DG Flugzeugbau
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DG Flugzeugbau GmbH is a manufacturer of sailplanes based in Bruchsal near Karlsruhe, Germany. The business was founded in 1973 by Gerhard Glaser and Wilhelm Dirks as Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau GmbH.
The Glaser-Dirks company produced the following gliders:
- DG-100 (Standard Class)
- DG-200 (15 metre Class)
- DG-300 (Standard Class)
- DG-400 (Self-launching motor glider)
- DG-500 (Two seater)
- DG-600 (15 metre and 18 meter Class)
In 1978 an alliance was made with the Elan Company of Slovenia to increase production capacity. Older DG models such as the 505 are still produced there.
The Glaser-Dirks company ran into financial trouble in 1996 because the engine planned for the DG-800B was no longer available and no replacement could be found. The assets of the bankrupt company were bought by Friedel Weber and his wife Eva-Marie Weber in partnership with an accountant Gerhard Wolff. They founded the new company "DG Flugzeugbau GmbH". Dirks stayed on as chief designer.
In 2000 DG Flugzeugbau built a new factory and moved to the Bruchsal airfield. In 2003 DG took over the assets of Rolladen Schneider including the LS brand name and designs.
DG Flugzeugbau currently produces:
- DG-808 (15 metre and 18 metre)
- DG-1000 (Two seater)
- Rolladen-Schneider LS8, (Standard Class with optional wing-tips to increase the span to 18 metres.)
- The LS10 (15 metre and 18 metre Class) still needs considerable investment for production development, but its future seems assured after the prototype was successful in competition.
