10 Dutch registered Sagitta's:  here's the story

Contributions by Charles Munnig Schmidt, Sikkko Vermeer, Henk van der Heijden (Snoerie), Wil Oldenbroek and Herman Nienhuis. Cut-outs from "The complete Civil Aircraft Registers of the Netherlands since 1920" by Herman Dekker (1987) 

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s/n 001, prototype PH-266

PH-266 has been resting in the hangar of ACvZ (Gliding Club of Amsterdam) in Holland for many years. Owner was the late Jan Blankenzee, who has forwarded the glider to Hans Bekker from the Twentse Zweefvliegclub. He has restored the glider with a series built tail; as such the 266 isn't exactly original anymore. Original owner was G.J. Ordelman (see colour picture taken at Hilversum), who had a minor crash with it, loosing the nose of the glider. He also flew a distance of 578 km with it, in 6.5 hours, on the 1st of June 1962 flying from Terlet to deep into France. The prototype is quite different from the rest. Pictures show a completely different canopy, it's the only Sagitta with the 'fold-up" tailplane and and there are differences in spar and support spar as well. Two main pins connect the spars together, but the wings connect automatically to the fuselage. There are no pins for the back spar, only at the wing nose. The back spar is more forward and therefore has more fabric on the wing than other Sagittas have. The PH-266 must be the only true 15 meter glider; all series produced Sagittas are 14.74 metre due to differences at the tip. The 001 had round ones - much nicer - but the later ones all had a "flat" tip element.
As the clip from the register below shows 001 had, like so many other Sagitta's, a rather short life. It participated at the World Gliding Championships in South Cerney UK in 1965. In the early morning hours some polar and speed tests were flown. More about his later. Ken Elliott has a beautiful colour picture of PH-266 at the airfield in the UK. It must be one of the few real colour pictures of the prototype and you can find it here: http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1052368/

PH-266 in Great Britain, 1965. Picture kindly submitted by Vince Cockett webmaster of www.scalesoaring.co.uk

s/n 002  PH-280, later N6445
Source "75 jaar Nederlands Luchtvaart Register", thanks to Frits Snijder from "Thermiek"

06.07.61  -  NV Viegtuigbouw Teuge
06.04.64  -  W.J. de Boer, Apeldoorn
22.06.67  -  M.J.H. Padding, Hollandse Rading & H.Deege, Bilthoven
1972/73   -  Sold to USA together with s/n 008 PH-310. Buyer Hans Vandervlught, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Dutch registration PH-280 was cancelled 21st July 1971 (see document).
N6445 apparently crashed in the USA without fatality, no details known whatsoever.

s/n 003  PH-302
Source Charles Munnig Sschmidt and website of the Gooise Gliding Club.

s/n 005, PH-307 and PH-384 of Charles Munnig Schmidt

PH-384 is owned by Charles Munnig Schmidt since 1979 (bought from Munnig sr.) and was build from the fuselage of s/n 005 (PH-307) and the wings of s/n 007 (PH-309). Both gliders crashed in Holland, both pilots OK. Details of the PH-309 are unknown.
The PH-307 crashed 6 april 1968 at Venlo, after being less than one year in the Venlo Gliding Club. Pilot was H. Jager. It was a more or less classical Sagitta crash; the pilot stalled the glider in the circuit or landing approach while turning. Corrected the spin and got horizontal just above the tree tops and flew into the woods. See picture kindly submitted by Harrie Wiertz jr.

Currrently the Sagitta is based in Hilversum The Netherlands, after a long period of being based in France. It's now one of the three Dutch Sagittas again flying. Probably the most photographed Sagitta in it's heydays, PH-307 was the Sagitta that was shipped to Argentine for the world championships in 1963. It's remarkable that the fuselage has been there, then at Venlo, crashed, and now is still flying at Hilversum. Charles has clocked up more than 800 hours in PH-384, and now his son is doing the same. Roland Munnig Schmidt suprised everyone by going cross country and landing the Sagitta back at Teuge airport, the place of the original Sagitta factory of NV Vliegtuigbouw. 

PH -307 on tow behind a Boeing Stearman. Picture taken at the 1963 Gliding World Championships in Argentiana . PIlot is probably Ed van Bree.

PH-384 is available as model, and quite a few are built. Pictures here.

