[5][9] The development of the Schweizer SGM 2-37 motor glider for training use at the United States Air Force Academy led to two reconnaissance versions of that design, carrying the company model numbers SA 2-37A and SA 2-37B.

[1][2][10] In the mid-1990s, the Coast Guard decided that the aircraft would be more useful if their capabilities were improved to include night operations by the addition of more mission sensor equipment.

[6] The design missions for the RU-38A were:[1][2][6][7] In converting to the new RU-38A configuration, the conventional RG-8A airframe was greatly modified by:[1][2][7] The resulting aircraft bears little resemblance to the original RG-8A.

The left-hand pod houses an AN/APN-215(V) color multi-function X-band sea search radar with mapping capabilities.

The right-hand pod houses the AN/AAQ-15 forward looking infrared (FLIR) and Low-Light TV enhanced vision systems.

[1][2][7] The aircraft has no flaps, and instead retains the top and bottom surface divebrakes of its sailplane ancestors.

[2] By September 1999, the two RU-38As had been delivered to the Coast Guard in Miami, Florida for operational employment.

The payload bays all have large access doors, and are located both in the tailbooms and also behind the pilot and co-pilot seats in the fuselage.

[6] The RU-38B is able to achieve quiet operation while loitering by using a propeller speed as low as 1000 rpm.