Schleicher Ka 2 Rhönschwalbe

The Schleicher Ka-2 Rhönschwalbe is a tandem two-seat training glider designed and built in Germany, in 1952.

Design and development
Designed by Rudolf Kaiser, the Ka-2 was an all wooden glider with plywood and aircraft fabric covering. The Ka-2s wings, with marked forward sweep and dihedral are mounted above the fuselage, flanking the rear cockpit. The front cockpit is covered by a one piece plexiglas canopy which opens to the right and the rear cockpit is covered by a canopy incorporating the inner leading edges of the wing, opening rear-wards, held in place by the front canopy when closed.

The undercarriage of the Ka-2 comprises a large rubber-sprung wooden skid under the forward fuselage in front of a non-retractable semi recessed mainwheel, as well as a steel rubber-sprung tail-skid. Conventional controls are fitted with ailerons on each wingtip trailing edge, elevator with anti-balance trim tab behind the tailplane and rudder aft of the fin. Schempp-Hirth airbrakes, at 38% chord and approx ⅓ span, open out above and below the wing to provide approach control.

Performance of the Ka-2 was found to be lower than expected, due to the relatively high wing loading. Schleicher introduced the Ka2b, increasing the wingspan from 15 m to 16 m, to improve the efficiency of the wing. Fuselage length was also increased by 18 cm to 8.15 m to maintain stability margins in pitch.

Performance of the Ka-2b was improved in weak thermals due to a lower minimum sink speed, allowing tighter thermalling. Cross-country performance was also improved by a higher glide ratio, increasing the chance of reaching the next thermal. The standard competition handicap for the Ka–2 is 74 and the Ka-2b handicap is 78.

Operational history
The Ka-2 and Ka-2b saw extensive use in gliding clubs throughout Germany and Europe and the Ka2b was also used in several record attempts; On 24 January 1959 Dieter Schmitt and Karl Pummer climbed a Ka-2b 6907 m in lee wave lift at Fayence in France for a new German National two-seater record climb. Later the same day flying to 7700 m to set a new German two-seater absolute altitude record.

A Ka2b also set a distance record for two seaters in Germany of 424.5 km in 1964 and again on 28 May 2012 at 684 km, flown by Uli Schwenk and his 81-year-old father.

Variants

 * Ka-2: The initial production glider with a 15 m span wing and 7.97 m long fuselage.
 * Ka-2b:An improved performance version with 16 m span wings and 8.15 m fuselage.