Akaflieg

Takes off in Darmstadt!

Is it possible to go from 0 to 100 in under 3 seconds without being in a sports car or on a motorcycle?

And which means of transport can reach a top speed of 280 km/h without having a motor? These students from Darmstadt are true Tool Rebels, as they have truly challenged standards. They spent days and nights designing a glider themselves that can accelerate and fly this fast. The students from Darmstadt are part of the academic flying group (Akaflieg). The Akafliegs are spread across Germany; they are gliding clubs based at universities and primarily made up of university members.

Their latest prototype – the D43 – glides completely silently through the air. It is a self-designed glider, always searching for favorable updrafts.

But what appears to be effortless gliding is in fact the result of years of planning, design, and workshop labor. Since the mid-1990s, work has been ongoing in Darmstadt on this aircraft—sleepless nights, countless hours of work, lots of sweat, and the know-how of three generations went into it before the glider took to the skies for the first time. Constant optimization, repairs, and upgrades are necessary—if not on the D43, then on one of the six other gliders of Akaflieg Darmstadt.

It's not just about developing new aircraft, but also about making old, broken planes airworthy again. That requires passion and enthusiasm. Nothing is scrapped here, and that's a real challenge the students are taking on.

Every day, there's screwing, painting, and much more going on in the workshop on the university campus.

What’s needed: reliable, high-quality tools that meet the demanding standards of aviation. Every mistake, every inaccuracy could have serious consequences… But the students don’t allow themselves to make mistakes or settle for mediocrity. They know they can only take to the skies again if they work together as a team, support one another, and push the aircraft to new levels of performance. Always searching for further optimization and new features, the waiting time flies by. To become a glider pilot, you need more than just a regular driver’s license. It requires nearly two years of training and many flight hours—first with an instructor, then solo. The student pilot must prove they can control the aircraft confidently even in dangerous situations and keep a cool head. But all the effort, sweat, and days spent at the airfield are worth it. The feeling of taking off, seeing the world from above, and piloting the aircraft yourself: indescribable.

But who are the students who voluntarily spend their days in the workshop? Anyone with the necessary motivation can join. Here, you'll find concentrated expertise from students in engineering and natural sciences, as well as from computer science and materials science—everyone brings their own strengths and interests. What unites them is a shared passion for aviation and a willingness to work toward the team's goals.
Akaflieg Darmstadt has been around for 97 years, yet it appears younger and more dynamic than ever. With unwavering passion, the students from Darmstadt build their aircraft day by day, perfectly embodying what it means to be true Tool Rebels.