KA 8 B

About the KA 8 B

The Schleicher KA 8 B is a single-seat glider designed in Germany for amateur construction and thermal soaring. It features a high-wing sailplane layout with a welded steel-tube fuselage, wooden cantilever wings, and a non-retractable monowheel.

Developed by Rudolf Kaiser as a simpler evolution of earlier company designs, the prototype took its first flight in late 1957. The type was manufactured across three primary variants, distinguished progressively by canopy size and cockpit arrangements, with total production exceeding a thousand units. An operator of the variant achieved notable acclaim by completing a long-distance ridge flight that established an international out-and-return distance record.