The Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-11 is an experimental, single seat, variable geometry sailplane designed by aeronautical students in Germany.
It won the 15 m span class at the World Gliding Championships of 1978 but its advances over the best, more conventional, opposition were not sufficient to lead to widespread imitation.
[1] The announcement, in 1975, of a new, unrestricted 15 m glider class led the Brunswick group to the design of the SB-11, a variable geometry aircraft.
Large area, camber-changing flaps were one solution but vortexes generated at their extremities added significantly to the drag, decreasing climb rates.
[3][4] Akaflieg Brunswick decided to follow the example of the disappointing British Sigma by providing the SB-11 with Wortmann flaps along the whole of the trailing edge of the wing, including the ailerons.
[2] Whilst Reichmann was pleased with the SB-11 at the meeting, saying it was the best aircraft there, he later noted that cross-country pilots had plenty to do already and that finding strong lift was more important than exploiting weak thermals.