Developed from the experiences with the Gull IV, Slingsby of Kirbymoorside produced by 1951 their high performance Sky glider to take on such gliders as the Weihe.

The Sky was of all timber construction. The thin box wing had an aspect ratio of 18.7, high for the times. DFS style air-brakes were incorporated into the wing, which in itself had been considerably re-inforced form the earlier Kite wing.The fuselage nose and cockpit area was double planked and had a strong resemblence to its predecessors, the Gull IV and Kite II. The glider was provided with a blown plexiglass canopy

The Sky became the first really succesful non-German glider in competitions.The two prototypes were placed first and second in the 1951 English championships, whilst in the 1952 world championships in Madrid, Philip Wills flew his Sky into first place. A further 4 Sky were represented in the top ten places at this event. At the 1956 world championships in Weltmeisterschaften in St. Yan, six Sky gliders were successful. Only 16 of these gliders were built.

Below is BGA2284 HB-561 owned by John Morgan, the aircraft that went to Switzerland for the 1952 world championships. Now back in its original colour scheme, it will hopefully be flying later this year (2009). This is the aircraft that the late Hans Nietlispatch took over the Alps from Bern in 1955, landing at Beziers in France – a straight line distance of 536.2km, which is still the Swiss record today!