Opinion: Politechnika Warszawska PW-5 Smyk

[billsgs126]

From those who have flown them, obviously.

Thanks.

 

[Lindberg]

I've flown one a couple of times. What do you want an opinion on?

 

[flyingron]

They're a bit underpowered

 

[billsgs126]

They're a bit underpowered

But the burn rate is to die for.

 

[billsgs126]

I've flown one a couple of times. What do you want an opinion on?

Their use as a single seat club trainer, especially after dual instruction and for cross country flights. Thanks.

 

[Lindberg]

Their use as a single seat club trainer, especially after dual instruction and for cross country flights. Thanks.

That's what my club uses them for and it seems to work well.

 

[tlglenn]

They do not penetrate areas of sink all that well. But they're good for staying aloft in weak lift. You're just not going anywhere fast. My club also uses it as a transition trainer.

 

[mandm]

They look pretty cool!

 

[tonycondon]

fun to fly. medium performance. good first single seater. auto hookups maybe depending on age. trailers vary wildly it seems.

 

[billsgs126]

They're a bit underpowered

Well, for sailplanes (or power-off glides in airplanes) weight adds airspeed. Which so long as you keep it close to your minimum sink rate adds lift which adds distance.

They do not penetrate areas of sink all that well. But they're good for staying aloft in weak lift. You're just not going anywhere fast. My club also uses it as a transition trainer.

That's what my club uses them for and it seems to work well.

Offering a look at both sides of the two-edged sword. A light glider both does not ask for as much lift and it gives the pilot more time to find the best position to exploit what lift exists, but then it doesn't handle the sink as well.

fun to fly. medium performance. good first single seater. auto hookups maybe depending on age. trailers vary wildly it seems.

It's a bit faster and a lot newer "one-class" design than the 1-26 that I have most of my sailplane time in.

 

[Lindberg]

Well, for sailplanes (or power-off glides in airplanes) weight adds airspeed. Which so long as you keep it close to your minimum sink rate adds lift which adds distance.

I don't think you want to stay close to Min Sink if distance is your goal.

At a heavier weight, best L/D occurs at a higher airspeed for a given glider, which can get you where you're going faster (or on the ground faster). But a heavier glider is not necessarily faster than a lighter glider of a different design.

 

[billsgs126]

I don't think you want to stay close to Min Sink if distance is your goal.

At a heavier weight, best L/D occurs at a higher airspeed for a given glider, which can get you where you're going faster (or on the ground faster). But a heavier glider is not necessarily faster than a lighter glider of a different design.

Obviously, I'm not ready to be a CFI-G as I am not communicating this clearly. I was taught that, within lift, flying at or just above min sink (31 kn in the sgs 1-26) allows one to maximize the lift and gain the most altitude. Being lighter means one requires less lift to gain altitude. Being slower makes staying within lift easier and more effective at translating into feet AGL. The 1-26 excels at this, and I am told that although faster (min sink 43 kn), the PW-5 does as well.

But then, in-between those updrafts, having a best L/D of 41 kn, the 1-26 just doesn't have the same angle of a PW-5 (51 kn). Neither is "fast", but the PW is 10 knots faster all-around than a round tail -26. A different design trumps weight, but the -26 and -26E are almost identical, the E being 125 lb heavier, and about 5 kn faster.