraft, but a little less performing than the contemporaneous Rolladen-Schneider LS3 and ASW 20. Therefore, the Mosquito (and the Schempp-Hirth Mini-Nimbus that shares the same wing) did not do well in top-level competition, neither did it find the large commercial success of the Libelle. The Mosquito was superseded in 1980 by the Glasflügel 304.

Aircraft on display[]

• US Southwest Soaring Museum^[2]

Specifications[]

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Capacity: 125 kg (275 lb) water ballast
• Length: 6.40 m (21 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 15.00 m (49 ft 3 in)
• Height: 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 9.86 m² (106 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio: 22.8
• Empty weight: 242 kg (532 lb)
• Gross weight: 450 kg (990 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 140 kn)
• Maximum glide ratio: 39
• Rate of sink: 0.50 m/s (100 ft/min)

See also[]

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Schempp-Hirth Mini-Nimbus

Related lists

• List of gliders

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Glasflügel 303 Mosquito.

Citations[]

Bibliography[]

• Thomas F, Fundamentals of Sailplane Design, College Park Press, 1999
• Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004

Glasflugel Mosquito serial number 70 flight manual

External links[]

• Johnson R, A Flight Test Evaluation of the Mosquito, Soaring, August 1979