Uncle Fuzzy wrote:


What is the appeal of a 'sustainer'? They seem to be almost as
expensive as a self-launcher, without the ability to self launch.
It's great not to have to land out, but it seems like an awful lot of
money to spend and still need a tug to get airborne.

Most pilots think they are significantly cheaper to purchase, to
maintain, and to insure. They are lighter, so easier to assemble and
manhandle; they have a wider wing loading, often with both higher *and*
lower wing loadings; and typically, simpler to operate, and more
reliable. In the USA, you don't need a self-launching endorsement to fly
one.

If you can get a tow when and where you want, and don't fly in high
density altitude locations, they are a more attractive alternative to a
self-launcher. They are much more popular in Europe than the USA, in
part because launches are so much easier to get, and because many glider
ports have noise restrictions that prohibit gas powered self-launching.

A sustainer gives you what some of us think is the "best half" of a
powered glider: the ability to fly or explore aggressively without the
worry of an outlanding and a long retrieve. Pilots that haven't flown
motorgliders often underestimate this major feature because it's not an
obvious one, while it's easy for everyone to see the advantage of
self-launching.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* Updated! "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* New Jan '08 - sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org