Sail planes

stingray

stingray

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
671
Location
Grantsburg WI
Display Name
Display name:
Daniel Michaels
I was hoping to start a discussion on sail planes. I was looking through the EAA aircrafter book for some info for the cougar and just started looking at the sailplanes.

Some rather nice looking planes are not that expensive. The one I was looking at was made in the US and holds the record for speed and endurance. $7,000.00 for the kit. It also says that it can be launched by bungee car or tow maybe even by foot I think.

My question is do you find enough thermals all over the US or just in certain spots? A long bungee would maybe launch you 200' so you would have to find a thermal rather fast.

What ballpark are we in for training?

Is the ride rather smooth and comforting or do you need a helmet?

I'm looking at WI, we do have a few hills but not much around where I am.

For a little more you can get a motorized sailplane. Is that a better way to go?

Dan
 
dan,

there are a few glider clubs in wisconsin. Pete (vontresc) is a member at hartford. There may be a few others. check out the SSA's website www.ssa.org .

what was the model that holds records for speed and endurance? there are a lot of different record classes in soaring. ultralight gliders can be launched by car/bungee and even footlaunched off a hillside. unless you are on a pretty good hill you will need an auto tow or aero tow that can get you at least 1000 AGL, preferably up to 2000ish so you can search for thermals before having to land.

ive never felt a need to wear a helmet while soaring, but always wear a parachute in my single seater. motor gliders are nice if you dont have another way to launch, but present their own set of problems.
 
Tony,
Why do you always wear a parachute?
 
Kaye, Parachutes are required in soaring competions. The main reason is the potential for midair collisions when multiple sailplanes are working the same thermal.
Once the pilot has his cockpit set up for wearing a parachure it is just easier to always wear it, even if not required for a particular flight. Plus you have it as a safety factor what any unexpected situations.
 
i dont compete, but parachute usage seems to be pretty common in single seaters. I like having it for the safety factor that lance mentions. between the mid air collision risk plus the fact that my aircraft is continually assembled and disassembled throughout the year, it just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I flew my glider once without a chute, and I heard every little noise in the sky. couldnt relax at all. so now I always wear it.
 
Hmm It looks like you are up in the twin cities area. There are several glider operations up there.

Check out www.ssa.org They have a where to fly section so you can find the closest oaring operation.

As for lift in the midwest we mainly fly thermals (after an aerotow). Some decent length flights are possible. Don Ingraham at http://www.crosscountrysoaring.com has made 400+ Km flights in MN.

Pete
 
I made a 400K flight in Iowa with this: http://members.aol.com/woodglider/N206092.jpg
As to the "ride". If you are gliding down on a local flight in smooth air it's very comforting. If you are soaring cross-country in great conditions you are maneuvering like a maniac and your emotions go from thousands of feet high to oh crap I'm going to have to land somewhere in about 1 minute. It's draining, exhausting, and fantastically adventurous. It's as exciting as something very dangerous yet it's not really dangerous. The desire to continue the flight and avoid an inconvienient landing makes it seem so.
I only hit my head on the canopy a few times a year.
 
I'm not a member, but the Red Wing Soaring Assn flies out of Osceola. They have a website here: http://www.rwsa.org/

They talk a bit about training costs, have have contacts listed. OEO isn't far from you, either.

Tim

stingray said:
I was hoping to start a discussion on sail planes. I was looking through the EAA aircrafter book for some info for the cougar and just started looking at the sailplanes.

Some rather nice looking planes are not that expensive. The one I was looking at was made in the US and holds the record for speed and endurance. $7,000.00 for the kit. It also says that it can be launched by bungee car or tow maybe even by foot I think.

My question is do you find enough thermals all over the US or just in certain spots? A long bungee would maybe launch you 200' so you would have to find a thermal rather fast.

What ballpark are we in for training?

Is the ride rather smooth and comforting or do you need a helmet?

I'm looking at WI, we do have a few hills but not much around where I am.

For a little more you can get a motorized sailplane. Is that a better way to go?

Dan
Click to expand...
 
Stuewe said:
That is a beautiful machine!
Click to expand...
my favorite picture of matts Woodstock, along with my Cherokee II. Homebuilt wooden gliders rejoice!

DSC02023.JPG
 
tonycondon said:
my favorite picture of matts Woodstock, along with my Cherokee II. Homebuilt wooden gliders rejoice!

DSC02023.JPG
Click to expand...

That's the one, or Carbon Dragon or Windrose. Kit for $7,296 was TST-3-Alpin T/TM. motor glider.

I'll look into The one at Osceola I did not know there was one so close.

I have to run down to IN to pick up my Rotary engine for the Bellanca. I'll check back when I return.

Dan
 
tonycondon said:
dan,ultralight gliders can be launched by car/bungee and even footlaunched off a hillside.
Click to expand...
Well, since Tony mentioned it... ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86rOfjhsIIM

I've got the plans for this one, and once I get a couple of other projects out of the way, I'm going to start building. Supposed to be about 1000 hrs build time. Probably take me quite a while, though, as I have another airplane project with priority.:rolleyes:

Fly safe!

David
 
I was thinking more along the lines of Amish soaring after seeing that horse tow :)

Pete
 
Teller1900 said:
I didn't know Fred Flintstone made gliders!
Click to expand...
Ah, but Fred didn't build it...it was built by Beechstone under license from Schweitzerock. :)

btw...did you see the hand motions the guy in the white jacket was making after the attempted footlaunch? I can just imagine what he was saying...

Fly safe!

David
 
Are they still producing the Carbon Dragon kits? I thought I heard they quit... :confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top