Akaflieg Karlsruhe
Akaflieg Karlsruhe is one of ten flying groups (Akaflieg) attached to German universities. Akaflieg is an abbreviation for "Akademische Fliegergruppe", an academic group of students working with a German University. The "Akademische Fliegergruppe Karlsruhe e.V." (Akaflieg Karlsruhe) - (Academic Aviator Group Karlsruhe) is a group of students enrolled at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, who are involved with the development and the design of gliders, as well as research in aerodynamics. History. Akaflieg Karlsruhe from 1928 to 1933. In the winter semester of 1927/28 a glider group was founded by Karl Töpfer, Assistant at the chair for motor vehicles  with a teaching assignment for aircraft technology. The association was registered as Academic Flying Club Karlsruhe 1928. The hang-glider, a large wing equipped with a passenger harness called „Brigant“/"Bandit" was taken over from the Glider Club Karlruhe, which had just been dissolved. Until 1933 three glider planes were built, named "Zögling"/"Pupil", "Hol’s der Teufel"/"Let the devil get it" and "Karlsruhe". On May 13, 1933 the Akaflieg Karlsruhe was dissolved. The entire equipment was repossessed to the Karlsruhe grouping of the German Aviation Federation. Re-foundation 1951. Glider flying was allowed in Germany on May 22, 1951 on which  the new Academic Flying Group of Karlruhe was officially founded. on its first day it 78 members. Thanks to the support of many friends and sponsors, the fleet rapidly expanded. In 1954 a two-seater (model Kranich III) was purchased and got the name „Walter“. In 1955 a new Doppelraab V6 named „Studiosus“ and a motor-plane Bücker 181 "Bestmann" were added to the fleet. A self-built L-Spatz 55 was soon built by the Akaflieg. Mid Sixties work on the project AK-1 started. On January 9, 1971 at 12:31 Central European Time AK-1 was airborne on its own  propulsion. The first Prototype of Akaflieg Karlsruhe after the war had proven itself. The Seventies to Eighties. Flight trials of the Ak-1 were undertaken in the beginning of the seventies. On October 27, 1973 the assemblee decided to launch a new project. AK-2 should be a powerful motor-glider out of Fiberglas. The project was never finished. In parallel flight data calculators for glider flying had been conceived and constructed. AK-3 became a project and a finished flight computer with electric variometer and glide slope indicator was borne, which was even produced in a small series. AK-3R was completed as  approach slope calculator The Ak-4 project was a in cooperation with the Institute for climate research and meteorology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Climatic data over the Upper Rhine Region was measured with an airplane purpose built with special equipment for in flight data collection. Akaflieg Karlsruhe today. Akaflieg Karlsruhe has a workshop on the west campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The students usually work off the required 300 hours per year there. The DG-1000 with a 400-N-Turbine (AK-9) is finished and in flight trials. The main project is the construction of AK-X, a  pure wing 15-class glider. The flying activities, with winch hauling, are held on the glider field of Rheinstetten, close to the fair of Karlsruhe since the airport of Karlsruhe-Forchheim was closed. Gliders/ Prototypes. Aircraft designed and/or built at Akaflieg Karlsruhe include: