The Schweizer SGU 2-22 is an American two-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, training glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York. The 2-22 was designed to replace the two-place training gliders surplussed at the end of World War II. Production was started in 1946 and it was produced until 1967, when it was superseded by an improved version, the SGS 2-33. From the 1940s until the 1960s it was the most numerous two-place training glider in the USA.
Design and development
The end of World War Two resulted in a large number of military training gliders being sold as surplus. These included Frankfort TG-1s, Schweizer TG-2s and Schweizer TG-3s. Most of the surplus gliders sold were not ideal trainers for ab initio civilian student flying, as they had high wing loadings and faster stall speeds. This made them suitable for aerotow, but not for winch or auto-tow launches. Furthermore, many of these surplus two-place gliders had poor visibility from the rear seat where the instructor sat. Due to restrictions on the use of aluminum in training aircraft, many surplus gliders had wooden wings, making them unsuitable to be kept outdoors on tie-downs. Schweizer Aircraft decided to design a two-place trainer that would address these deficiencies and provide a trainer that was easy to fly and would be easy for students to progress quickly on. The new two-place was intended to be a complement to the single-place training glider then in production, the SGU 1-19. The SGU 2-22, indicating Schweizer Glider, Utility, 2 Seats, Model 22, was designed by Ernest Schweizer. The aircraft was based on the SGU 1-7 single place glider of 1937. It used the 1-7's metal wing, single spar and single strut arrangement. The prototype 2-22 was flown in March, 1946. To gain publicity for the new design companytest pilot Frank Hurtt and company engineer Dick Powell used the prototype to set a new two-place duration record of 10 hours 9 minutes on April 10, 1946. The 2-22 was produced in seven variants and remained in production for 21 years. Production was only curtailed when the Schweizer SGS 2-33 was put into production as a replacement. The 2-33 was essentially a refined 2-22, incorporating a longer semi-tapered wing. The 2-22 has a welded steel tube fuselage covered in aircraft fabric. The single-spar, constant-chord aluminum structure wings feature spoilers on the top surface only and are covered in aircraft fabric. The tail surfaces are made from welded steel tube covered in aircraft fabric. The 2-22 received type certificate G-18 on 4 October 1946. The type certificate is currently held by K & L Soaring of Cayuta, New York who now provide all parts and support for the Schweizer line of sailplanes. A number of 2-22s were delivered as kits to the purchaser. These were accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration as certified aircraft and not amateur-builts, subject to conditions:
Aside from the 2-22As that were delivered to USAFA, later model 2-22s were also supplied to the USAF and a number were supplied as foreign aid to Indonesia. Distance flying in the 2-22 is challenging, given its 17:1 glide ratio. One 2-22 was flown by Al Parker 200 miles to complete a Gold distance and Diamond goal leg. In May 2008 there were still 123 SGU 2-22s registered in the USA. These included:
