Any sort of flying is fun, but soaring a glider cross-country is the most
fun you can have with your clothes on (IMHO).

What is not fun (i.e. dull) is sitting in a farmers field for hours while
you wait for someone to come and collect you after a land out. The problem
with short winged gliders is that they increase the possibility of not
being able to glide to the next source of lift, particularly in the UK
which has very patchy and inconsistent weather and often quite low
cloudbases.

It is actually aspect ratio (span/mean chord) rather than span that
defines a glider's performance. To achieve a high aspect ratio and a
sensible wing loading with a short span wing, you would have to make the
glider very light by using exotic and expensive materials. So the cost
savings may not be as great as you think....!

The glide angle of a K21 is actually about 34:1, which is about the best
you could expect from a 13.5m single seater.

Derek Copeland




At 00:30 31 January 2009, Dan Silent wrote:
At 23:45 30 January 2009, Andy wrote:

Dull is sitting in glider and staying within gliding range of the
launch point while your friends race.

Andy


THIS DULL IS FINE FOR ME, Mr Beenthere Donethat!
Particularly on a SWG (Short Wing Glider)
Or flying a magnificent 30:1 ASK21, sometime unable to get to
the next thermal, but having FUN!