SH72269 SG-38 Schulgleiter (and SK-38 Komar too) in 1/72 Scale

December 27, 2014

When the SG-38 elementary training glider was designed by Rehberg, Schneider and Hoffmann, its constructors could not have guessed just how famous it would become. This glider very soon became a standard training machine for the NSFK (Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps or National Socialist Flyers Corps) which was mass produced by several factories and it could also be home-built from drawings sent by post. Production was not restricted solely to Germany either and the basic design went on to be built throughout the world, making it the most widely used training glider ever known. The type was built within most European countries under a variety of different designations and amongst them was Slovakia which began production during WW2 and in post war years they continued to be built for aeroclubs in Czechoslovakia as the ŠK-38 Komár (Gnat) where they were used alongside some original ex-German SG-38 aircraft.

It is no wonder that we chose to make a model of this famous glider and a few years ago we bought a 3D design from an outside contractor who promised to combine flawless design with a faithful scale reproduction of the real machine, just like the earlier Grunau Baby II and Piper J-3/L-4 models which he also designed. Therefore we bought the 3D design of the SG-38 kit but unfortunately it failed to meet expectations and this became apparent before we started to make the mould. Upon double checking this 3D design carefully by comparing it to the real glider and also for the fit of the projected model´s parts it became apparent that it fell short of expectations on both counts. Our checks highlighted so many mistakes (including issues concerning the wrong wing cross-section, wrong dihedral, ailerons lacking the correct twist, some parts not matching etc) that a decision was taken not to use the original 3D design which we fear may have since been passed on to another company even though we had already paid for it. Instead we opted for a completely new design instead. This time we selected a different 3D design contractor with much more experience in this field and we were able to visit the German Technical Museum in Berlin in order to precisely measure some parts of a real airframe, plus the owner of another example residing within a museum in the USA also allowed us extensive access to his machine. In this way we were able to create an extremely detailed and precise 1/72nd scale model which is right on the edge of technological possibilities and it surpasses the original design in every way possible.

The new 3D design and mould has been manufactured by our contractor in Asia using high-quality steel by means of EDM, or Electric Discharge Machining. By using this technology, a perfect fit of all parts with excellent surface detail is assured, without any trace of the scratches associated with a milling machine. The model can be built with one of two styles of optional fuselage nacelles, or with just the basic fuselage framework exposed. For each of the nacelles, a different landing skid is also provided and the first of these new kits will be available during late January or early February. Each model will contain two complete sets of sprues, a decal sheet and instructions. Price will be 10,- Eur.

A top-quality model is always worth waiting for but the wait for this one will only be very short.

We would like to wish you a very happy New Year in 2015

Just like the real SG-38, there is an opening around the fuselage in the wings undersurface

aerodynamically twisted ailerons

slight dihedral which was in reality controlled by a set of flying and landing wires

note the tiny details such as the lightening holes in the seat support frame and the control cable pulleys

The less common style of nacelle which has an opening in the rear that allowed the control cables to pass through. This landing skid is different to that of the standard SG-38