DG Flugzeugbau

DG Flugzeugbau GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturer specializing in sailplanes, self-launching motor gliders, and composite aircraft structures. The company is based in Bruchsal near Karlsruhe and traces its origins to 1973, when Gerhard Glaser and Wilhelm Dirks established Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau GmbH. The business became associated with the DG designation used across a broad family of high-performance gliders and two-seat aircraft. The company’s product history covers several important sailplane categories. Its earlier aircraft included the DG-100 in Standard Class, the DG-200 for the 15-metre class, the DG-300 in Standard Class, the self-launching DG-400 motor glider, the two-seat DG-500, and the DG-600 in 15-metre and 18-metre configurations. The DG-808C extended the range into modern 15-metre and 18-metre sailplanes, while the LS10 represented a further 15-metre and 18-metre aircraft design associated with the company’s production history. These products positioned the business within the performance-oriented glider market, where aerodynamic efficiency, structural lightness, composite construction, and reliable launch or propulsion systems are central product requirements. DG Flugzeugbau’s current glider range, according to the referenced company description, includes the DG-1001 two-seat sailplane and the Rolladen-Schneider LS8c-neo. The LS8c-neo is a Standard Class aircraft with optional wing tips that can extend its span to 18 metres, allowing the aircraft to address more than one configuration within the gliding segment. Alongside complete aircraft, DG Flugzeugbau is described as a producer of composite parts, making advanced composite manufacturing an important part of its industrial scope. The company has also participated in aerospace manufacturing beyond its traditional glider portfolio. In 2018, it received an order from Volocopter to build a large number of aircraft based on the Volocopter 2X design. This contract linked DG Flugzeugbau’s composite and aircraft-production capabilities to an emerging electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft program. The available reference material does not provide the order quantity, contract value, delivery schedule, or subsequent production outcome. DG Flugzeugbau is therefore best understood as a specialist aerospace manufacturer rather than a mass-market consumer brand. Its identity is rooted in German sailplane engineering, the continuation of the Glaser-Dirks aircraft lineage, and the manufacture of lightweight composite aircraft and components. Publicly available material supplied for this entry provides limited information about ownership, management, financial performance, international distribution, and current production volumes.

DG Flugzeugbau’s history begins in 1973, when Gerhard Glaser and Wilhelm Dirks founded Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau GmbH in Germany. The company developed a specialization in sailplanes and related aircraft manufacturing, operating in a sector where aircraft performance depends heavily on aerodynamic refinement, low structural weight, and the accurate production of composite components. Over the course of its development, the Glaser-Dirks business produced a sequence of DG-designated gliders serving multiple classes and uses. The DG-100 was associated with Standard Class competition and recreational soaring. The DG-200 addressed the 15-metre class, while the DG-300 returned to the Standard Class category. The DG-400 added self-launching capability through a motor-glider configuration, broadening the practical operating profile beyond pure gliding. The DG-500 was a two-seat design, suitable for training, touring, or other dual-occupancy applications. The DG-600 was produced in both 15-metre and 18-metre forms, and the DG-808C continued the company’s presence in those span categories. The LS10 was also part of the company’s historical production range, with 15-metre and 18-metre class configurations. The company later operated under the DG Flugzeugbau name and continued to manufacture sailplanes and composite parts. Its current aircraft range in the supplied reference includes the DG-1001 two-seater and the Rolladen-Schneider LS8c-neo. The latter is a Standard Class sailplane that can be fitted with optional wing tips to increase its span to 18 metres. This product mix reflects the company’s continued focus on specialized gliding aircraft rather than high-volume general aviation production. A notable expansion of the company’s manufacturing relevance occurred in 2018, when Volocopter placed an order for DG Flugzeugbau to build a large number of Volocopter 2X aircraft. The agreement connected DG Flugzeugbau’s experience in composite aircraft production with Volocopter’s electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft program. The supplied sources do not provide enough information to establish the precise production scale, whether the order was fully delivered, or how it affected DG Flugzeugbau’s broader business. The available historical record is concise and does not document changes in ownership, detailed corporate reorganizations, executive succession, financial results, factory expansions, or the dates on which individual aircraft programs entered or left production. It does establish a continuous identity rooted in the Glaser-Dirks founding, a substantial historical portfolio of DG and LS sailplanes, current production of selected glider models, and participation in composite aircraft manufacturing for a newer electric aviation program.

