HISTORY
By 1936 soaring had progressed to the point where the ability to catch and ride thermals was commonplace. Now pilots and designers were interested in how they could move quickly between thermals in order to extend their flight time. Hans Jacobs, the designer of the DFS Reiher III, set out to build a sailplane capable of riding thermals with the best of them and also capable of moving quickly between thermals. Up to the launch of the prototype Reiher, sailplanes had been optimized to ride thermals at the cost of penetration. Hans Jacobs called upon the resources of the DFS to design a sailplane capable of both thermalling and penetrating.

The Reiher prototpe was first flown in 1937. Hans Jacobs and the DFS designed and built a sailplane that emphasized aerodynamics and a thinner wing profile promising better penetration without sacrificing performance in thermals. Several issues were immediately apparent upon the maiden flight of the Reiher prototype which led to the quick evolution of the Reiher Mark II. The Mark II and then the final iteration the Reiher III, improved on the prototype via stiffer yet lighter structural components and ballast optimized for penetration. The resulting Reiher III won the championships in 1939. Unfortunately no Reihers survived WWII. It wasn't until recently the members of the Wasserkuppe "Old Timers Group" resurrected the the Reiher III with an entirely new effort - a perfect replica of the original. (Source: Martin Simons)