 

s/n 006, PH-308 and BGA2930

Original owner was the KNVvL (the Dutch national aviation organisation), and the glider was based at national soaring centre Terlet. In 1973 a technician working at Terlet, Frits Holler, took it in private ownership. He modified the canopy by using the old model (see picture). After changing hands a few times it was crashed and sold to the UK.
From Allen Stacey: "I flew it when it was owned by 'Red Top' Andrews at RAF Laarbruch in Germany in 1985. It was on the BGA register and painted blue and white at that time."
PH-308 is now back in Holland, and after being stored in a trailer at the Aviodome Aviation Museum in Lelystad, it is now handed over to Vliegclub Teuge to maintain and fly it.

PH-308 at Venlo, 1968. At this stage it was hired out to the West Brabantse Aero Club for one year. Webmaster Robert Smits in the foreground, together with Mum and sister.

After Frits Holler modified the canopy, s/n 006 was sold to Andrews. This picture taken in 1985 with his mate Al Stacey in the cockpit, at RAF base Gutersloh in Germany.

And in 2004: PH-308 is back at  Vliegclub Teuge,  back at the birthplace of the Sagitta. Note the modified canopy from 1973.

s/n 007, PH-309
With thanks to Charles Munnig Schmidt and Jan Minoli's son, Marc Minoli.

Original owner was the KNVvL, and it was based at national soaring centre Terlet. Once crashed by Jan Minoli (the first and last glider he ever damaged, with about 40,000 hours gliding). Date unknown yet. The Sagitta got stalled in the last turn before landing and crashed in front of the hangar. The nose and tail broke off.

The second time it crashed was at Borkenberge in Germany, and the Sagitta was written off. Pilot is unknown. Again this was a classic Sagitta crash; landing in a paddock with a tailwind the glider stalled in the last turn onto finals. In the following wingdrop from about 30 meters high a wingtip touched the ground causing it to groundloop and breaking the fuselage into pieces. The wings were OK however and were later fitted to the fuselage of s/n 005 to become PH-384.

s/n 008, PH-310 (now N6446 of Howard Petri in USA)
With thanks to Howard Petri, current owner.

PH-310 was owned by Vliegclub Teuge, De Zanden, Teuge until it was exported to the US, together with s/n 002 PH-280. The Dutch registration was cancelled 15 April 1971. The original log showed it weighed 530 lb, 241 kg in April 1970, which is heavy. On the left a picture submitted by Harry van Melick of PH-310, probably taken shortly before it was sold to the USA. To follow the rest of her story go to the USA history pages.

 Original maintenance log and Flight Manual (POH):

s/n 013, PH-319

Original owner KNVvL. Now Aviodome Aviation Museum (together with sister ship PH-308). Not much details about it's history known (yet). Until 1973 it was based at the National Soaring Centre Terlet in Holland. The fuselage is modified to fit a Ka-8 canopy (see picture), and it seems to have a tail wheel as well. PH-319 is being restored to airworthy under supervision of Charles Munnig Schmidt. It's based at EHHV (Europe Holland Hilversum). This means that Hilversum airport soon has three flying Sagitta's... Amazing! (Click pictue to see more of the 2004 photo's, made during the restoration process).

And here she is, in 2007, restored - and flying!

s/n 020,  PH-424
With thanks to Sander van Doormaal (Gelderse Zweefvlieg Club, Terlet and co-owner of Caproni Calif "Tapis Volante", and Alex Landman from Gliding Club Teuge. Also thanks to previous owner Andy van der Stelt.

PH-424 was previously owned by Vliegclub Teuge (Gliding Club Teuge) and later on sold to Andy and Gerrit van der Stelt. Last owner was Willem Zweverink, whom had a fatal accident with it, presumably in 1992. Unconfirmed information tells that this accident happened on either base or downwind leg before landing. The pilot had been pointed out that the Sagitta could be nasty at low speed and had to be flown accurately, however the glider was stalled, and started spinning immediately. The pilot corrected this but spun in the other direction and couldn't recover anymore.

PH-424 at Teuge airport, around the year 1980. Herman Nienhuis (in the cockpit) and previous owner Gerrit van der Stelt.

s/n 021, PH-403

Collectively owned by C.H. Munnig Schmidt (now owner of PH-384), H.W. Leenaarts, H. Deege and W.J. van Altena. Based at Hilversum and still flying in a syndicate of 5 pilots. As far as we know PH-403 has not had any recorded major damages and we can show you here one of the most beautiful pictures of this website: s/n 021 dancing above the clouds... (pilot Hans Leenaarts, picture taken in the French Alps).