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The DG Flugzeugbau DG-808S is the pure glider (non-powered) member of the DG-800 family, an 18 metre single-seat competition sailplane built by DG Flugzeugbau GmbH of Bruchsal, Germany. It shares its lineage with the self-launching DG-808 motor gliders but uses a shorter, lighter fuselage optimised purely for high-performance soaring, making it a favourite among competition pilots and, in freeware form, a popular choice for simulator soaring enthusiasts.
The DG-808S is a single-seat, 18 metre class high-performance sailplane, the unpowered variant within DG Flugzeugbau's DG-800 series. It is built almost entirely from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic and is aimed squarely at competition flying, sitting alongside the powered DG-808B and self-launching DG-808C within the same family. As a pure glider it dispenses with any engine installation, trading the convenience of self-launch for reduced weight and a broader, more flexible wing-loading range suited to racing.
The DG-800 series traces its origins to Glaser-Dirks, which began production in 1993 as the successor to the earlier DG-400 and DG-600 models. Development of the DG-800 followed a fire that severely damaged the moulds of the preceding DG-600 at the manufacturer's works, prompting a new design. The first version, the DG-800A, made its maiden flight on 6 December 1991, with production continuing under Glaser-Dirks and, from 1997, under DG Flugzeugbau GmbH. Manufacture of the family ran from 1991 through to 2020, with total production reaching around 416 airframes by 2010 (401 according to another count) across all DG-800 and DG-808 variants. The DG-808 series represents the newest development within this lineage, with the DG-808S forming its pure-glider, unpowered branch.
The DG-808S uses a fuselage that is shorter and lighter than the powered DG-808 variants, built in the moulds originally developed for the DG-600, which allows it to run across a broader range of wing loadings suited to competition work. The airframe is built largely of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, and the DG-800 series was the first from the manufacturer to feature integrated insect-wiper garages on the wing leading edges. It is offered with either 15 metre or 18 metre wingspan and with or without winglets. In its 18 metre glider configuration, the DG-808S has a length of 7.055 m, a wing area of 11.81 square metres, an empty mass of 272 kg and a maximum flying mass of 600 kg, giving a wing loading range of 30.1 to 50.8 kg per square metre. It carries up to 150 litres of water ballast in the wings plus a further 6 litres in the tail for trim. The related 15 metre pure-glider variant, the DG-800S, has a length of 6.86 m, a wing area of 10.68 square metres, an empty mass of 260 kg and up to 237 litres of water ballast.
The 18 metre DG-808S achieves a best glide ratio of 52, with a minimum sink rate of 0.48 m/s and a stall speed of 68 km/h. Published figures for the type also quote a maximum speed of 270 km/h and a glide ratio of around 50 to 1. The shorter-span 15 metre DG-800S variant returns a best glide ratio of 45, a minimum sink rate of 0.55 m/s and a stall speed of 64 km/h. These figures place the DG-808S firmly among the high-performance 18 metre class sailplanes, with its wide wing-loading range allowing pilots to tailor performance to conditions through water ballast management.
Within the DG-800 family, the 15 metre DG-800A was the original powered self-launching version, followed by the 18 metre DG-808B motor glider. The pure, unpowered glider variants are the 15 metre DG-800S and the 18 metre DG-808S, both built with the shorter fuselage derived from the DG-600 moulds and aimed at competition flying. The self-launching line continued with the DG-808C, fitted with a Solo 2625 engine of 40 kW and the DEI-NT engine control system, and a DG-808C Competition version. All variants can be flown with or without winglets.
As a pure competition sailplane, the DG-808S is flown in gliding contests in the 18 metre class, where its combination of high glide ratio and flexible wing loading suits cross-country and racing tasks. Individual airframes have been noted in private ownership and competition use across Europe and the Middle East.
A freeware recreation of the DG Flugzeugbau DG-808S has been made available for Microsoft Flight Simulator through the flightsim.to community platform, developed as a community project released under the TouchingCloud label. The simulator version reproduces the 18 metre wingspan competition glider, and a modified variant has been produced with a 150 pound thrust retractable jet engine installable for launching or sustaining flight, giving simulator pilots an option not found on the real unpowered DG-808S airframe.