DG Flugzeugbau GmbH / Passion, Power + Performance

The Optimal Equipment for your DG-808:

The Equipmentlist for the DG-1000 can be seen here:

Now that you have decided to get a particular glider, a whole series of questions about the optimal outfitting of your glider arises. We offer so many components for your sailplane that you can outfit your new bird in your own individual way. There are many opinions about the technical questions which will come up. The assertions made here have to do primarily with the DG-808C but are also relevant to other glider types - even made by other manufacturers!

Standard Accessories:

Naturally, the more accessories that are standard, the fewer extras that need to be ordered. Here again is the list of standard accessories:

Additional Standard Items for the DG-808S:

Additional Standard Items for the DG-808C:

The DG-808C  XL Packages:

We have put together some "XL Packages" for the DG-808C which contains the options we think are absolutely necessary equipment for the this motor glider.

The DG-808S  XL Package:

We offer this XL-package for a special price, too:  

Uncompromising Safety Cockpit:

We cannot discuss about this matter. What is the worth of your life?
 

Wing Separation:

A DG-800S should always be ordered with a separating wing because at some point you will want to fly in an FAI 15 meter class contest. The DG-808C will hardly ever be flown at 15 meters because it flies distinctly better at 18 meters. Besides which, the assembly is simpler with a one piece wing. On the other hand, there are probably some wives who would rather not drive while pulling an 18 meter glider trailer. But what DG-808C pilot needs a crew? Naturally the cost plays a role but the savings afforded by the one piece wing are almost half offset by the more expensive trailer.
 

Flaperon sealing:

We offer two solutions at the same price for sealing the underside of the flaperons:
Best performance is guaranteed with the combi tape which has been used on all DG-800 from the beginning.
To reduce the aileron forces we recommend the dimple tape - this might however also mean a slight deterioration in performance.
Competition pilots will choose the first solution. All other pilots will probably prefer the dimple tape.
 

Winglets:

"Winglets are the most effective and most economical way to boost the performance of a glider." Nothing can be added to this quotation from Loek Boermans of the Technical University of Delft. Winglets are a "must" for the 15 meter wings. They are strongly recommended for the 18 meter wings. You will notice the difference in a measured flight of 1.5 L/D points.


Water Ballast Installation:

Contest pilots will want the larger, 174 liter ballast tanks for their DG-800S instead of the standard 120 liter tanks. Pilots without such ambitions will probably stick with the 120 liter tanks as will the owners of a DG-808C. In any case, they can't be filled with a full load of water with a pilot of average weight without exceeding the gross weight allowed.
 
 

Mounting for a funnel in order to fill water tanks

There is always a need to use a funnel if you intend to fill a water tank in a sailplane.
But who will help you to fix this funnel?

Especially for the DG-808C:

Pneumatic Switch:

This is a reasonable addition to a motor glider. The switch removes the various from the pressure ports mounted on the fin, where they are in highly turbulent air-flow, and switches them to static ports in the front part of the fuselage. The momentarily high velocities found in the propeller wash will not damage the instruments. But the readings on instruments without the switch are themselves so "turbulent" that they can't be read easily. The static ports give better, quieter read-out.

Automatic Propeller Brake

With this option retracting of the engine is fully automatic. If the propeller has turned vertical an electrical servo fixes it until the engine compartment doors will close. There is nothing to do for the pilot than to fly.  

EGT Probe and Scale

Only by measuring the exhaust gas temperature are you able to detect misadjustments in the carburetor. Especially in the mountains with airfields at high altitudes an EGT Probe is very useful. The engine should run with an EGT between 620 and 650 degrees C. Without a probe you cannot examine this temperature. 

External Starting Power Connector:

Certainly you have to recharge your main battery every once in a while. If you do that regularly, there will always be enough power to start the engine. But in case you don't keep the battery fully charged, we offer a plug which allows you to connect an external starter cable directly to the starter motor. You might occasionally need this.

