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Schweizer SGS 1-23H/15**

Let us all watch your new project progress.
B Sharp

Schweizer SGS 1-23H/15**

Post by B Sharp »

First some background to this build. Way back in 1968 I went to the cinema to see Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair and was totally grabbed by the glider sequence in the film. I had only just started full size gliding at that point and I really wanted to be Steve and I really wanted to fly that little yellow Schweizer. Recently I was given a DVD of the film and the obsession was reignited.
The Schweizer 1-23 was first designed and built in 1948 and progressed through a number of models till production ceased in 1967. A 1-23, flown by William Ivans, set a world altitude record for gliders in 1950, reaching a height of 42,089 ft and Paul Bikle flew a 1-23E to a world absolute altitude record of 46,267 in 1961. The model I intend to build is the 1-23H/15 which is the model featured in the film.
1-23H.jpg
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A little while ago I put out a request on this forum for a set of plans for this machine and my new “best friend” ARUP over in the USA was able to acquire for me a set of plans originally drawn by TRMC models. These plans are to1/4 scale and are highly detailed and cover most of the 1-23 model types, including the “H” model I am interested in. Thanks ARUP, you are a STAR. I have decided in this case to stick with 1:4 scale rather than enlarging the plans to 1:3.5 as I am finding that carrying big heavy gliders ½ mile to the top of my local hill is starting to get to me as I grow older by the year.
I started cutting wood a couple of weeks ago and I now have a pile of plywood components ready to assemble onto my jig.
Schweizer SGS 1-23H_15.pdf
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