Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-5b
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| Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-5b | |
|---|---|
 AK-5b landing in Grabenstetten | |
| General information | |
| Type | Club-Class glider |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Akaflieg Karlsruhe |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | May 1996[1] |
| Developed from | Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-5 |
The Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-5b is a single-seat club class glider designed and built in Germany by members of Akaflieg Karlsruhe.
Poor handling characteristics of the AK5 prompted Akaflieg Karlsruhe to design a successor with improved handling capable of being used as a first single-seater at the Akaflieg Karlsruhe gliding club. During development of the AK-5b it was decided to make changes to the construction by using carbon-fibre, aramid fibres and glass-fibre. As part of the re-design, a new cockpit was designed with new crash-worthy canopy, equipped with a new opening and emergency release mechanisms