On Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 4:17:47 PM UTC-4, Duster wrote:
Retired now and looking to purchase a motorized glider; weighing the pros and cons of self-launchers v sustainers. Two-placer is a priority, as I would like to take my wife. Single place acceptable as long as I can keep her happy sightseeing. We plan on extensive travelling, some to both established and unestablished (i.e., w/o tugs avail) soaring areas (esp. ridge/mountain/wave). Is the weight penalty the chief difference? Engine reliability? Maintenance? Minimum 18m? Some of you may recommend getting some first-hand experience at a commercial operation; where would that be?

Any feedback appreciated, even if just to eliminate models to stay away from.
Mike

The 1st decision you need to make is whether you want a Touring Motorglider that you can use as an airplane to go on trips, or if you want a high performance glider that eliminates the need for a tow plane.

If you are looking for a touring motorglider, I strongly recommend you look at the Phoenix. It is an awesome plane with side by side seating, 100 hp Rotax engine, 110 knot cruise and 26 gallon fuel capacity, giving you 700 nm range.

With full fuel, you have the load capacity to carry 2 adults plus 100 lbs of baggage. In addition, my Phoenix has a full blown Dynon Skyview system with 2 axis autopilot, synthetic vision, Mode S transponder and 2020 compliant ADS-B IN & OUT. It also includes a ballistic recovery chute as a standard feature.

However, the best feature are the removable wing tips. Remove a single pin and the you can remove the 15 lb wing tip and reduce to wingspan from 49' to 35', so that the A/C will fit in a standard T-Hanger. The whole process takes less than a minute. Note: The Phoenix also includes short wing tips that you can use when you don't want to go soaring.

The soaring performance is similar to a K-21. My wife gets motion sickness, so she's not into soaring. I got a kitchen pass to buy the Phonenix so we can use it as an airplane for flying in the Caribbean. With a 30:1 glide ratio, at 10K ft, I have 60 mile final glide if the engine quits. From Florida to Grenada, the maximum distance between airports is 120 miles, so you are never at risk of getting your feet wet.

The only downside of the Phoenix is that it is a new design, so used A/C are not available. The lead time on getting a new one is ~ 2 years.