At 09:22 12 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Winglets, disk brake and a single
pece cockpit - a little wing profiling and you have a very nice
sailplane for a fraction of the cost of one (15m) with maybe 3% better
performance... A new 18m ship would cost me five times the investment
for maybe 10% more L/D. If you just want to have fun then it is a poor
investment.

The locally developed modification with polyhedral wingtips and winglets

seems to narrow that performance gap even further. So that is a probable

change when time and money allow.

Mine has already had a complete cosmetic going over and wing profile -
needs some work to pretty the cockpit up and then she is as good as new.

Lovely glider as she is - But that canopy has to go.


Jonathon May wrote:
In England Don Austin has put a one-piece canopy on a kestrel,it looks
like
a next generation ship,he dosen't know when to stop though, he also
put
suspension,a disc brake and wing tips.

At 18:46 11 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
JS wrote:
Whilst you're waiting for the fix from Streifeneder, try different
flap settings on tow.
Jim
Now there's a lateral suggestion.

I shall take your suggestion and try it - but I still want the new
canopy.
Bruce

As to the mods done on my Kestrel 19 I have fitted a Vega Canopy to it as
I watched the Vega Mould being made and they used an uncut Kestrel Canopy
for the front of the Vega.
I liked the simple hinging arrangement used by DG so I used this method.
The winglets I fitted were on the style of Shemp Hirth and measurably
improve the roll rate and I believe improves the best glide angle.
The BGA permitted the fitting ofwnglets to any gider that can have its
wings extended. ie 20 Meter Kestrel.I have also fitted two ASW 20's
with winglets.The easy way to do this is to modify the stub tips.
Kestrels are too heavy for a drum brake but a M/Cycle front disk brake can
be obtained complete with Brake Lever pipe and reservoir quite easilly.The
standard Glider wheel with disk is the one I used.
It seemed a shame not to fit Rubber springs to the U/C when it was
reassembled so I did.
Anyone who would like a picture is welcome.
Don Austin