By the early 1930s a large performance, size and cost gap had been opened between the kind of glider in which people learned to soar and make cross country flights, like the Grunau Baby, and the best sailplanes like the Schleicher Rhönadler.

[1] Since it was later produced at the Schleicher works, it is often attributed to them[2] but in 1933 the RRG was replaced by the state owned DFS (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug) at Darmstadt, to which Jacobs moved and continued to refine the Rhönbussard, hence the alternative name.

The wing, lacking dihedral, has a parallel chord centre section and straight tapered outer panels ending in semi-elliptical tips.

This is slightly shorter than that of the Baby and for centre of gravity reasons the Rhönbussard's open cockpit is under the leading edge of the wing, restricting the pilot's upward and rear view.

The fabric covered, straight tapered and square tipped horizontal tail is placed on top of the fuselage, with its trailing edge forward of the rudder hinge.

[1] As intended the Rhönbussard proved popular, providing good performance at a moderate cost, and more than two hundred were built by Schleicher.