Condor IV

The Condor IV is a good example of many gliders which were built before World War II and improved after 1951.Heini Dittmar had great success in the 1930s with the high performance, single-seated Condor I to III. After the removal of the restrictions on gliders in Germanyin 1951, he developed the two-seater Condor IV from the Condor III. Ferdinand Schmetz and Alexander Schleicher started series construction of the plane.

Flying with the Condor IV, Ernst-Günther Haase reached the speed of 80.9 km/h on a 100 km triangular course in August 1952, thus giving him the distinction of being the first German glider pilot after 1945 to capture a world record.

• Manufacturer: Alexander Schleicher Segelflugzeugbau, Poppenhausen / Wasserkuppe, 1953
• Wing span: 18 m
• Aspect ratio: 15.2
• Tara weight: 330 kg
• Best lift/drag ratio: 30 at 80 km/h
• Lowest sinking speed: 0.71 m/s at 70 km/h