General

Description: Two Place Trainer
Construction: Fabric over tubular steel fuselage, all metal wings
Fuselage Length: 25.75 feet
Maximum Height: 9.3 feet
Empty Weight: 600 lbs
Max Gross Weight: 1040 lbs
Max Load Factors: +4.67 -2.56 G's
 

Airfoil

Airfoil Type: NACA 63(3)-618
Wing Plan Area: 219.48 square feet
Total Wing Span: 51.0 feet
Aspect Ratio: 11.85
Performance:
Max L/D: 23.0 @ 50 mph (dual)
Min Sink Rate: 3.1 feet/sec @ 42 mph (dual)
Never Exceed Speed: 98 mph

Flying The 2-33A

One of my first, and still one of my most enjoyable flying experiences has been flying the Schweizer 2-33 Training Glider. I first hopped in the cockpit on a brisk fall afternoon in Summerside PEI and I would never forget it. Since then I've logged many a flight in the 2-33 and enjoyed every minute of it. Sitting in the two seater in line seating configuration with dual "stick between your legs" controls only adds to the first time flyers imaginary "TopGun" feeling.

There are three methods to launching any glider, auto, aero, and winch. I personally have experienced the first two.

An Auto launch begins with usually a 1800-2000 foot rope. Attached at one end to a car or truck, and obviously the glider. At the glider end of the attachment it is hooked on using a tow ring, basically a metal ring about 1/4" in thickness, and about 1.5" in diameter.

For an auto launch, the ring is hooked onto the release hook marked "Auto" The difference in Hook locations for Auto and Aero are due to the difference in the required angle of attack for each operation.
Both the Auto and Aero hook locations are both connected to a release knob located in the front and back seat, to be released depending on who is the flying pilot.

Leaning on one wing, each wing has little spring loaded wheels to support the wing, while on the ground, you go over your basic checklist with the help of the ground crew. Spoilers and Dive brakes full Open, and close, full control continuity, and door and harness checks, it is the responsibility of the crew to ensure the hook is attached properly, with one exception.

The crew holds the hook up to the pilot from outside the bubble canopy, the pilot is inspecting what is called the 'weak link' no not derived from a game show, it is the point in the rope which is designed to break first. The reason for this is to not allow a dangling piece of rope to be caught on a tree or the like should a rope break occur. By breaking the rope at the glider, the rest of the tow rope falls away.

This being secure, the wings are leveled by the crew, one crew on the wing, one to hold the tail down (keep the skid off the runway) and one to operate the signal bat, which signals the tow vehicle.

The flying pilot issues the command for 'Take-Up Slack' which through the signal bat advises the tow vehicle to slowly advance and take up the slack in the tow rope. You're watching now as the slack rope slowly drags into the distance down the runway, at the point the rope goes taught, the command 'All-Out' is given, at which point the signal bat gives the command and the tow vehicle, goes all-out now.

Within twenty feet the aircraft is in the air, with a climb angle close to 45 degrees initially, which gradually shallows out, climbing at around 60MPH, the initial climb rate is fantastic, the instant almost deafening rush and whistle of air through the not so airtight cockpit gives you a good indication of a good climbing speed.

Depending on the weight in the plane, along with how well the pilot held his climb attitude, you eventually reach your max altitude, depending on the length of rope. Arcing over the top of the climb you lower the nose slight to reduce tension on the rope, pull the release knob (One hand on the stick the other on the knob) and with a bang of the release the rope falls to the earth, to be retrieved from the tow vehicle wherever it falls, grass, runway, swamp etc.

Aero tow is a fairly big difference, release altitude is skies the limit. Upon rollout you try and get airborne as soon as you can, and maintain within the 'box' behind the towplane, which is usually a L-19 Birdog, formerly Recon planes from Vietnam, most of which still have triggers for the old rocket pods. Once airborne flying the box is important, if you get too far out of position you can pull the tail of the towplane around putting the aircraft out of proper flying position, and could stall the towplane. In such an event the towplane can release the glider as well. the procedure here is basically the same, when the glider wants to release, the towplane breaks off low and left, the glider breaks off right. This is the procedure I've mostly seen followed.

At this point it's freedom, you're constantly descending, the high angle of attack setting of the wing on the fuselage gives you a constant nose down attitude, with a 1to 23 glide ratio. Every 23 feet forward you drop 1 foot. If it is a pleasure flight we hunt for thermals, rising columns of hot air which a glider can fly into and circle around (much like birds do) and catch a free ride to a higher altitude, categorised by a bump and a leap on the Vertical Speed Indicator you try to circle and maintain within the thermal.
The Agility of the 2-33 is amazing considering it is only a training glider. a slight nose down attitude to 85 MPH an abrupt pull on the stick, a little right rudder and aileron and the plane will flip into an inverted position faster than most pilots would anticipate such a slow moving aircraft to do.
Control responsiveness as categorized above is astounding for its size, because of the size of the wings, a large amount of rudder authority is required to maintain a good sideslip in high crosswind conditions, and boy does that plane perform in this section. Performing a forward slip in the 2-33 is almost terrifying for the non-flyer, full rudder and opposite aileron gives you a 45+ degree yaw condition nose down, basically flying wingtip first towards the runway. Because every landing is a forced approach in a glider this is common on high approaches which were not corrected early enough by spoilers and divebrakes, the two of which are connected to a lever in the cockpit and operate together.

On a good day even the 2-33 training glider can stay up for hours, with a good thermal area, you can float for what seems forever.
Upon landing unlike other aircraft you rollout, instead of flaring, basically level the plane just above the runway while the speed bleeds off until you plunk down on the single landing wheel, located directly beneth the pilots. Holding the nose off the ground as long as possible so it makes touching the skid as light as possible.


Once the skid touches down it also engages the brakes. When you stop you try to "groundfly" the aircraft, basically trying to hold the wings level with the wind, but eventually one wing will eventually slowly drop on its side. You remain strapped in until the ground crew arrives to secure the glider.

Overall one of my favourite things to do, its very peaceful and relaxing type of flying.

Notice Pilot in front giving two finger 'All-Out' Signal, along with the crew

The Cessna L-19 Birdog Tow Plane Notice Pilot and Observer in back

Captain, Instructor and his Student Notice the Spoilers on the top of the wing open. Dive brakes are on bottom

2-33 On Tow Flying perfectly in the box

Glider 9 Flying over Summerside PEI This is glider I flew in

From The Cockpit Note the Wingwheel

2-33 On Auto Launch Just after liftoff