Glasflügel

Slagorde · Vliegtuigfabrikanten · Duitsland

Glasflügel

Glasflügel Segelflugzeugbau GmbH · Holighaus & Hillenbrand GmbH · Deutsch-Brasilianische Flugzeug- und Fahrzeug-GmbH

A small Swabian workshop whose glass-fibre Libelle set the template for the modern sailplane, and whose quick-rigging ideas are still built into gliders today.

1962Opgericht
Defunct 1982Status
6Vliegtuigen geregistreerd
LandDuitslandOpgericht1962OprichtersEugen Hänle, Ursula HänleHoofdkwartierSchlattstall, near Kirchheim unter TeckStatusDefunct 1982
Het verhaal

Glasflügel: the company and the aircraft that made its name

Glass wings

Glasflügel means glass wings, and that was the whole idea. Engineer Eugen Hänle and his wife Ursula founded the firm in 1962 in Schlattstall, south of Kirchheim unter Teck. It became the first company to build a glass-fibre sailplane in large numbers. In 1964 its H-301 Libelle, the Dragonfly, received the first German and first US type certificate issued to an all-fibreglass aircraft. The couple ran the firm together, and its products took the names of insects and birds: Libelle, Hornet, Mosquito, Kestrel.

Features everyone copied

The Libelle’s very light wings and easy rigging set a new benchmark, and the Standard Libelle of 1967 sold 601 copies. Glasflügel introduced a string of ideas that rivals adopted: quick wing and tailplane assembly, automatic control connections, trailing-edge airbrake-flaps, hinged instrument panels, the parallelogram stick and automatic trimming. Automatic control hook-ups became mandatory on new sailplanes. The 17-metre Kestrel was built under licence in Britain by Slingsby. Slingsby later drew on that experience for its own Vega family of 15-metre gliders.

Losing the founder

Money troubles in the 1970s pushed Glasflügel into co-operation with Schempp-Hirth from May 1975. Then, on 21 September 1975, Eugen Hänle was killed in a flying accident. After further changes of ownership the company was finally wound up in 1982. Hansjörg Streifeneder set up a service firm to keep the fleet flying. At the end the company had been planning a side-by-side two-seater, the 701, with a 19-metre flapped wing; it was never finished.

A small Swabian workshop whose glass-fibre Libelle set the template for the modern sailplane, and whose quick-rigging ideas are still built into gliders today.Glasflügel · verified 2026-10-03
In één oogopslag

Glasflügel in numbers

Het bedrijf

Kortom
Founded 1962

  • Founded by Eugen and Ursula Hänle
  • Based at Schlattstall, Baden-Württemberg
  • Wound up 1982

Productie

Het meest bekend om
Standard Libelle

  • H-301 Libelle: first all-glass type certificate
  • Standard Libelle: 601 built
  • Kestrel, Hornet and Mosquito followed

Vandaag

Nu
Dissolved 1982

  • Fleet supported by Streifeneder’s Glasfaser-Flugzeug-Service

De cijfers

Standard Libelle built
601
Mosquito built
202
Kestrel built
129 (1968–1975)
H-301 Libelle built
111
Het vliegtuig

Every notable Glasflügel aircraft

Vliegtuig Rol Eerste vlucht Gebouwd Status Opmerking
Glasflügel H-301 Libelle Open Class sailplane 1964 111 Gepensioneerd First all-fibreglass aircraft certified in Germany and the US
Glasflügel 201 Standard Libelle Standard Class sailplane 1967 601 Gepensioneerd Second at the 1968 World Championships flown by Per-Axel Persson
Glasflügel 401 Kestrel Open Class sailplane 1968 129 Gepensioneerd Licence-built by Slingsby as the T59
Glasflügel 206 Hornet Standard Class sailplane 1974 102 Gepensioneerd Includes 13 Hornet C
Glasflügel 303 Mosquito 15-metre class sailplane 1976 202 Gepensioneerd
Glasflügel H-101 Salto Kunstvliegende zweefvliegtuig Gepensioneerd
Plaatsen, mensen, archieven

Where Glasflügel built, who led it, what it achieved

Fabrieken

  • Schlattstall works · Schlattstall, near Kirchheim unter Teck — Company base throughout its life

Mensen

  • Eugen Hänle · founder, designer — Killed in a flying accident on 21 September 1975
  • Ursula Hänle · co-founder — Founded and led the company with her husband
  • Hansjörg Streifeneder · engineer — Founded Glasfaser-Flugzeug-Service to support the fleet after the collapse

Records en primeurs

  • First German and first US type certificate for an all-fibreglass aircraft, H-301 Libelle, 1964
  • Kestrel flown 2,061 km in lee waves along the Sierra Nevada by Gordon Boettger, 18 May 2005
Tijdlijn

Glasflügel, year by year

1962

Eugen and Ursula Hänle found Glasflügel

1964

H-301 Libelle certified, the first all-fibreglass type certificate in Germany and the US

1967

Standard Libelle first flies

1968

Kestrel first flies

1974

Hornet first flies

1975

Co-operation with Schempp-Hirth begins in May

1975

Founder Eugen Hänle killed in a flying accident

1976

Mosquito first flies

1979

Further ownership changes

1982

Company finally dissolved

Vragen en antwoorden

Everything people ask about Glasflügel

What does Glasflügel mean?
It is German for glass wings, a reference to its glass-fibre construction.
What was the most successful Glasflügel glider?
The Standard Libelle, with 601 built.
Who founded Glasflügel?
Engineer Eugen Hänle with his wife Ursula, in 1962.
When did Glasflügel close?
It was dissolved in 1982, after the founder’s death in 1975 and several ownership changes.

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Geverifieerd op 3 oktober 2026.