2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. ASK18-JSZ: TSRL· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. Schleicher ASK 18: TSRL· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The Schleicher ASK 18 is a single-seat sailplane that was built by the German manufacturer Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. It was designed to be a sturdy aircraft for inexperienced solo pilots and so uses a simple and rugged construction and has docile handling characteristics.
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 52 years ago, in 1974.
- Top speed is 1.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Wingspan of 16 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
no engine: No engine: it glides on rising air.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1974-12
- number built
- 56
- role
- club class sailplane
- origin
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- makers
- Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co
- engines
- none (glider)
- passengers
- 1
- length
- 7 m
- wingspan
- 16 m
- height
- 1.7 m
- max take-off weight
- 335 kg
- top speed
- 200 km/h
- range
- —
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q573163, Wikipedia: Schleicher ASK 18 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.