• 2018

  Volocopter 2X production order

  [1]DG Flugzeugbauen.wikipedia.org

  DG Flugzeugbau received an order from Volocopter to build a large number of aircraft based on the Volocopter 2X design.

• 1973

  Founding of Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau

  [1]DG Flugzeugbauen.wikipedia.org

  Gerhard Glaser and Wilhelm Dirks founded the aircraft-manufacturing business that became the basis of DG Flugzeugbau.

A specialist German aerospace manufacturer focused on performance sailplanes, motor gliders, and lightweight composite aircraft manufacturing.

• Standard Class sailplane

  DG-100

  An earlier DG sailplane associated with the Standard Class. It forms part of the company’s historical portfolio of performance-oriented gliders.

• 15-metre-class sailplane

  DG-200

  A historical DG aircraft designed for the 15-metre sailplane class. It represents the company’s work in specialized high-performance glider configurations.

• Standard Class sailplane

  DG-300

  An earlier DG sailplane in the Standard Class category, included among the company’s discontinued glider models.

• Self-launching motor glider

  DG-400

  A self-launching motor-glider model from the company’s historical range. Its propulsion capability distinguished it from pure sailplanes and supported operation without an external launch system.

• Two-seat sailplane

  DG-500

  A two-seat glider produced in the company’s earlier product history. The configuration broadened the range beyond single-seat performance sailplanes.

• 15-metre and 18-metre sailplane

  DG-600

  A historical sailplane offered in 15-metre and 18-metre configurations, reflecting the company’s coverage of multiple performance-oriented span classes.

• 15-metre and 18-metre sailplane

  DG-808C

  A discontinued DG sailplane available in 15-metre and 18-metre versions. It belongs to the later part of the company’s historical glider portfolio.

• 15-metre and 18-metre sailplane

  LS10

  A sailplane associated with the company’s historical production range and offered in 15-metre and 18-metre class configurations.

• Two-seat sailplane

  DG-1001

  A current two-seat sailplane in the DG Flugzeugbau range. The model continues the company’s established focus on specialized glider design and production.

• Standard Class sailplane

  Rolladen-Schneider LS8c-neo

  A current Standard Class sailplane produced by DG Flugzeugbau. Optional wing tips can increase the aircraft’s span to 18 metres, giving the model an additional configuration beyond its Standard Class setup.

• Aerospace components

  Composite aircraft parts

  DG Flugzeugbau manufactures composite parts and other aircraft structures. This capability supports its own sailplane production and has also been relevant to external aerospace programs.

• 2018

  Acceptance of Volocopter 2X manufacturing orderOther

  Background

  Volocopter was developing the Volocopter 2X, an electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, and sought manufacturing capacity for a large number of aircraft.

  Action taken

  DG Flugzeugbau accepted an order to build a large number of aircraft based on the Volocopter 2X design.

  Aftermath

  The order connected DG Flugzeugbau’s composite-aircraft manufacturing activities with an emerging electric aviation program. The supplied material does not specify the quantity, value, delivery status, or long-term commercial effect.

  Source

• 2021.07.07

  Volocopter acquires DG Flugzeugbau[2]Volocopter收购DG Flugzeugbauaero-news.net

  Volocopter reported that it was acquiring DG Flugzeugbau and would integrate its aircraft production segment and EASA Part 21G production organisation approval. The remaining part of DG Flugzeugbau was transitioning into the newly founded DG Aviation.

Read more

1. 1DG Flugzeugbauen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Volocopter收购DG Flugzeugbauaero-news.net