DFS 230

History of the DFS 230

The DFS 230 was a German transport glider used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. It was developed in 1933 by the German Glide Research Institute (DFS) with Hans Jacobs as chief designer.

The glider was the German inspiration for the British Hotspur glider and was intended for aerial attack operations.

The DFS-230 glider seats nine men in addition to the pilot, sitting next to each other on a narrow bench in the center of the fuselage (half port, half starboard). Entry and exit to the narrow interior is through a single-sided door. The passenger can use his only weapon, the machine gun. This is an assault glider designed to land directly on the target, so it is equipped with parachute brakes. This enables the glider to dive close to its target at an 80-degree angle and land within 20 meters (60 feet) of its target.

It can carry up to 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) of cargo.

It played an important role in the operation of Fort Eben-Emer, the Battle of Crete and the rescue of Benito Mussolini. It is also used in North Africa.

However, it was mainly used to supply besieged troops on the Eastern Front, such as B. Supply Demyansk boiler, Kholm boiler, defenders of Stalingrad and Budapest fortresses (until 12 February 1945). Although production ceased in 1943, it was used until the end of the war and was supplied to Berlin and Breslau until May 1945.Two DFS 230s fly over Italy, towed by two tugboats Junkers Ju 87B

Pilots of tow planes and cargo gliders were able to communicate with each other via cables running along the tow ropes, which allowed blind flight if necessary. The towing speed of the DFS-230 is approximately 190 km/h (116 mph). It lowered the landing gear and landed on the landing gear after a safe takeoff.

The DFS-230 can be towed by a Ju 52 (hard to tow two), He 111, Ju 87, Hs 126, Bf 110 or Bf 109. The Ju 52 towed the glider with a 40-meter (131-foot) cable, or, in bad weather, a shorter rigid rod that was connected to the towed aircraft through a joint. The DFS-230 has the highest glide ratio (8:1) of all WWII military gliders except the Antonov A-7.

This is because the glider must have a long distance to land so that it can land quite far from the target so that the noise of the tractor does not alert the enemy.

Specification

BASIC

Year of Service

1938

Origins

Nazi Germany

Status

retirement

does not work.

Crew

1

Production

1,625

Manufacturer

German Glide Research Institute (DFS) - Nazi Germany

Operator

Nazi Germany

Dimensions and Weight

Length

36.9 feet

(11.24m)

Width/span

72. 1ft

(21.98m)

Height

9.0ft

(2.74m)

Cured weight

1,896 lbs

(860kg)

MTOW

4,630 lbs

(2,100 kg)

Wgt Difference

+?2,734

(+1,240 kg)

Performance

Installed:

No. This is a tow glider.

Maximum speed

130 km/h

(210 km/h | 113 kn)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Hypersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

Weapons

Optional: 1 x 7.92mm MG-15 machine gun mounted in the rear cockpit 2 x 7.92mm MG-34 machine guns mounted on fixed forward-facing brackets on the front of the fuselage.