characteristics. Every aspect of the aircraft design was scrutinised and optimised for low weight and cost. Fitted with a converted geared Volkswagen engine the FVA-18 aroused a certain amount of interest, with at least ten sets of plans supplied to budding home-builders. The prototype was re-engined with a Limbach engine, taken from a Fournier RF 5, and re-designated FVA-18b. FVA-19 Silberkrähe (Silver Crow) Aero-towing of gliders has been used as a launch method since the early 1930s. The FVA set about the study and design of an efficient glider tug with the FVA-19, as well as make large scale statistical studies of the efficiencies of aero-towing and winch launching. Design of the FVA-19 was completed but the purchase of a Piper Super Cub for aero-towing at the FVA gliding club made further work redundant. Construction of a prototype was carried out, however, at the Flugwissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Bremen with the designation ESS 641, flying for the first time on 17 September 1971. FVA-20 With the recent publishing of the Standard class rules, students at the FVA set about designing and building the FVA-20, a single-seat glider built from GFRP (Glass-fibre reinforced plastic)/balsa wood sandwich. Construction started in 1967 but was repeatedly delayed, due to a succession of unforeseen problems, until the aircraft was finally ready for flight on 27 November 1979. FVA-21 Wölbklappenautomatik (Automatic flaps) At the initiative of Prof. Dr.-Ing. A.-W. Quick the FVA was awarded a research contract to develop an Automatische Wölbklappenverstellung für Segelflugzeuge (Automatic flap system for gliders), by the DFG (Deutschen Forschungs-Gemeinschaft – German research foundation). Using a system of hydraulic dampers, mass balances, rods and levers the flaps can be adjusted automatically to cater for stick movement, in pitch, and 'g'. Initial problems with sensitivity were resolved by changes to the hydraulic damper. For the initial application the FVA was donated a VFW-Fokker FK-3 two-seat glider, into which the system was fitted. Results were very encouraging, with the system also being fitted to the Akaflieg München Mü28 aerobatic glider and a Rolladen-Schneider LS3a competition glider. FVA-22 Papierrakete (paper rocket) From 1970 a group of students at the FVA designed and developed a outer atmosphere sounding rocket using a rocket motor built from paper strips wound on a mould. With assistance from TU München (Munich Technical University) and the Mobile Raketenbasis (MORABA) of the DFVLR, rockets were test fired but with poor results, exploding on the