DFS 40
Encyclopedia
The DFS 40 was a tail-less research aircraft designed by Alexander Lippisch
in 1937 as a follow-on to his Delta IV
aircraft. In construction, the DFS was more like a flying wing
than its predecessor, and was intended to provide a comparison with that aircraft.
The DFS 40 was flown for the first time by Heini Dittmar
in 1939, shortly before Lippisch departed the DFS (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug
- German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight) to begin work at Messerschmitt
. Soon afterwards, without Lippisch there to supervise the project, the aircraft was crashed due to an error in center of gravity
calculations that resulted in it entering a flat spin
during flight.
Alexander Lippisch
Alexander Martin Lippisch was a German pioneer of aerodynamics. He made important contributions to the understanding of flying wings, delta wings and the ground effect. His most famous design is the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket-powered interceptor.Lippisch was born in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria...
in 1937 as a follow-on to his Delta IV
Lippisch Delta IV
Alexander Lippisch's Delta IV was a continuation of his work on delta wing designs pioneered in his Delta I, Delta II and Delta III aircraft. The project began with an order from Gerhard Fieseler for a design that his company could build for him to fly in the 1932 Europarundflug air rally...
aircraft. In construction, the DFS was more like a flying wing
Flying wing
A flying wing is a tailless fixed-wing aircraft which has no definite fuselage, with most of the crew, payload and equipment being housed inside the main wing structure....
than its predecessor, and was intended to provide a comparison with that aircraft.
The DFS 40 was flown for the first time by Heini Dittmar
Heini Dittmar
Heini Dittmar was a German glider pilot.Inspired by the example of his glider flying brother Edgar, Dittmar took an apprenticeship at the German Institute for Gliding , and won first prize in his class in the 1932 Rhön Glider Competition, when he was 21 years old, with a self-built glider,...
in 1939, shortly before Lippisch departed the DFS (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug
Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug
The Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug, or DFS was formed in 1933 to centralise all gliding activity in Germany...
- German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight) to begin work at Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
. Soon afterwards, without Lippisch there to supervise the project, the aircraft was crashed due to an error in center of gravity
Center of mass
In physics, the center of mass or barycenter of a system is the average location of all of its mass. In the case of a rigid body, the position of the center of mass is fixed in relation to the body...
calculations that resulted in it entering a flat spin
Spin (flight)
In aviation, a spin is an aggravated stall resulting in autorotation about the spin axis wherein the aircraft follows a corkscrew downward path. Spins can be entered intentionally or unintentionally, from any flight attitude and from practically any airspeed—all that is required is sufficient yaw...
during flight.