On Aug 30, 8:58*am, wrote:
Reasons to buy a '28 over a '24: 1. Newer gel coat, trailer, etc., and
2. hard ballast tanks. But I haven't flown with the factory tank
system so I can't compare it with the rapid dump I get using 1" ID
plumbing all the way through or the ease of filling.

Actually I never considered the hard tanks to be an advantage. I flew
my 19 for 15 years with Smiley bags and they were pretty much trouble
free. I had a completely unattended fill system. Just connect it up
and go the pilot's meeting. Come back after and it was full. With
the 28 I have to be there twice to shut off the water at the right
time. Bags are a lot easier to fix than wings if they leak but I have
never heard of 28s having wing leak problems and, unlike some gliders,
the dump valves are easy to remove and service if needed.

Standard 28 is slow to dump even with the later double vents at the
wing tips. Some people have put larger dump valves and modified the
vent system. I have not changed mine.

Yes it's true. The 28 wing had similar issues to the 27 but not
nearly as severe. Schleicher brochures claimed very low empty weight
before the first one flew. The claimed very large range of wing
loading was one of the reasons I ordered mine. Actual weight was I
think about 50lb heavier than the original brochure weight but even
then the wing stability was compromised, presumably in an attempt to
keep the weight down. However the profile distortion seen on some
28s does not seem to have a significant effect on performance. I
don't know how the wing weight compares with the 24 but it's a lot
lighter than the 19 and the LS8.

I'm 6 ft 2 inch with a long torso and easily fit in the 28 without
removing the seat back. I still have a notch or two of pedal
adjustment remaining and more head clearance than in the 19. I seem
to remember that the 24 was too small for me but that was with a
conventional back parachute and the seat back in.

Andy