DFS

The Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS) was formed in 1933 to centralise all gliding activity in Germany, under the directorship of Professor Georgii. It was formed by the nationalisation of the Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft (RRG) at Darmstadt.
The DFS was involved in producing training sailplanes for the Hitler Youth and Luftwaffe, as well as conducting research into advanced technologies such as flying wings and rocket propulsion.
In 1938, following a fatal accident at the mountain Wasserkuppe (Hessen, Germany), DFS held a competition to design a more effective speed brake for gliders. The final design, produced by Wolfgang and Ulrich Hütter of Schempp-Hirth, is used to this day and generally referred to as the "Schempp-Hirth brake".

---

DFS Habicht

The DFS Habicht (German: "Hawk") was designed in 1936 by Hans Jacobs as an aerobatic sailplane, with support provided by the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug. Four planes were made available for the Olympic Games of 1936, where the maneuvers of the Habicht over and literally inside the Olympic stadium enthralled spectators. The flight qualities of the Habicht were praised by many pilots. It participated in many airshows abroad before the war, including the 1938 National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio.
Few Habichts survived World War II. There is one craft, flown by famous French aerobatic pilot Marcel Doret, in the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Paris. Another, with the registration D-8002, flew in Southern Germany until it was destroyed by the collapse of the hangar where it was stored.
After lengthy and patient research to recover the design documentation, Josef Kurz and other members of the Oldtimer Segelflugclub Wasserkuppe built an all-new Habicht. After an extended exhibition career, it flies from the Wasserkuppe club's airfield, also registered as D-8002. Another airworthy Habicht was built by the Zahn family and first flew in 2001. A third newly-built Habicht (D-6868) flies at Flugsportverein Vaihingen/Enz in Germany.

DFS Habicht, registration D-6868, built 2012, replica
Flugplatz Asperden (EDLG), Asperden, Germany, 4 June 2017

---