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When aluminum became unavailable during World War II,
The Schweizer Metal Aircraft Corporation reworked the all-metal
SGS 2-8 or (Army Air Corp TG-2 or USAAC TG-2/ USN
LNS-1) into a wooden sailplane. Besides being fabricated
from wood, the wings were lowered from the 2-8's shoulder
position to a mid/ low mounting to improve rear seat
visibility. The wing was thickened to allow cantilever
construction and greater strength for high speed aerotowing.
Also upper and lower surface spoilers were used and the
design simplified to ease construction.
The 2-12 was a rugged high altitude ship. This new design
was presented to the Army Air Corps at Wright Field in Dayton,
Ohio in response to a request for bids and competition fo
vendors to supply the Army with training glider to meet their
new strategic requirements in preparation for the invasion of
Europe. The Schweizers were awarded a contract to produce the
TG-3 training glider and the production gliders were designated
the TG-3A.
Harland Ross set an altitude record at 11,003 m./ 36.100
feet in 1950, and Betsy Woodward held the feminine version
of the same record.
One belongs to the National Soaring Museum. TMRC has the
military manuals for flight training, erection and
maintenance, and structural repair, plus original military
decal location prints and numerous pages of original
assembly prints including those for instrument panels.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Special thanks to the Soaring
Society of America (SSA), for permission to use text and
specs from their publications. More information on vintage
soaring craft may be found at their pages and in their
publications and those of the
Vintage Sailplane
Association.
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TG-3A, TG-3 or SGS 2-12 Civilian Sailplane
with available scale documentation.
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click
for larger image
This is a great design, both in the history of
Schweizer Aircraft Corporation because of its huge
success as a WWII military training glider and the
role it played in the invasion of Normandy on
D-Day, but also because it marked a new robust
design, capable of high altitude flight and now
more than 50 years of continuous service as a
sailplane.
As a model, Jack Hiner's design embodies the
same features and in military colors this sailplane
is fun to show off in it's striking "warbird" colors.
Jack set the AMA altitude record with his TG-3A in
the 1980s with a full size barograph aboard, which is
telling of the robust nature of his design and
construction as well as its thermalling capability.
Originally designed as a RES ship, Don Bailey is
currently building the first of the TMRC laser cut
copies of this ship and will complete a build
thread on RC Groups and an article in Quiet Flyer
magazine on updating scale sailplanes to modern
wing-mounted servos and more robust wing joiner
systems, adding ailerons to built up wing
planforms, and setting up large scale gliders for
aerotow... look for them soon and thanks Don!
RC
Groups TG-3A build thread courtesy of Don
Bailey.
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SPECS
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Span:
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133" (3.4m)
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Length:
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69 3/8" (1.8m)
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Aspect:
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10.4:1
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Area:
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1081 in.2
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All up weight:
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7.5 lbs.
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Wing loading:
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16 oz./ft.2
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Airfoil:
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Clark Y
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Scale:
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1:5 sport scale
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No. Servos Req'd:
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5-7
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FUNCTIONS:
Rudder, Elevator,
Dive Brakes, Ailerons, Tow Release
(optional)
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LASER CUT
PARTIAL KIT CONTENTS
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All balsa and plywood wing ribs,
Plywood Fuselage side doublers,
Fuselage bulkheads,
Light ply nose stringers,
Balsa tail ribs, spars and tips,
Canopy bows,
Plastic canopy material
Plans, 2 sheets 36" x 52", rolled.
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INCLUDED
IN HARDWARE PACK
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Lightweight wheel/tire 3 1/2" dia,
Steel wire axle, 5/32",
Dura collars 5/32",
3-48 x 3/4" stab mounting bolts,
Hinges, nylon large,12,
Pushrods (tails) 2 48" length,
3/8" 7075 T6 aluminum wing rod,
13/32" OD brass joiner sleeve,
1/8" x 6" spring steel incidence pin,
5/32" OD brass incidence sleeve.
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NEEDED TO
COMPLETE MODEL
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Wing and fuse 1/16" balsa sheet,
Spruce spars,
Balsa shear webs
Stringer stock,
Cable actuators (dive brakes) 2,
Adhesive epoxy and CA cements,
Covering, fabric or film,
Servos, wires, battery and receiver.
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A COMPLETE HARDWARE PACK IS
INCLUDED IN OUR SHORT KIT.
ALL HIGH QUALITY DUBRO, SULLIVAN,
K&S COMPONENTS PLUS A FULL 14" LENGTH HILAUNCH
.375" 7075 T6 AIRCRAFT ALUMINUM WING JOINER
ROD!
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