science

Glaser-Dirks DG-500

Glaser-Dirks DG-500 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Glaser-Dirks DG-500 rather than just read about it. In short: The Glaser-Dirks DG-500, and later the DG-505, is a two-seat glider of glass-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction, manufactured in the DG Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bruchsal, Germany. It first flew in 1987.

Key takeaways

Glaser-Dirks DG-500 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Glaser-Dirks DG-500 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Glaser-Dirks DG-500 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Glaser-Dirks DG-500, and later the DG-505, is a two-seat glider of glass-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction, manufactured in the DG Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bruchsal, Germany. It first flew in 1987.

Design The glider is a trainer with an 18-metre wingspan or a high-performance glider with 20 or 22 m span. There are also trailing edge flaps with the exception of the Trainer and Orion variants. The 20m version also has winglets. The fuselage has a single wheel main landing gear which retracts into the lower fuselage. The DG-500/18 is mainly intended for flight training, and is fully aerobatic with +7/-5 g rating. There is also a motorglider version, the DG-500M. The DG-500/22 can carry up to 160 kg of water ballast which is not possible on the trainer version. Since 2004, the latest version of the DG-500 has been built as the "DG-505 Orion" in Slovenia.

Past altitude record The DG-500 once held the all-time altitude record for manned gliders, at 15,460 m (50,720 ft), set on 29 August 2006 by Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson, breaking the previous record by 1,713 ft (522 m). It was a standard DG-500M but the engine had been removed and replaced with liquid oxygen tanks. Additional instruments were installed powered by non-rechargeable batteries. The canopy had double-wall glazing and there was a drogue parachute for an emergency descent from high altitude. Pressure suits were worn. The glider is on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight. A new altitude record of 52,172 ft (15,902 m) was set by the Windward Performance Perlan II on September 3, 2017.

Variants DG-500 Initial production with 18 m (59 ft) span wings. DG-500/18 Aerobatic version DG-500/22 high performance sailplane with 22 m (72 ft) span wings DG-500M Motorglider version of the DG-500, powered by a retractable pylon mounted 44.7 kW (59.9 hp) Rotax 535C engine DG-500T Elan Trainer 18 m (59 ft) span wings, fixed undercarriage, no flaps, full controls in both cockpits. DG-505 improved DG-500 DG-505 Orion Production version built in Slovenia DG-505MB Motorglider version of the DG-505 with a retractable Solo 2625-02 47 kW (63 hp) engine

Specifications (Elan Trainer) Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89,General characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 8.66 m (28 ft 5 in) Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in) Height: 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) Wing area: 16.6 m2 (179 sq ft) Aspect ratio: 19.52 Airfoil: root:Wortmann FX-73-K-170/20; tip:FX-73-K-170/22 Empty weight: 390 kg (860 lb) Max takeoff weight: 630 kg (1,389 lb) Performance

Stall speed: 65 km/h (40 mph, 35 kn) at 470 kg (1,040 lb) Never exceed speed: 270 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn) in smooth air 197 km/h (106 kn; 122 mph) in rough air 197 km/h (106 kn; 122 mph) on aero-tow 140 km/h (76 kn; 87 mph) on winch launch g limits: +5.3 - 2.65 Maximum glide ratio: 40 at 109 km/h (59 kn; 68 mph) Wing loading: 37.95 kg/m2 (7.77 lb/sq ft)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Glaser-Dirks DG-500

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Glaser-Dirks DG-500 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Glaser-Dirks DG-500 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Glaser-Dirks DG-500 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Glaser-Dirks DG-500

In research: Glaser-Dirks DG-500 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Glaser-Dirks DG-500 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Glaser-Dirks DG-500 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1990s German sailplanes, Aircraft first flown in 1987, DG Flugzeugbau aircraft, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Glaser-Dirks DG-500 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Glaser-Dirks DG-500 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Glaser-Dirks DG-500 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Glaser-Dirks DG-500 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Glaser-Dirks DG-500 in simple terms?

Why does Glaser-Dirks DG-500 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Glaser-Dirks DG-500?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Glaser-Dirks DG-500.