LS-4 ? What about 1-26 ?

U¿ytkownik "F.L. Whiteley" napisa³ w
wiadomo¶ci ...
I don't know if production methods have changed much. Last I knew,
composite 15m was 1000 hours labor, by far the largest cost component.
(for
comparison C-172 was something like 372 hours 30 years ago).

So... then we return to what I was talking about previously: move to the
countries where the cost of the workhour is low. Just like here (Poland). We
have experienced tradespersons who are into the glider production technology
(wood, glassfibre, and metal as well). Those guys are well qualified, and
don't want too much in reward - the German worker often wants even 30Euros
for his hour. A Pole here woll be happy working for 3-4 US Dollars per hour.
See the difference?
If the production of glider demands 1000 workhours, then labour cost for
Germany may be 39000US$ (at Euro/Dollar = 1.30) and for Poland 3500US $ (at
3.5US$/h) that makes 35500US $ saved just by moving production from Germany
(just an example) to Poland. Add to this that lots of other things necessary
for production are a lot more affordable here, as well as the social
insurance and taxes too. We may manufacture the same product at tenth part
of the cost employing same skilled persons. Not only glider's but other
manufacturers can (and they do!) move here to benefit from this.

If memory serves, development was done by volunteers and university staff
if
memory serves, so there was only a modest license cost per unit.

The design was simply a Masters Thesis for a group of students of
Politechnika Warszawska (Warsaw University of Technology:
http://www.pw.edu.pl)
done under direction of one of the scientists employed there.

Doesn't have to be the LS-4b either. The 304 is another very worthy
candidate. Continuing the PW-5 as a sub-class might also have some
benefit.

Unlike many others, I still say the PW-5 is a good design, which can be
flown by any pilot, at any moment of his development as a pilot, even the
first solo level. The World Class glider was intended to be a 'glider for
everyone', and it is indeed. Maybe LS-4 is very docile, but still requires
'a little bit' more experience than just after the first solo.

Regards,


--
Janusz Kesik
Poland
to reply put my name.surname[at]gazeta.pl
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