Design and development Neukom Elfe

1 design , development

1.1 elfe , elfe 2
1.2 pm-3
1.3 elfe m , s series

design , development
elfe , elfe 2

the first elfe 9-metre wingspan glider designed swiss designer w. pfenninger before world war ii.

a new design introduced pfenninger in 1947 , named elfe 2. first sailplane feature laminar flow airfoil. crashed due rudder flutter

pm-3

the elfe series taken over, improved , strengthened swiss engineer markwalder third prototype, called elfe pm-3.

the sole pm-3 s construction started in 1 factory, finished in another. first flown in 1955 , went storage 3 years. aircraft built swiss pine , birch plywood , has 52.5 foot wingspan. pm-3 has dive brakes , full-span flaps aileron interconnects flaps. had fixed landing gear, has been retrofitted retractable mainwheel.

it retrieved storage , flown in europe rene compte brought compete in u.s. nationals @ el mirage, arizona held in 1962. after nationals aircraft not returned europe, sold, remained in usa , registered n6351u in experimental – exhibition/racing category. in 1999 pm-3 sold again , moved united kingdom.

compte reported glider being pleasant fly, did not in weak soaring conditions. performed in conditions of strong lift. pm-3 has glide ratio of 40:1.

elfe m , s series

albert neukom took on design , developed elfe m, elfe mn , an66.

the next in line v-tailed standard elfe s-1, first flew in 1964.

the second prototype, s-2, similar s-1, had conventional tail. s-3 production version of s-2 , first flown in 1966 , entered production same year. had cruciform tail, trailing edge airbrakes , retractable main wheel.

in competition, standard elfe flown markus ritzi of switzerland, placed second in 1965 world gliding championships held @ south cerney, united kingdom. united states pilot a.j. smith finished first in standard class @ 1968 world gliding championships held @ leszno, poland in s-3.