On Nov 11, 2:55 am, Sam Giltner
wrote:
I have owned two LS1-F gliders. Both have factory wingroot
fillets. I would like to talk to other LS1-F owners
that have the same factory fillets. Thanks, Sam

Sam,

I fly an LS1f in Australia for the past year. It has the factory
fillets which are rather small and I suspect do not contribute too
much, but then I would have to cut them off to find out for sure. I
have a very nose heavy glider and even at a low cockpit weight and
lead in the tail I can still only manage about 75% to the rear of the
CG range. I provide this info as I think it contributes more to the
slow speed thermal handling than the fillets do. Yesterday while
pulling tight at 50deg bank in a thermal with 9.4knots on the averager
(sorry could not help brag) I was getting the stick shake I belive
from the turbulent air hitting the tail. Pull any more at this point
and she just gives up flying and drops the nose dramatically. My old
Libelle would politely say please don't do that but it would just hang
in the turn and let you get away with it. The extra lead in the tail
improved the point at which it all drops away but I am keen to try
some turbulator tape under the wing at 60% and also some small bits of
tape on the fuz and wing top high point in front of the fillet
junction.

I am liking the LS1f more each time I fly it but I do miss the
Libelle's ability to haul around in a thermal core without dropping
off the left margin of the polar curve. Anything I can do to improve
this on the LS1f , and I am very interested.

Scott