from below the wing to the lower horizontal A-frame member. There were also bracing wires from the wing rear spars to the tail to retrain its lateral movement. The vertical rudder hinge was at the end of the fuselage, with a rudder that was rectangular apart from its sloping lower edge. A triangular tailplane was mounted on the upper, horizontal fuselage beam with the elevator hinge in line with the rudder's. The rectangular elevators therefore required a cut-out for rudder movement; like the rudder and tailplane, the elevators were fabric covered. A fin was provided by fabric covering the near triangular area of the rear fuselage between the rudder hinge, the upper and lower beams and the diagonal between them. The Grunau 9 first flew in 1928. The following year, Schneider made changes to the tail and introduced a new and (it turned out) temporary naming convention involving the year, redesignating it as the ESG 29, though it was not a unique name. After its formation in 1933, the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS) gave it the type number DFS 108-10. The positioning of a wooden strut immediately in front of the pilot's head led to the type being nicknamed the Schädelspalter, or skullsplitter. Large numbers were built and sold widely over several years. At least one Dutch registered Grunau 9 remained active after World War II. Aircraft on display From:Aviatiom Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe (2009) Finnish Aviation Museum, Helsinki: G-36 Icelandic Aviation Museum, Akureyri: Grunau IX "Valur". Built 1938, still airworthy but last flown June 2004. Norwegian Aviation Museum, Bodø: Grunau 9 LN-GAH Segelflyg Museum, Falköping:SE-27 These are original Grunau 9s. Other museums worldwide have originals not on public display, others have reproductions. Specifications (1930 model) See also Hanna Reitsch References 1920s German sailplanes Glider aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1928 Edmund Schneider aircraft