286:, the best 15-metre glider of its generation. One puzzle is how Dick Johnson's flight tests showed essentially identical glide performance for the LS3 and ASW 20 when new, which was not borne out over time. This was attributed to shrinkage over the LS3 spar caps, which resulted in flat spots in the airfoil after a few years. Owners who corrected this flaw (through profiling) found their LS3s once again equal to the best 15-metre gliders of the day, but by then ASW 20 had become almost ubiquitous in contest entry lists.
25:
91:
289:
A variant with separate flaps and ailerons and a slightly taller tail, the LS3a, was introduced in 1978. This version did away with the flaperon mass balancing, making each wing about 10 kg lighter. A span extension to 17-metres was later developed for this version. Although not very successful
269:
Unusually for
Rolladen-Schneider, the LS3 wings are single-tapered, entailing a slight aerodynamic loss. On the other hand, this geometry went along well with a straight axis for the full-span flaperons which gave the LS3 good handling and roll rate characteristics. The control system was rigged to
273:
The flaperon drives are located at the wing roots, an elegant solution that required a large amount of lead for mass balancing the control surfaces to preclude any risk of flutter. Due to this the LS3 wings are heavy, about 85 kg each semi-span (thus the nickname
297:. Its production run reached 429 exemplars of which two-thirds are of the -a version. It remains a popular glider in the second-hand market although it is seldom found in club fleets, possibly due to the added complexity of flaps and undercarriage.
270:
reduce the available control stick throw with negative flap settings, therefore giving a measure of in-built protection against overstressing at high speeds. One feature not shared with some competing designs was fully automatic control hookups.
281:
In spite of its weight the LS3 is a nimble climber. It is also less sensitive to rain or dirt than other types with the same profile. Its thicker wing takes its toll at higher speeds, where it could not keep up with the contemporary
215:, which offered the structural economy made possible by a tall spar - an important consideration as glass fibre was still the only affordable reinforcement material - as well as good performance for the time.
290:
due to speed and ballasting limitations, these extensions pioneered a trend that has become extremely popular. Today most new standard and 15-metre class gliders offer tip extensions as an option.
521:
185:
514:
642:
637:
507:
46:
169:
68:
632:
181:
530:
606:
475:
180:
The LS3 was developed as
Rolladen-Schneider's first entry to the new 15-metre competition class created in 1974 by the
494:
283:
347:
39:
33:
312:
Automatic connections for flaperons, airbrakes, elevator and water ballast valves (except the ailerons in the LS3-a)
227:
50:
647:
263:
278:, a pun exploiting the phonetic similarity in the German language between 'drei' (three) and 'Blei' (lead)).
204:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
550:
545:
306:
Wings, flaperons and horizontal stabiliser: spar and shell of glass fibre reinforced plastic/foam sandwich
294:
223:
193:
189:
122:
611:
200:
developed a new fuselage with a larger cockpit and more generous horizontal and vertical stabilisers.
208:
590:
235:
231:
219:
212:
165:
161:
127:
106:
251:
247:
243:
239:
453:
334:- improved version with separate flaps and ailerons and a slightly taller tail (208 built)
259:
222:
are among the most prolific in the history of gliding, as they were employed also in the
626:
255:
499:
340:- version with tip extensions for 17 metre span; no ballast provision (66 built)
346:- prototype with automatic flap system (Wölbklappenautomatik), similar to the
197:
203:
Lemke selected a relatively thick airfoil profile developed in 1967 by
90:
489:
480:
Thomas F, Fundamentals of
Sailplane Design, College Park Press, 1999
503:
18:
486:
315:
Water ballast system: unvented ballast bags in the wings
309:
Elevator and fuselage: glass fibre reinforced plastic
599:
538:
146:
141:
133:
121:
113:
102:
97:
83:
483:Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965–2000, Eqip, 2004
515:
188:. Building upon previous experience with the
8:
522:
508:
500:
80:
426:270 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
328:- original production version (155 built)
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
32:This article includes a list of general
16:15 metre single-seat German glider, 1976
293:The LS3 was superseded in 1983 by the
186:Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
495:Johnson D, An FTE of the LS3, Soaring
7:
218:This profile and its sister profile
387:15.00 m (49 ft 3 in)
381:6.86 m (22 ft 6 in)
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
399:10.5 m (113 sq ft)
393:1.32 m (4 ft 4 in)
182:International Gliding Commission
89:
23:
438:0.62 m/s (122 ft/min)
1:
375:150 kg (330 lb) water ballast
643:Aircraft first flown in 1976
638:Rolladen-Schneider aircraft
411:472 kg (1,038 lb)
664:
405:243 kg (535 lb)
88:
633:1970s German sailplanes
360:General characteristics
205:University of Stuttgart
53:more precise citations.
