Tri-service G- for Glider designations

Hi boys,
on the net I read this news:
Academy Acquiring New Gliders: The Air Force Academy is purchasing 19 new two-seat gliders, along with 11 trailers to haul them, under a $4.8 million transaction. The new German-made gliders will be designated TG-16As and used to introduce cadets to flying, reported the Colorado Springs Gazette. They will replace the academy's TG-10B/C gliders that have reached the end of their service lives. The academy was set to receive the first TG-16 at the end of last week

and this version:
The TG-16A gliders are made by a German company. They replace Let Kunovice TG-10B and TG-10C “Blaník” gliders currently in use.
Anyone indication of the actual manufacturer? Schleicher? Schempp-Hirth?
Nico

Re: TG-16

Looks like the TG-16 glider is a version of the DG-1001 from DG Flugzeugbau GmbH.

http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/foto-11-05.html

http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/inh-dg1000-e.html

EDIT: The glider trailers may be sourced from Alfreds Spindelberger Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH.

Re: TG-16

Thank you Grey Havoc for your realtime answer
Nico

Re: TG-16

Glad to be of help.

Re: TG-16

The TG-16A is indeed the DG1000S. The press release shows registration N503DG which can be checked with the FAA register.
Refer: http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123264112

Re: TG-16

Jos Heyman said:

The TG-16A is indeed the DG1000S. The press release shows registration N503DG which can be checked with the FAA register.
Refer: http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123264112

Click to expand...

At first I thought that was just a glitch in the FAA database. Most built DG-1000S have a wingspan of 18m, while the DG-1001 Club has a wingspan of 20m with upturned wingtips. On the other hand the DG-1000S does have a 20m wing option, so I then thought that might account for the confusion. However looking through the development history, it turns out that the DG-1001 Club was at one time known as the DG-1000S Club! Looks like the designation was changed to DG-1001S Club sometime in 2010, and then it seems it was changed again to just DG-1001 Club early this year, but the FAA register wasn't updated to match.

The DG-1001T is the powered version, with a Solo engine (two-cylinder two-stroke).



[IMAGE CREDIT: DG Flugzeugbau GmbH]

I kept expecting a G- designation list to pop up. Here's a start ...
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USAF TG (Training Glider) and RG (Reconnaissance Glider) Designations

NB: the USAF dropped manufacturer code suffixes in 1976

TG-1 -- 1954 Schweizer SGS 2-25S 2-seat tandem training sailplane, USAF N225AF
- TG-1A-SW: single example donated to US Air Force Academy by George Arents Jr.

TG-2 -- TG-2A-SW, Schweizer SGU 2-22E 2-seat utility training sailplane

TG-3 -- 1960s, Schweizer SGS 1-26, single-seat sailplane, 12.19 m span, 3 used
- TG-3A-SW: SGS 1-26B, repl. by TG-10D Oct 2002, aka callsign 'Thunder'
- TG-3B-SW: 1971, SGS 1-26E (intro. 1971, metal monocoque fuselage)

TG-4 -- Schweizer 2-33A 2-seat tandem basic training sailplane, 12 (13?) used
- TG-4A: replaced by TG-10B 2002 (last flight 20 Feb 03)

TG-5 -- TG-5A-SW, Schweizer 2-32S tandem 2-seat training glider, 17.37 m span

TG-6 -- TG-6A-SW, Schweizer SGS 1-34 single-seat training glider, 15 m span

TG-7 -- Schweizer SGM 2-37 (M2-37A), motor glider, 18.14 m span, 9 used
- TG-7A: 112 hp Lycoming 0-235-L2C 4 cyl, retired Apr 2003 (repl. by TG-14A)

RG-8 -- Schweizer SA2-37BRG-8A* motorglider configured for reconnaissance role
- RG-8A-SW: Condor, 510 lb sensor payload, 1 x 250h 6-cyl Lycoming TIO-540-AB1AD
-- derived from Schweizer SGM 2-37A (SA2-37B) for USAF, USA, USCG, CIA, and FAC
-- 85-0047 (CG 8101, conv. to RU-38A), 85-0048 (w/o Sept 1986), 86-0404 (CG 8102)

