JS wrote:
Have flown the Duo Discus at California City, the Duo Discus X at
Heppenheim and the DG-1000 at Mannheim, but not the Duo Discus XL yet!
The nicest handling of the three I've flown is the Duo Discus X.
If you think the original Duo is nimble, try the newer one. Williams
Soaring can check you out in "DDX". Believe Gavin was flying Delta
Delta X-Ray.
I think Schempp-Hirth will be in production of the XLs after the
holiday.
Jim

Hi Jim

I can confirm they will be producing the large cockpit model after the end of
next week. (When they return from the summer holidays)

Not sure I like the idea of an XL - I mean XL clothes are bad enough but does
the glider also have to say that? I can just see the look on the prospective
student, OK lets get you into the XL...

Regrettably I am about 15,000 km from Minden so flying DDX is out - but Dick
Bradley will have a Duo X at Bloemfontein later this year. I shall have to
investigate.

As I understand it the large cockpit is the first major shape change to the
Schempp-hirth 2 seater fuselage that originated with the Janus.
I gather there have been material and internal changes to improve impact
absorption and pilot protection.
It apparently has more space(funny that), and storage space, a upward hinging
instrument panel in the front seat and a divider between front and back seats.
Presumably this will make a tiny dent in the polar, but significantly improve
comfort for big lunks like me (186cm and 110kg)
I have also only looked at a DG1000, as opposed to flying one. The high
undercarriage makes entry and egress a little challenging. I know it is
essentially the same fuselage as the 505, but it looks huge on the ground. The
Duo looks more dainty.

Having flown a couple of types with a two part canopy I fail to understand how
people can claim the DG has better visibility from the back seat. Are the seats
stepped, so the back seat driver sees over the head in front? This is usually no
problem for me as I am usually very close to the canopy, but I can see why
shorter folk would want it.

The opinion seems to be that the aerodynamic changes have improved handling
further. Never a bad thing.
Has anyone got a real world feel for performance of the X?

As an aside, the only time I have flown in the same sky as a DG1000 I was
pleased to be able to out climb it, with a passenger in both, in our vintage
Bergfalke II/55. Of course at the top of the thermal I went pottering around
locally and he rolled level and disappeared at warp speed. But not before giving
me time to admire the beautiful lines from above - there are some advantages to
ancient trainers.

Bruce