476:LS-Flugzeugbau website
354:Specifications (LS3-a)
176:Development and design
158:Rolladen-Schneider LS3
430:Maximum glide ratio:
539:Single seat gliders
490:Sailplane Directory
301:General description
266:among other types.
172:from 1976 to 1983.
98:General information
531:Rolladen-Schneider
170:Rolladen-Schneider
128:Rolladen-Schneider
620:
619:
196:, chief designer
154:
153:
79:
78:
71:
655:
600:Two seat gliders
524:
517:
510:
501:
419:
362:
93:
81:
74:
67:
63:
60:
54:
49:this article by
40:inline citations
27:
26:
19:
663:
662:
658:
657:
656:
654:
653:
652:
648:T-tail aircraft
623:
622:
621:
616:
595:
534:
528:
472:
467:
462:
454:List of gliders
445:
415:
358:
356:
322:
303:
178:
150:4 February 1976
114:National origin
75:
64:
58:
55:
45:Please help to
44:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
661:
659:
651:
650:
645:
640:
635:
625:
624:
618:
617:
615:
614:
609:
603:
601:
597:
596:
594:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
548:
542:
540:
536:
535:
529:
527:
526:
519:
512:
504:
498:
497:
492:
487:
484:
481:
478:
471:
468:
466:
463:
461:
458:
457:
456:
444:
441:
440:
439:
433:
427:
424:Maximum speed:
413:
412:
406:
400:
394:
388:
382:
376:
370:
355:
352:
351:
350:
341:
335:
329:
321:
318:
317:
316:
313:
310:
307:
302:
299:
209:Franz Wortmann
177:
174:
152:
151:
148:
144:
143:
139:
138:
135:
131:
130:
125:
119:
118:
115:
111:
110:
107:15 metre-class
104:
100:
99:
95:
94:
86:
85:
77:
76:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
660:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
630:
628:
613:
610:
608:
605:
604:
602:
598:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
544:
543:
541:
537:
532:
525:
520:
518:
513:
511:
506:
505:
502:
496:
493:
491:
488:
485:
482:
479:
477:
474:
473:
469:
464:
459:
455:
452:
451:
450:
449:
448:Related lists
442:
437:
436:Rate of sink:
434:
431:
428:
425:
422:
421:
420:
418:
410:
409:Gross weight:
407:
404:
403:Empty weight:
401:
398:
395:
392:
389:
386:
383:
380:
377:
374:
371:
368:
365:
364:
363:
361:
353:
349:
345:
344:LS3 automatic
342:
339:
336:
333:
330:
327:
324:
323:
319:
314:
311:
308:
305:
304:
300:
298:
296:
291:
287:
285:
279:
277:
271:
267:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
216:
214:
210:
206:
201:
199:
195:
191:
187:
183:
175:
173:
171:
167:
163:
159:
149:
145:
140:
136:
132:
129:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
105:
101:
96:
92:
87:
82:
73:
70:
62:
59:December 2012
52:
48:
42:
41:
35:
30:
21:
20:
555:
533:glider types
470:Bibliography
447:
446:
435:
429:
423:
416:
414:
408:
402:
396:
390:
384:
378:
372:
366:
359:
357:
343:
337:
331:
325:
292:
288:
280:
275:
272:
268:
217:
202:
179:
168:produced by
164:single-seat
157:
155:
147:First flight
134:Number built
123:Manufacturer
65:
56:
37:
417:Performance
228:Mini-Nimbus
220:FX 67-K-150
213:FX 67-K-170
51:introducing
627:Categories
607:LSD Ornith
460:References
397:Wing area:
207:Professor
198:Wolf Lemke
34:references
465:Citations
385:Wingspan:
373:Capacity:
369:One pilot
109:sailplane
443:See also
432:ca. 40.7
320:Variants
252:Mosquito
224:Nimbus-2
162:15 metre
391:Height:
379:Length:
276:LS-Blei
248:Kestrel
184:of the
142:History
117:Germany
47:improve
338:LS3-17
284:ASW 20
264:LAK-12
260:Jantar
244:PIK-30
240:PIK-20
236:DG-400
232:DG-200
211:, the
166:glider
36:, but
367:Crew:
348:Mü 28
332:LS3-a
160:is a
612:LS11
591:LS10
262:and
256:Vega
242:and
234:and
192:and
156:The
103:Type
586:LS9
581:LS8
576:LS7
571:LS6
566:LS5
561:LS4
556:LS3
551:LS2
546:LS1
326:LS3
295:LS6
194:LS2
190:LS1
137:429
84:LS3
629::
258:,
254:,
250:,
246:,
238:,
230:,
226:,
523:e
516:t
509:v
72:)
66:(
61:)
57:(
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
