(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:3ffef018$1@darkstar...

Hmmm...it also strikes me that weight is very important to this discussion.
A 100# solo pilot is probably not getting the best performance for the
dollar from a DG-1000.

It's not the weight of the pilot, it's the weight of the plane that
counts. That's what ballast is for. Sure, you could build a 99/100th
scale DG-1000 just for the 100 lb pilot - but why? And it wouldn't be
cheap!

What I'd want is a minimum wing loading that, with me as the pilot,
supported a polar I like. What polar I like depends on the
conditions I fly in (floater or penetrator). I wouldn't want
to have to add ballast for every flight to get the polar I normally
like, since this would mean I paid for too much wing.

The problem with this approach is that you are tailoring your glider
to one specific condition - and give away the wonderful game of
tailoring a glider's wingloading to the actual condition you are
flying in. A floater in the spring is nice, but is no fun in the
middle of summer when 10 knotters roam the desert and you need an IFR
clearance to climb to cloudbase! BTW, that is probably a big part of
the PW-5 problem - too much of a one-trick pony...IMHO.


Having picked the wing loading, I'd now buy the highest aspect ratio
I could afford. As technology advances, this means I get more
and more span.

But technology for reducing weight seems to have outpaced
technology for increasing aspect ratio. So at the end of this
discussion, I'd like a Sparrowhawk for the dollar, instead of
something else. I'd prefer a much lighter glider with a
shorter wingspan and no ballast to a heavier one with more
span and the same aspect ratio.

I actually like LESS wing area with the same loading as my ideal
polar. Because the min sink part of the polar is 20 to 100 ft/min
less, the high speed part also gains this advantage. At the
super light weight, we can use a MUCH slicker airfoil and get the
same stall speed as a glider twice the weight. And we don't have
to beef up the fuse for heavy wings, then make the
wings larger for the weight, etc... (diminishing returns).

The tough decisions a is retract worth the extra weight? And is
the glider sturdy enough to be flown in/out of typical strips
at my skill level (bumps and ruts included)? The Sparrowhawk
is an excellent concept theoretically, but is it sturdy?
As a very lightweight pilot, I'd be very interested in a
similarly light glider, but I sure wouldn't want to BREAK it.
Tiny main and tailwheels, and a fragile tailboom, can be a
real practical drawback...

The whole Sparrowhawk thing scares me to death! When I'm bashing
around at 130 knots, I want my glider to have a certain structural
authority! Same thing when landing on some strange desert airstrip
for the first time. And don't get me started on the whole unregulated
ultralight glider thing!!! IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP FOR ANY NON-LICENCED
"PILOT" DROOLING OVER A SPARROWHAWK BROCHU Get the training, take
the damn test, get a licence, and fly a real glider, for goodness
sake! Or at least make me the beneficiary on you life insurance
policy...

As a very lightweight pilot, you have the advantage of an even greater
wingloading spread available to use, which can be a nice advantage
early in the season or late in the day - why give it away?

It sure is fun to browse all the exciting equipment at each extreme...

You're damn right about that! And congratulations on your CFIG, BTW!

Kirk
A not very lightweight pilot