The Larger Wing tip Wheels / Small Wing Dolly:

The use of the folding, stow able wing dolly requires the larger wing tip wheels.
Even if you don't need the foldable wing dolly, the larger tip wheels roll better.
If you order the larger tip wheels with a threaded hole, then you can order the folding wing dolly later. 

Hearing Protectors

We highly recommend hearing protection for motor glider pilots. The much more expensive ones with active noise cancellation are, in our opinion, unnecessary.

Folding Tow out Bar and Tail Dolly

You will need them and they should fit together.

Wing Fuel Tanks:

Our motor glider has a theoretical range of 560 km. With that you can get home from any point in 1000 km triangle. But for Safari-Flying such tanks will be useful.
Electric valves and automatic shut off, if the fuselage tank is full.
Caution: If you fly with full wing fuel tanks as well as with full water ballast, your glider is too heavy. That is not legal!

Automatic Filling Pump for the Fuel Tank:

This is an easy to use and safe arrangement. You fill by a built-in fuel pump with separate fuel filter. Very important! When the aircraft fuel tank is full, the pump shuts off automatically.

Separate Charging Socket with Breaker

This charging socket is not connected through the master switch.
It can be disconnected from all of the loads with the master switch and thereby charge the battery.

Especially for the DG-808S:

Brass Tail Wheel:

It's heavier than the plastic one and raises the minimum cockpit weight by 14 Kg. Then again, contest pilots like to fly with a rearward C.G.!
Without brass tail wheel and additional battery the DG-800S comes with a minimum weight in cockpit of about 70 to 75 KG.

Battery:

You can always get a 10 Ah battery for mounting in the baggage compartment, the fin, or for especially high battery capacity, in both places. That means an additional weight in cockpit of about 20 KG.


For all DG-808:

Trim Weights:

Normally the minimum weight for a pilot with parachute in a DG-800 is about 165 lbs, but we can adjust the minimum weight according to your requirements. Consider that you might loan the glider to a lighter weight friend. It is more comfortable to fly with trim weights than with a lead cushion. A trim weight of 2,25 KG reduces the minimum cockpit load at 5 KG.

Ball-bearing Tail Wheel:

We would like to deliver this version only. But with ball bearing the minimum cockpit weight will increase about 0,8 KG. If that is no problem for you, at any case you should order this better tail wheel. 

Adapter for the Prandtl-M tube in the fin

What you need here is determined by your gliding calculator.
We deliver every pure glider with a Prandtl-M adapter with connections for total energy, pitot and, static pressures as a standard. This is for your gliding calculator.
Motor glider do not need a Prandtl-M tube because of the turbulences of the propeller.

Total Energy Probe / Prandtl-M Tube:

If your computer allows it, for pure sailplanes you can have all three pressures delivered from one Prandtl-M tube and have the pitot and static pressures for the air speed and altimeter come from the nose.
In this way, you have two independent systems with higher reliability. There will be no water in the Pitot tube and the instruments don't influence each other. Modern gliding calculators work so well today that the quality of the readings is determined primarily by the quality of the pressures. Every added instrument and "T" connector disturbs the system.
Cambridge calculators must be connected via a separate system. Motor gliders should have one system in the nose only because of the turbulences of the prop. They need a Total Energy Probe instead of a Prandtl-M- tube.

Additional Aerotow-Hook:

If you want to make aero-tows as well as winch launches at any places you will need another tow-hook.

Gear Warning:

"There are two types of pilots: those who have landed gear up and those who are going to." Don't try to do without this protective device.

Relief Tube:

This is a reasonable solution to a universal problem. When you have become used to it, you won't want to be without it. Other pilots use bags or suitably shaped bottles. You should not try to solve this problem by drinking only a very little. During hot weather this is very dangerous. Our relief tube does not empty into the wheel housing where it can cause rust problems.

Tinted Canopy:

This is recommended for all DG glider. It diminishes the heating and helps protect the pilot from UV radiation. It also helps to reduce reflections and eye fatigue. One often hears the argument that in reduced lighting conditions, such as landing after sunset, the visibility will be even worse. In practice, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

Hydraulic Disk Brake

Since many years the Drum Brake of DG-808 is well tried  and absolute okay.

