9 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. DG500 F-CHJD 3: bibi95· CC BY 2.0
- 2. DG-500-schöne-Piloten: FotofliegerHE· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. Bugkupplung DG 500: El Grafo· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. DG-500-Anflug-Hellenhagen: FotofliegerHE· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. DG500 F-CHJD 1: bibi95· CC BY 2.0
- 6. DG500 F-CHJD 2: bibi95· CC BY 2.0
- 7. Glaser dirks dg 500 elan: bibi95· CC BY 2.0
- 8. Glaser Dirks DG-505 ELAN G-CJSK: Christian Guthier from Oxford, UK· CC BY 2.0
- 9. K-6CR, DG-500 and Pirat - Attaching the winch line, Devon and Somerset Gliding Club - 270310: Roger Cornfoot· CC BY-SA 2.0
what is it?
The Glaser-Dirks DG-500, and later the DG-505, is a two-seat glider of glass-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction, manufactured in the DG Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bruchsal, Germany. It first flew in 1987.
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 39 years ago, in 1987.
- Wingspan of 18 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
no engine: No engine: it glides on rising air.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1987-03-19
- number built
- 261
- role
- two seater class sailplane
- origin
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- makers
- DG Flugzeugbau
- engines
- none (glider)
- crew
- 2
- passengers
- 2
- length
- 8.7 m
- wingspan
- 18 m
- height
- 1.8 m
- max take-off weight
- 630 kg
- top speed
- —
- range
- —
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q1153385, Wikipedia: Glaser-Dirks DG-500 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.