jld wrote on 8/16/2020 4:16 PM:
Tom,
Good to see you have the patience to read the EASA publications.
Indeed as it was suggested before and I tried to explain, following this EASA 600kg UL limit change opportunity, which dates from 2 years back, national authorities have taken some time to release their updated rules for UL.
Certain countries, like Germany, are using the full option (600kg MTM/ 45kts Vso) while others, like France, are restricting to lower limits (345kg MTM/ 38kts Vso for single seat). This is part of the complexity GP had to sort out. This also means the GP15 will be allowed to fly at different maximum wing loading in function of registration country (45kg/m2 to 60kg/m2). 45 kg/m2 should still be nice when cruising below 200 km/h.
I will be able to share more details on UL national rules if people need them.

experimental, in the past FAA has already approved experimental aircraft without any prior certification. I don't see any reason why this would not be possible for GP. I am sure US GP dealer has all the details.
As far as Slovak registration, the main reason to use it is because Slovak has the easiest approval process for UL in EU. Very little documentation is required. The only counter part is that you need to get a Slovak UL license to fly the aircraft, which is also easy to get. It is not uncommon at all to recycle registration and I don't see the issue.


I agree with you that people who have invested significant amounts deserve to be informed. Maybe they are, I don't know.
My experience has been more with the traditional manufacturers and I have never been thrilled with their communication!
We have yet to see clear communication from SH or JS on the number of years it takes to get delivery of a new V3 or JS3!
This is not an excuse but probably a bad habit from this whole business!

Indeed I don't have the truth but when I try to connect the dots, the near future seems promising. Q1 2021 is 6 months away and if GP is correct should show an increase in production rate and start of deliveries in EU soon after.

Thanks for the remarks. I now understand how the GP15 went from 475 kg MTOW in the
early brochures to 600 Kg a few months ago. I think 500 kg (65 kg/m2 or 13.25
lbs/ft2) is the highest useful weight for all but extreme conditions. I've never
encountered those, but perhaps eastern ridge runners or western wave flyers might.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1