[2] By the time the 1-34 was introduced it was no longer competitive in the Standard Class, but has proven very successful as a club aircraft, being a great "step-up" sailplane for post-solo students and accomplished pilots.

By the time the 1-34 had flown in 1969 the Standard Class rules had changed to allow essentially unrestricted sailplanes with a 15-metre (49.2 feet) wingspan.

[1] The 1-34 has air brakes capable of limiting the terminal velocity in a vertical dive to the maximum safe speed as specified in the original Standard Class rules.

[1] The one company concession to the changing Standard Class rules was the development of a retractable landing gear version of the 1-34, designated as the SGS 1-34R.

The company identified that there was demand from private owners and especially clubs and commercial operations for a simple, rugged single seat glider with greater performance than the 1-26.

[2][6][7] A modified SGS 1-34 airframe with tricycle landing gear and powered by a Lycoming TIO-360 piston engine was used as the basis for the pilotless Martin Marietta Model 845 prototype, an entry in the early 1970s USAF Compass Dwell endurance UAV program.