Otherwise there are situations when an extra strong hydraulic Disk Brake can be useful:

  • for landings on high situated airfields during high temperature and fully loaded, so that the aircraft will need an additional landing speed
  • for airfields which are very short
  • above all for all kind of field-landings.

5-Point-Harnesses

Because there are different opinions to this topic we offer both options for our customers.
From personal experience we even can recommend the fifth strap. 

Removable Headrest:

Normally the headrest is an integral part of the backrest.
The removable headrest sits in a separate mounting in the baggage compartment and offers more room for especially tall pilots because the upper part of the backrest is not there.

With this option you will fly without any back rest. The adjustable back rest of the DG-808C cannot be used at the same time.

With and without the headrest

Executive Fittings:

See the separate description under: New Products: "DG-800 Executive Model"  - it contains:

Leather upholstery:

You can have the seat cushion as well as the side panels upholstered in high quality leather in any color of your choice; even matching your tail numbers. Here you see: "Lufthansa Business Class"!

CFK-Structure as Instrument-PanelInstrument panel with CFK-Structure:

If you want,  we can cover the instrument panel with a very fine CFK-Structure.

 

 
Polyurethane Paint:

This is a new possibility that will gain more and more in popularity. Polyurethane, or also DD paint, is the best paint available today. It doesn't yellow with time and exposure to sunlight and it doesn't crack due to temperature stress. The additional cost is much less than the cost of a possible refinish even when the original finish is as good as the ones used by DG Flugzeugbau.
A disadvantage: A re-paint requires a shop with the best equipment and much experience. The "usual" repair facility doesn't have these. Repairs are possible but they must be done by a specialized shop otherwise the patches will be visible afterwards.

Wing Wheels for Ground Handling:

A DG-800S uses a "normal" wing dolly during tow out with an automobile. The wing dolly stays in the auto during the flight. For the DG-808C, we recommend the smaller wing dolly that fits in the baggage compartment during flight. You always having it with you and it helps during taxi to the start line. It is necessary to order the larger wing tip wheels for mounting the small, foldable wing tip dolly.

Assembly Tool:

MontagehilfeA small eccentric pin that prevents the first wing from being pushed out when inserting the second wing.

 

For all DG Types:

Water trap:

Do you sometimes fly in the rain? Then you need a water trap in the instrument air line.

Foot warmers:

These are superfluous in the DG-800 under 5000 meters. Well, maybe not during winter flights in a DG-808C.

Anti collision paint:

We recommend this especially if you fly over snow in the mountains. Anything that enhances your visibility is to your advantage.

Theft Insurance:

Naturally this is only a "psychological" protection. Anyone who attacks the canopy with a large screw driver is going to do some major damage. The best thing is to remove your valuables from the cockpit when the glider is unattended.

Rudder Pedal Addition

They prevent the shoes from touching the canopy.  On can also adjust them to individual foot positions.

Set of water ballast cans:

It helps handling the water ballast system.

Mückenputzer ausgefahren in ArbeitBug Wipers:

A "must" for contests. Recommended also for "Sunday pilots" on long courses. In any event, a pocket needs to be made in the fuselage for the wiper when it is not in use.

Two-Stroke-Oil:

The SOLO company is highly recommending the special Oil  "CASTROL SUPER TT".
When you are not quite sure, if this is available to you, you should order 20 Lt.. at the beginning!

Solar panel:

This is normally not so necessary for the DG-808C because of the 20 Ah battery except for "Soaring Safari" and excessive power consumption - as a transponder will need.
For the DG-800S you can order the larger battery and perhaps even the fin mounted battery in addition.
Otherwise it is very comfortable no longer to take care for the electric power consumption.

We can offer quite an elegant feature on the top of the fuselage.

Emergency Exit Assist System:

A most important safety feature - see our separate publication!

