Info on Mosquito

On 2/27/2012 3:11 PM, Mark Jardini wrote:
I used to own the one tested by Dick Johnson. What every one else
said, great ship. They are a bit heavy being polyester epoxy ships and
stoutly built, about 7+ lbs wing loading unballasted, and not the best
light air climbers. Never flew it with water. I never heard of someone
not liking the handling.

mj


Being either precise or anal, "polyester epoxy"? My understanding is Mosquitos
are epoxy resin, "all fiberglass" ships (i.e. no carbon or Kevlar/polyamide),
which is to say, their construction materials are typical of many first/2nd
generation "glass gliders."

The only polyester resin glider I was ever (vaguely) aware of was the (never
actually produced, so far as I'm aware) Torva.

Never flown a Mosquito, was wingtip grunt for one many times, ditto all prior
rigging comments. Never noticed any of its owners having to "fuss with" the
canopy mechanism. I believe (didn't check prior to posting) Mosquitos also
have the parallellogram stick, do they not? Always seemed like a good idea to
me (as compared to either an "S-curve" or sharply angled back one).

Other than the untimely death of Eugen Hanle and Glasflugel
not-long-thereafter being purchased-by/absorbed-into Schempp-Hirth, I've long
thought the innovative (and used for a while by Schempp-Hirth...and also
Slingsby on the Vega) trailing edge flap/dive brake was the only "fly in the
ointment" somewhat balking the Mosquito's more general acceptance. We glider
pilots tend to be SO conservative in our "what's acceptable in a glider"
views. :-)

Have Fun!

Bob W.