WWII German Glider ID help

Bitz Dr1 · 19 July 2009, 11:03 PM

Hello- I was in Europe looking at a collection of militaria, and this was included. Do any of you think it is a clone, or could it be a real one? I can elaborate in a wee bit, but wanted to get the photo out there.

Bitz Dr1 · 19 July 2009, 11:04 PM

This is the photo taken of it hanging from the rafters in the man's hangers.

airknocker · 20 July 2009, 05:45 AM

Look familiar? Plane Details

Bitz Dr1 · 20 July 2009, 10:02 AM

It does look familiar. This one is hanging in a temperature safe hanger and has been there since the end of the war. The canvas is not torn, or rotten in any spots, although it will not fly. This thing is totally complete, and if it is a copy, it is a very good one. I will see if it can be had for a decent price. Who knows, perhaps it is also built from plans post-war, and actually a movie prop that has been lingering much less time than the owner claims. I fishing tale, perhaps? Soon to find out-

Of the 6,000 or so that were built, does anyone know of any originals out there that I can compare with for veracity of it's origin?

airknocker · 20 July 2009, 10:41 AM

This appears to be all things Grunau Baby.
Beginscherm

Bitz Dr1 · 22 July 2009, 09:52 PM

Nice to know the info is all readily available online, versus slogging through written records like we had to 20 years ago!
Hopefully, this is an original one and not a later copy. Half of this man's collection is later period clones, and the other half is totally authentic.

Thanks again~

SCMc · 23 July 2009, 12:27 AM

Are you confident that this is a Grunau Baby? The fuselage and tailplane look very different from any of the planes I saw on the site linked by airknocker.

Steve

airknocker · 23 July 2009, 10:25 AM

Steve, you right. I was too hasty. Try this one on for size?
Plane Details
Photos: Raab Doppelraab IV Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Bitz Dr1 · 24 July 2009, 09:30 PM

There are some subtle differences- the fuselage seems to abrupt in ending versus the one that I have found. Also, the end of the tail is rounded in the display that you offered. It does look very similar, but a wee bit snubbed after the cockpit. The skid is also different in dimensions a bit as well.

I have seen a few things that look close, but not yet as exact as one would hope for. I will have to dig in deeper on the next visit to his warehouses.

Bitz Dr1 · 25 July 2009, 02:36 AM

This is the closest thing that I can find online for this glider, short of an escape glider (there were a few differences that eliminate it from bing one of them) and this image is a computer generated one anyhow. There is a lack of glass canopy, but it has the single strut and open skid, as the one in the first photo shows.