Newest Sailplane in the world on display at the 2016 SSA convention

I'm starting to feel like I am at a boy band concert watching the girls screaming uncontrollably in he front row as the lead singer sings to them...

Just like the JS-1 camp has learned, out designing the ASG-29 in all conditions and at all wing loadings is a very, very high bar to jump over cleanly..

Here is a towel.

Stop drooling all over yourselves and let's see if the V3 wins the 18 meter World Championship in Australia next January before loosing consciousness, screaming like school girls at a boy band concert.

The V3 'might' win the Worlds and become a dominant 18m glider, but until it does, it's mainly marketing hype. They will employ a surge of top pilots (disproportional distribution) trying to win their first worlds (see Quintus) and seal in the marketing investment. JS-1 tried this too and never quite made it over the "29 bar."

Many, quite recently in fact, thought the JS-1 would dominate the ASG-29...but it has not. Only very recently with the new EVO design has the JS-1 begin to seriously challenge the 29. The JS1 has still never won a world championship against the ASG29. Not once (well, if you count the last SGP World Championship,yes, but there was a valid wing loading fairness controversy at that event).

And, even if the V3 does prove a match or better, Schleicher will simply draw up a new 18 meter glider specifically intended to make the V3 obsolete. Maybe Schleicher is down the track on this design already... Maybe they can simply improve the 29 with a new wing design like the JS-1 camp has with the newJS-1 Evo.

One thing is certain, the glider manufactures have us all right where they want us right now...buzzing wildly over almost nothing, fighting to hand over 200k checks in order to own a yet unproven glider which many somehow absolutely believe will beat the the pants off the 29 via its performance advantages alone. Good luck with that thinking gentleman. I've seen this cycle many times before in many sports.

And, if the V3 is somehow unstoppable in 18 meter, we already have so many ASG29s in the USA that we could just start a "29 ONLY class" (much less expensive than a new V3 and all with identical performance and already well proven machines!). One design! ;-). It will be 5 years before the V3 numbers approach a third of the 29s already in the USA. And that number is only in a perfect world for Shempp Hirth, with no hiccups or issues with the design. You V3 bling, bling glider guys will have to fly in open class again the Concordia!

So, I'm excited to see the V3 (and the buzz surrounding it) but won't be interested until it proves that it is a significantly better (or even equal) sailplane to the ASG29 and the JS1 Evo in a wide range of conditions. And even then, rather than jumping at it immediately, I'll be looking to see the reaction from the other manufacturers.

Amused and thoroughly enjoying the screams and shouts of glee (and drool) from the SH crowd... You can keep the towel.

Sean