The Schempp-Hirth HS-3 Nimbus was a prototype glider built by Klaus Holighaus .
9-470: The HS-3 Nimbus was a high performance single-seater. Holighaus designed and built this prototype glider in his spare time with assistance from Schempp-Hirth . Strictly speaking, it is not a Schempp-Hirth glider but rather a glider built at Schempp-Hirth. It employed the same fuselage as the Open Class Cirrus and a similar tail, but had an entirely new wing, high-set and in three segments adding up to
18-479: A 22 m (72 ft) span. The prototype first flew in January 1969. The Nimbus had a rudder far too small for an aircraft of its size, leading to very unfavourable control characteristics; After the pilot applied full aileron and rudder inputs, the glider continued to fly straight ahead for several seconds before suddenly dropping a wing, requiring full opposite controls to recover. No air brakes were fitted and it
27-466: A new designer: Klaus Holighaus who had just graduated from Darmstadt Technical University, where he was a member of its Akaflieg . Holighaus was also an excellent pilot and became a regular member of the German gliding team. Additional technical expertise was recruited in 1970 and Holighaus became Chief Executive in 1972. From 1977 Holighaus was the sole owner of the business. After Holighaus's death in
36-542: A rival to the ubiquitous Grunau Baby , but real success came with the Göppingen Gö 3 Minimoa the same year. During World War II , the company built DFS Habicht training gliders, as well as tailplane assemblies for the Messerschmitt Bf 109 . The company also built a research aircraft, the Göppingen Gö 9 to investigate Claude Dornier 's rear-mounted " pusher " propeller plans. With its cruciform tail, this aircraft
45-728: The Nimbus won the World Championship. The production version of the Nimbus was the Schempp-Hirth Nimbus-2 . Data from Sailplanes 1965–2000. General characteristics Performance Schempp-Hirth Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck , Germany . Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with
54-500: The aircraft's cockpit to fit in, and became the first person to sample its spin characteristics when, in mid-competition, the glider departed from a steep turn into autorotation with asymmetric water ballast. While considering bailing out, he remembered that the spin of the similar Akaflieg Darmstadt D36 could be tamed by rocking the stick back and forth violently. Flexing the wings caused the angle of attack to change and recovery eventually ensued. In spite of these difficulties, Moffat and
63-414: The assistance of Wolf Hirth . The company was initially called "Sportflugzeugbau Göppingen Martin Schempp". In 1938, Wolf Hirth, mainly responsible for the design work, officially became a partner in the company, which then became "Sportflugzeugbau Schempp-Hirth". The company relocated to Kirchheim unter Teck the same year. The company's first product was the Göppingen Gö 1 Wolf glider, conceived as
72-452: Was an exceptionally difficult glider to land. It was damaged several times in overshoots. However, it had an exceptionally high performance for the time, with a best glide ratio of 51:1 at 90 km/h (56 mph) and a minimum sink rate of only 0.43 m/s (1.4 ft/s). George Moffat of the USA flew the Nimbus in the 1970 World Gliding Championships at Marfa , Texas . He had to modify
81-400: Was to be a stepping-stone towards the revolutionary Dornier Do 335 Pfeil . After the war, forbidden by the allied occupation from building aircraft, the company manufactured beds, wheelbarrows, radio cabinets, and other furniture. In 1951, the prohibitions were lifted and the company returned to sailplane building. Wolf Hirth died in 1959 but it was not until 1964 that Martin Schempp found
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