Doug Taylor wrote:

Windward Performance is hoping that the recommendation of the EASU for
an ultralight glider (80 kg empty) regulation is taken up by more
European countries. We have heard that Germany has adopted this rule
but haven't confirmed it yet. This combined with a base price of
$33,950 and performance very nearly that of a used LS4 should mean
that Europe as well as the U.S.A. will be a good market for the
SparrowHawk. (I flew closely with an LS4 for a couple hours on a
pretty weak day so can't comment on high speeds. At the speeds we
were flying, there was no difference) Not to mention extremely fun
handling qualities and very safe low speed handling. As more
SparrowHawks have been delivered (12 flying now), people are seeing
that it is not limited, but enhanced by being an ultralight and our
sales have been increasing in the U.S. A European dealer should be
available soon. This will open a MUCH bigger market than the U.S. and
hopefully increased volume will help off set some of the price
increases in materials that we have been suffering.

Being classified as ultralight glider raises some other problems: it is
a different category. As a glider pilot and instructor, I am not allowed
to fly them, unless I get a new ultralight licence, for which I a have
to take dual instruction somewhere where it is available, and on an
aircraft which is probably fairly different from the intended ultralight glider.
Anyway I would never be able to fly it at my home field, since ultrlights
are not allowed at a distance under 50 km from Paris and my home field
is at 40 km. Beside that, most gliders in France are club gliders and most
pilots fly club gliders. In order for a club to propose ultralights, the
club has to first propose ultralight instruction, i.e. buy some ultralight
two-seater(s) and have ultralight instructors. This is a big change
involving majors investments and I think few clubs would be ready to do
that, as there is almost no demand for that now. So it seems that the
possible market for the SparrowHawk is rather in private owners. But the
2 most spread motivations of private owners to be private owners rather
than fly club gliders which are a lot less expensive are 1) competing in
the classical FAI classes with the last state of the art glider; 2) being
able to fly wihout being dependant of some help by using a motor glider,
and the SparrowHawk doesn't suit to any of these 2 needs.