LS8-sc neo – The Standard Class Racer

Our LS8-sc neo revives the famous standard class glider, which has been repeatedly modified during the past years. We consequently kept the sailplane up-to-date and ready for competition. With the neo version we now achieved an even higher performance. The LS8 stays first class, not only because of its flight performance but also in terms of flight qualities – for competitive pilots as well as for club use and for recreational pilots.

Fuselage

In recent years we furnished the LS8-sc neo with several updates. A Mandl Air Extractor, which leads excess air to the outside, was integrated into the fuselage. The device controls the incoming airstream and avoids excess pressure. What’s more, we replaced the LS’ large tail wheel by a smaller one with a diameter of 150mm (made by Tost) and adjusted the wheel spat accordingly. The cross-sectional area was thus reduced by 2/3. Due to a higher angle of attack, the 5″-gear has improved the take-off roll. A very comfortable upgrade. A parking break may prevent the glider from inadvertent rolling on the ground.

Tail Unit

The LS8’s well-proven tail unit remained almost unaltered. However we re-engineered and improved several smaller details in this area. In order to improve aerodynamic characteristics we modified the transition between vertical tail and elevator. The little set-off simply disappeared. A nice side-effect when taping the glider; it is now much easier.

With the new series the gap between elevator and vertical tail is now sealed. This amendment improves the elevator’s efficiency while thermaling, especially with high wing loadings.

The ports for impact pressure and total energy compensation in the vertical tail were replaced by a Pandtl-M-Adapter, a 3-way adapter which allows the use of various probes, manufactured by esa-systems.

Cockpit

The LS8-sc cockpit was modernized. It comes in the same look as our LS10. In a crash situation the safety cockpit will effectively protect the pilot from injuries. The bowden cables for water ballast are well hidden under the side cladding. We were able to enlarge the cockpit’s front part by lowering the front section of the seatpan, so it now offers additional space and legroom. The avionic batteries were placed under the two-peace seatpan and may easily be reached through a maintenance opening. We reorganized the instrument panel to carry larger board computers. It now offers sufficient space for all instrumentation desired.

Wings

Like in past years, we are offering the LS8-sc with two different wingspans. Competitive pilots will most likely be interested in the new 15m neo winglets. Those were developed in cooperation with Johannes Dillinger and Benjamin Rodax, who especially designed the tips for competitive needs and flying fast. The outcome is not only a large performance gain when flying straight at medium velocity and high speeds. The thermaling characteristics have improved, too. During the annual Idaflieg meeting in August 2016, Akaflieg pilots calibrated an LS8 with 15m neo winglets: The record shows a considerable improvement of its polar axis! You can order these new winglets not only with the LS8-sc neo but also buy an add-on kit for your LS8 already in use.

Of course we are still offering 18m tips carrying our renowned LS-winglets. In this configuration the LS8-sc neo reaches a maximum take-off weight of 575kg. These gliders have successfully participated at various 18m class competitions. Yet, first and foremost, cross country pilots, who do not necessarily have a desire for contests, will love the 18m version for its great performance.

Sustainer Prepared

Our LS8-sc neo series is prepared to carry an auxiliary engine. At any time the glider can so be retrofitted with the popular sustainer. The engine is driven by DEI-NT, a proven control system developed by DG.

Technical Data

wing span	m	15	18
wing area	m²	10.5	11.4
aspect ratio	/	21.4	28.4
length	m	6.72	6.72
height	m	0.8	0.8
Vne	km/h	280	280
glide ratio	/	~ 1:44	~ 1:50
min. sink (at 420kg)	m/s	0.59	0.51
empty mass (incl. basic instrumentation) ca.	kg	270	280
water ballast wing	l	190	190
water ballast fin	l	7.5	7.5
MTOW	kg	525	575
max. wing loading	kg/m²	50	50.4