On 4/23/2010 2:36 PM, AK wrote:
On Apr 23, 3:54 pm, wrote:
Hello all - I've got a question for the competition pilots out the

Imagine you're a budding competition pilot with about 300 hours in
your logbook. You've done a couple of Sports-class competitions and
find them highly enjoyable. You begin to make plans to buy a partial
share in a high-end machine in 2010/2011; but then have to change
gears financially and keep costs in check.

Now imagine you've standing in front of two aircraft:
1) A near-mint-condition DG-300 (with auto-hookups, great
instrumentation, and DG's ergonomics and visibility). The ship has
spent its life in the desert southwest of the USA.

2) A recently-refinished LS-3 (_not_ an "a" model) with good equipment
- but an airframe that's a full 10 years older than the DG. The ship
has spent its life on the East coast of the USA. Assume that it is
only $3000 cheaper than the DG-300.

According to some old Idaflieg data, the LS-3 is significantly better
above 60 knots while the DG-300 has a noticeable climb-rate advantage
at slower speeds. Not sure how accurate the Idaflieg data is, though.

What would _you_ consider to be the better ship to own? If you owned
one of them, would you sell it to get the other?

Thanks for the assistance,

--Noel


Changing gliders is expensive. You lose money on the one you sell, then
you spend a fortune upgrading the one you just bought.

Keep the one you have, and spend the money on tows.