On Oct 28, 7:21 pm, wrote:
A gas-powered machine may prove "interesting" at
Ely or Telluride (without turbocharger), but has more
range, especially with long-range tanks. Just don't
expect to climb over some of the peaks out west
when its hot. Its OK if you don't mind tooling
around Ely after launch not real high until you find
a thermal; certainly this is doable and plenty
including me have done so.

I operate my ASH-26E from an airport S of Denver that is at 7,000' MSL.
During the summer, density altitude is 10K or so at the time I launch.
The climb profile compared to a tow bekind a 250 HP Pawnee is quite
similar. I'm climbing at about 50 knots and behind the Pawnee it would
be 70 knots. So I'm actually higher about 1500' down the runway, but
about the same at the end of the runway (about 200' AGL on this 3800'
long runway) and typically 800' or so passsing abeam the departure
point on downwind. Actual climb rate is about 300 fpm. Check my OLC
flight logs for some comparisons as I sometimes take a tow in order to
have a full fuel load for the end of the day.

During the winter, I've still had a positive rate of climb at 16,500
while exploring for wave. In summer, I've made a few self retrieves
from the other side of 13-14K' ridges in the Colorado Rockies. With
the higher density altitude, I stop climbing at about 15K. I only have
the fuselage tank (16 litres), so endurance is about 90 minutes.

So the bottom line is that at high altitudes, either physically, or due
to density, one must use whatever thermals there are, and try to avoid
areas of sink. But so far, in the 5 years I've been flying the ship
there has never been a situation where I wished for more power.

-Tom
ASH-26E 5Z
Black Forest Soaring Society - for OLC logs