Cockpit Size and Comfort

On Sunday, May 3, 2015 at 7:04:57 AM UTC-7, Mike Rinaldi wrote:
I am looking to purchase a new (to me) XC ship. Which ones have the largest/roomiest cockpit? Not for a tall person, one with broad shoulders, about 5'9 and 200lbs. Discuss and Thank you in advance!

Go to a glider field with a lot of gliders - a reasonably well-attended contest is a good idea. Ask pilots if you can test-fit. I dare say most will say yes (unless it is time to launch - don't do that). Cordele is probably the closest contest to you in early June or Sports Nationals in Waynesville. I flew all the way across the country to play "try on" when I was in the market.

I am the same general proportions as you describe (as far as you go at least). The only glider I can't fit in with my shoulders parallel to the wings are the Shempp a-models. Unless you are a serious bodybuilder or made out of very low-density stuff, you should be able to fit into pretty much anything -- so it's a matter of overall comfort. Beyond width, there will be a host of other dimensions that you may like or dislike. My arms aren't long enough to reach the instrument panel without a lot of fiddling with sitting position on most Shempp gliders. The LSs have a pronounced hump under the knees which some pilots like and some don't. LS heel brakes, Shempp motorcycle brakes, front canopy, side canopy, removable canopy, rudder pedal width and height, etc. Then there are flying qualities, flaps/no flaps, span and on and on.

No substitute for sitting in a few - preferably in your price range. Wings and Wheels can give you some ideas about that. Also keep in mind that there are fewer fuselage variants than there are glider types - a little querying of experienced pilots will help make the challenge manageable if you don't know or remember. My rough recollection of common fuselages across multiple models is:

Libelle 201/301 (depending on canopy)
Cirrus and Mini-Nimbus (?)
LS-3, LS-4
LS-6, LS-7, LS-8, LS-10
Pretty much all the single-seat DGs after the 100 (?)
Ventus/Discus a
Ventus/Discus b
(similar, if not identical for V-2/D-2 a vs b/c) (?)
ASW-19/20, Pegasus
ASW-24, 27, 29

I'm sure others can add/correct, but that's reasonably close. I didn't get into open class - some go straight there but most don't.

Andy