The only thing I like in Schempp-Hirth ergonomics is the flap position lever, (just make sure you have installed a metal backing) as the composite will only work for so long until the flap handle goes negative on you while on short final, a real thrill. The flap handle is low on the cockpit sidewall so you can rest your hand on the arm rest. I always thought the other manufacturers should use this set up. Different strokes for different folks.


On Friday, September 25, 2015 at 8:39:06 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Flap levers need detents of some kind so you can set different
positions and take your hand off the lever.* In my LAK-17a, the flap
and gear levers must be rotated to move the lock out of the slot to
move the lever.* The dive brake lever does not need to be rotated,
however you might scrape your knuckles by simply pulling it back.*
Rotating the dive brake lever gets my knuckles away from the canopy
side wall.* MY flap lever is at the top because I use it most often
and that's where I like it.* Others may prefer other configurations..



Cheers!




On 9/25/2015 7:24 AM,
wrote:



I am sorry to say I happened to confuse diverse levers in diverse types of gliders in the past.
* I once pulled back on the release lever (it's not a knob, it really looks like an airbrake lever) instead of opening the spoilers in a Rhönlerche;
* I did the same with the flaps instead of the airbrakes in a L-13 Blanik;
* I put the flaps from positive to negative instead of closing the airbrakes on a Janus during finals when the airspeed became too low (that one allmost crashed the glider, I corrected my mistake at the very last moment; the situation arose while my pupil in front was making an approach with braking parachute, full positive flaps and full airbrakes, and was slow in closing the airbrakes when I asked him to do so to maintain airspeed - of course, I should have had the left hand on one of the levers, but I wasn't ready, being too confident in the abilities of my pupil).

The levers I wrongly used had a common characteristic: they were the upper, what you could call the "most obvious", lever. When under stress, that's where your hand is going automatically.

I really think, from a safety point of view, that the "most critical" lever should also be the "most obvious" lever. In my book, that's the airbrake lever. I don't like the ergonomics of the levers you have to rotate to be able to use.





--

Dan, 5J