The Schweizer SGS 1-26 is a United States One-Design, single-seat, mid-wing glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York. The SGS 1-26 enjoyed a very long production run from its first flight in 1954 until 1979, when production was ended. The 1-26 was replaced in production by the Schweizer SGS 1-36 Sprite. The 1-26 is the most numerous sailplane found in the US. In October 1963 a special issue of Soaring magazine was dedicated to the 1-26. Harner Selvidge wrote: "Much of the glamour of soaring lies in the realm of high performance, high aspect ratio open class sailplanes, but the backbone of the soaring movement in this country, and any other, lies in the local club operations. These are the weekend fliers who have fun around the airport, make some cross-country flights and enter local contests. For this sort of flying, the 1-26 is unexcelled." Design and development Schweizer Aircraft originally proposed the idea of a simple, inexpensive, one-design class sailplane at the 1945 Motorless Flight Conference. This concept was revived in 1954. At that time the Schweizer SGS 1-23 was the only sailplane in production in the United States and demand for it had dropped off, due to its high price. At the same time the number of people participating in soaring had increased and there was a clear market for a low cost sailplane. Design goals for the new glider included: available as a kit small and light weight for ease of storage and construction rugged design with a focus on pilot protection launched by autotow, winch and aerotow enough performance for Gold distance flights (300 km) low minimum sink speed ability to soar in light conditions Schweizer Aircraft felt that the best way to produce a low cost sailplane was with a new design that could be made available as a kit. The resulting kit sailplane design had three main features: No critical parts would be fabricated by the builder to ensure reliability, minimize jigs and simplify construction. Assembly in six months, so it could be built over one winter. A complete kit, so the builder would not have to waste time sourcing his own parts. Schweizer initially envisioned production to be restricted to kits, with the possibility of full production of completed aircraft if demand warranted. Initial reception of the new model was very positive. A complete review of the aircraft was published in