TG-9 -- TG-9A, Alexander Schleicher ASK-21 medium performance sailplane, 17 m span
- TG-9A: 4 used (87-1973/'75), callsign 'Sabre', repl. 2002 by TG-10C (last flown May 2003)

TG-10 - Let Flugzeugwerk Blaník and Super Blaník for USAF Academy, aka G-10
- TG-10A: 2-seat Let L 23 Super Blaník, original cockpit layout (repl by TG-10B)
- TG-10B: Merlin 2-seat Let L 23 Super Blaník, 12 used
- TG-10C: Kestrel Let L 13 AC Blaník, 5 used
- TG-10D: Peregrine single-seat Let Blaník L 33 Solo, 4 used

TG-11 - Stemme S-10V 2-seat side-by-side motorglider cross-country trainer, 2 used
TG-11A: 1995, TG-11A was replaced by TG-14A (Nov 2002), 23 m span

TG-12 - Caproni-Vizzola A21 Calif 2-seat side-by-side training glider
- TG-12A: single A21 Calif used by USAF Test Pilot School

TG-13 - (Not applied in Post '63 TG Designation Sequence)

TG-14 - 2001, Grupo Aeromot AMT-200S Super Ximango 2-seat motorglider
- TG-14A: USAF Academy Introductory Flight Training Program, TG-7 repl.

TG-15 - Schempp-Hirth Discus-type high-performance glider, TG-10D replacement
- TG-15A: Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus XL tandem two-seater
- TG-15B: Schempp-Hirth Discus-2b single seater

TG-16 - 2011 DG Flugzeugbau GmbH DG-1001 Club, TG-10 replacement
- TG-16A: 18m span DG1001 Club cross-country trainer, 19 being purchased
-- 10-0001-10-0005, 10-0007-10-0011, 10-0059, 10-0094, 10-0100, 10-0200,
-- 10-0300, 10-0306, 10-0400, 10-0500, (??)
- TG-16B: no details, poss. confusion with TG-10B being replaced (??)
-- NB: 'TG-16B' listed among "Aircraft Static Displays", 2017-2018 306th Flying Training Group Open Houses

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Apophenia said:

I kept expecting a G- designation list to pop up. Here's a start ...

Click to expand...

You did it so well that there isn't much to add here, really... :

I have the callsign 'Saber" for the TG-9A, though, not the TG-10C.

Re: TG-16

Jos Heyman said:

The TG-16A is indeed the DG1000S. The press release shows registration N503DG which can be checked with the FAA register.
Refer: http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123264112

Click to expand...

In its own press release (http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/dg1000-schulflugzeug-e.html , scroll down to "19 DG-1001 for the United States Air Force"), DG Flugzeugbau refers to the aircraft as "DG-1001 Club".

Yes, Andreas, that's also what I have.

On a sidenote, the USAF also uses six civil registered Diamond DA-20C-1 Falcon as USAF Academy trainers at Embry-Riddle Aero University, which are custom Eclipse/Evolution derivatives.

Excellent ... thanks guys. DG-1001 Club and callsign 'Sabre' refs corrected!

Stargazer2006 said:

Yes, Andreas, that's also what I have.

On a sidenote, the USAF also uses six civil registered Diamond DA-20C-1 Falcon as USAF Academy trainers at Embry-Riddle Aero University, which are custom Eclipse/Evolution derivatives.

Click to expand...

The USAF Academy also used the Diamond DA-40 under the designation T-52A.

There now seems to be a TG-16B version according to the February 2013 edition of Combat Aircraft, but it gives no further details. The five smoke equipped airframes (aerobatic gliders) of the original order redesignated perhaps?

On another note, here's a somewhat tongue in check Time [Battleland blog] article from March last year on the new glider strip installed with the TG-16 in mind:
The Air Force’s Magic Carpet Ride

LG-1K automated cargo drone (glider), currently under development for the USMC/DARPA by Logistic Gliders Inc.
H/t edwest.