Thermal Soaring over the Rhön: Alexander Schleicher and the Sailplane Craftsmanship Heritage of Poppenhausen, 1927

In 1927, at the foot of the windswept Wasserkuppe peak in the Rhön mountains, master glider pilot and craftsman Alexander Schleicher founded Segelflugzeugbau Schleicher. Recognized as the world's oldest active sailplane manufacturer, Schleicher pioneered cantilevered high-aspect-ratio spruce wings, composite laminar fuselages, and Olympic competition sailplanes, turning Poppenhausen into the sacred capital of motorless flight.

The Cradle of the Rhön: Alexander Schleicher and the Wasserkuppe (1927)

Following the Treaty of Versailles restrictions on powered aircraft, German youth and aviation scientists turned to the windy, treeless plateau of the Wasserkuppe (950m) to study atmospheric thermal currents and unpowered flight. In 1927, young carpenter and glider pilot Alexander Schleicher won the prestigious Rhön soaring competition flying a self-built sailplane named Hol’s der Teufel.

Using his prize money, Schleicher opened a wooden aircraft workshop in Poppenhausen. In collaboration with aerodynamic theorists Alexander Lippisch and Arthur Martens, Schleicher handcrafted lightweight birch plywood monoplanes that pushed the boundaries of gliding endurance and distance records.

From Spruce Spars to Carbon Fiber Champions: A Century of Sailplane Art

Under legendary aerodynamic designer Rudolf Kaiser, Schleicher produced world-standard gliders like the Ka 6, K 7, and the immortal ASK 13 dual trainer, training tens of thousands of aviators worldwide. Later transitioning to fiberglass and carbon fiber with Gerhard Waibel, Schleicher’s ASW and ASH series claimed dozens of World Gliding Championship crowns.

Still family-owned and handcrafting cutting-edge sailplanes in Poppenhausen, Alexander Schleicher approaches its 2027 centenary as a living masterclass in aerodynamic craft and silent flight heritage.

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