Protective Covers:

If you only need dust protection (for instance if your glider hangs under the ceiling) the cotton covers are adequate. But if you ever let your glider stand outside while on holiday away from your home site, we recommend the All-Weather-Covers made by Jaxida. They give excellent protection.


Seat Cushions:

We offer two different sizes and two different materials. There is a long and short style depending on whether you use a back or chair style of parachute. The material in the cushion can be either normal foam and fabric or we also offer the latest in energy absorbing foam. Because of safety reasons You should not use any cushion in a sailplane except those made of energy absorbing foam.  

Organization of the instrument panel:

Instrument-panelThis depends very much on your preferred instruments. The following general arrangement has proved workable:

  • Top row: 3-1/8" (80 mm) instruments. Air speed, glide calculator, altimeter. The calculator always must be installed in the midst.
  • Middle row: 2-1/4" (57 mm) instruments. Electronic and mechanical variometers.
  • Bottom row: Optional for one more 2-1/4" (57 mm) instrument. For the DG-808C on the left side please install short instruments only.
  • Under the 3rd row: Radio

Gliding Calculator:

No general advice can be given here because there are so many personal preferences. If the glide calculator has the capability, a remote control on the joy stick should certainly be ordered. It affords a great increase in comfort. In addition, you should order a flap switch to provide automatic change over from vario to speed-to-fly.
Maybe the manufacturer will sell a gliding calculator to you a little cheaper but we strongly advise you against that approach. Our installation is more expensive but often there are problems with the manufacturer's guarantee. When something doesn't function properly then it can turn out to be more expensive than planned. You will do better if you buy the instrument and the installation from one person. Naturally you could buy the instrument from your local repair shop and have them install it. It's our experience, that it doesn't cost less because the glider has to be taken apart to make the installation.
We also recommend a data logger and an electric compass attached to the computer. This will allow wind direction calculation and the logger is now almost a requirement in some contests. Remember that with a GPS-logger you can round the turn points closer and save valuable minutes.


Remote controls on the joystick grip:

It's very important to be able to control the gliding calculator from the stick grip. It is unreasonable to expect the pilot to constantly bend forward while flying to reach the instrument panel. With a central knob for the radio and  small buttons, you can control the flight directors made by Zander, Filser and others from a comfortable flying position.


 



Installation Pocket-PC:

For the new generation of Pocket-PC with Moving Map we can offer a special installation set.

Transponder:

As desirable as a transponder is for safety, its installation is equally difficult.  "Normal" transponders are not usable in a glider.
Please read our Internet article and consult with us in advance before you order a transponder. And don't forget to order a solar panel!  

ELT:

For soaring in high mountain regions some countries demand such an ELT.
In our gliders you can mount the ACK-E01 in the luggage compartment.  

Oxygen System:

If you fly often in wave then this is a necessity and, for some contests, it's required.

Trailer:

An aluminum frame trailer with fiber glass top and solar fan for better ventilation should be your first choice. The solar fan is a MUST, to avoid damages of the finish surface caused by condensed water inside the trailer.

Be careful to order the correct plug, 7 or 13 pin, depending on the socket on your tow vehicle. Clubs should order both plugs or an adapter.

At least one wing stand is needed for assembly by two people.
Much easier is rigging/derigging with the offered mechanic system.

The lighting on the trailer needs to follow the Department of Transportation rules of the country(ies) in which the trailer will be used.

A hydraulic lift on the ramp is a good idea; Spindelberger offers an SL Package with their COBRA trailers which includes this.

Minimum Payload:

At last you will be asked for your required minimum payload to adjust the C/G of the sailplane.
It is meant your normal weight + clothes + parachute + food and drinking.
You should already calculate that weight.   


And now you may enjoy your glider!
We take great pains to deliver the very best " Toy for the Boy"!

- friedel weber -

 



Here is a sheet to be filled out by the customer himself:

DG-808C

or

DG-808S

 

And another useful tool:

Design of your Instrument Panel

 

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