View Single Post
  #10  
Old October 29th 15, 10:42 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Can't buy them all, choosing between ASW19 vs LS1 vs PIK20

A couple other points not already mentioned by the others with regard to the Pik-20 (though they don't address your main points of interest).

I love mine (800 hrs in it) minus it's performance in rain or with bugs (and I hate the detachable canopy on mine), but I don't recommend the Pik-20 or -20B for low-time pilots due to the very different landing approach for flapped/no-spoiler gliders. [This challenge however is also a huge selling point for those able to use them...I've had no problem clearing a fence or even a shed and landing in the first 400 ft of someone's backyard or clearing powerlines and landing very short.] I had several hundred flights before my first flight in the Pik and I think that's in the ballpark of appropriate min experience (my opinion).

If you'd like to fly fast in any ridge/wave then you'll want to look at the max rough air speed of all the gliders...the Pik has the highest (by far). Additionally, if you ever think you'll need to make a controlled, speed-limited descent (55-70 mph with the Pik at full flap setting) then the Pik is also the only one of the three that will do that for you, or conversely a max capability descent at up to ~12,0000 fpm.