| Histoire résumée | One example of Wolf Hirth's Wolf had arrived to Hungary in 1937 and became very popular among glider pilots. Ernõ Rubik designed a new glider, the Pilis, to meet the demand for such kind of gliders. The new design was based on the line of Szittya gliders but with reduced dimensions. The first version, which later got the type designation of R-08a, had first flown on March 19, 1939. New versions - R-08b and R-08c - followed and this type was one of the gliders built in greatest number in Hungary.
With the first three versions of the Pilis family no airbrakes were fitted. However airbrakes on high performance gliders were common at the early '40s and it became necessary to use airbrakes on training gliders as well. To comply with this requirement a new version fitted with airbrakes was developed. It was originally designated as R-09 but later it was re-designated as R-08d. The first glider flew in 1943. This type also had a removable open canopy with windshield and skids as landing gear. Serial production started only after the war in 1948 and 65 gliders were built of this version.
The R-08d version was subsequently modified several times. The Essler-type towing hook making possible high winch launches was fitted, the first of this kind in Hungary. In 1953 a new serial production started. On this sub-version a fix wheel was fitted just behind the main skid and on the two sides of the fuselage special hooks for Y-form launching wire were fitted for high-winch launching. 97 gliders were built of this sub-version. The second half of the series were fitted with removable closed canopies.
In 1956 a new series of 31 gliders was commenced. Again half of them were fitted with open, and half of them with closed canopies. This sub-version was also known as B-2. One of the B-2s was fitted with a 18 kW Porsche engine located on a parasol on top of the wing and driving a pusher propeller. This version was known as Gyõr-3 Motor-Pilis.
All sub-versions of R-08d were authorized for bungee-cord, aerotow and winch launching, cloud flying and basic aerobatics. |
