The K 8 was derived from the earlier
Ka 6 design as a simple single-place sailplane with air brakes using construction techniques similar to the
Schleicher K 7, simplified for amateur construction from kits. Emphasis was placed on rugged construction, good climbing ability in thermals and good handling characteristics. The prototype K 8 made its first flight in November 1957 and over 1,100 were built in three main versions. The original K 8 had a very small canopy. Side windows for improved visibility were introduced in the next version, and the K 8B, by far the most numerous variant, has a larger one-piece blown Plexiglas canopy. The K 8C features a longer nose, a larger main wheel located ahead of the center of gravity and the deletion of the larger wooden nose skid resulting in a roomier cockpit. The cantilever high wings are single-spar structures of pine and plywood, with a plywood leading edge torsion box and fabric covering aft of the spar; the forward sweep is 1° 18' and dihedral is 3°. There are Schempp-Hirth air brakes on the upper and lower surfaces and the wooden ailerons are plywood covered. The cantilever tail unit is of similar construction to the wings, with ply-covered fixed surfaces and fabric-covered
rudder and elevators, and a
trim tab in the elevator is an optional fitting. The fuselage is a welded steel-tube structure, with fabric covering over spruce longerons and a
glass fibre nose cone. There is a non-retractable and unsprung monowheel, with an optional brake, and a nose skid mounted on rubber blocks in front of it, plus a steel skid at the tail. ==Operational history==