Steve Moskal

AFTER WORLD WAR II, soaring enthusiasts across the nation began to demand an all-around, high-performance sailplane. Sensing this demand, Schweizer Aircraft researched the market and quickly determined that most of these sport fliers couldn't afford to pay the estimated $3,000 for a production, high-performance glider. After careful planning and designing, their solution was unveiled in 1954. The Sailplane would be a kit concept wherein the critical structures were joined at their factory in Elmira, NY, and the buyer would perform the less critical work.