18m and L/D 60+...

Wallace Berry wrote:
What makes this structure
lighter or cheaper or easier to build than conventional wings?

Who ever said the generation of gliders would even begin to consider
the idea of cheaper??? That has not been the recent trend.
If it is lighter, it appears that the concept is to spread the wing
load over a much wider area [more of the chord], so that the stresses
do not need to concentrate on a single heavy spar. The wing skin can
possibly be made thinner/lighter this way too since it does not have to
transmit the load as far.

Chris

If you allow me to change a bit the line of discussion, without opening
a new thread, this airplane really brings me to an issue, mostly when
I compare it with the not so successfull World Class competitions, of
what sort of airplane does the soaring sport really needs today ? That
is, what would be its mission ( e.g. trainer/single, moderate or
advanced cross country) and its main configuration parameters (span,
pure/motorized, glide, min sink, speed range) and what should be its
m=E1x cost (also kit availability ? )

Any opinions ?

chris ha escrito:

Wallace Berry wrote:
What makes this structure
lighter or cheaper or easier to build than conventional wings?

Who ever said the generation of gliders would even begin to consider
the idea of cheaper??? That has not been the recent trend.
If it is lighter, it appears that the concept is to spread the wing
load over a much wider area [more of the chord], so that the stresses
do not need to concentrate on a single heavy spar. The wing skin can
possibly be made thinner/lighter this way too since it does not have to
transmit the load as far.
=20
Chris

If you allow me to change a bit the line of discussion, without opening
a new thread, this airplane really brings me to an issue, mostly when
I compare it with the not so successfull World Class competitions, of
what sort of airplane does the soaring sport really needs today ? That
is, what would be its mission ( e.g. trainer/single, moderate or
advanced cross country) and its main configuration parameters (span,
pure/motorized, glide, min sink, speed range) and what should be its
m=E1x cost (also kit availability ? )

Any opinions ?

chris ha escrito:

Wallace Berry wrote:
What makes this structure
lighter or cheaper or easier to build than conventional wings?

Who ever said the generation of gliders would even begin to consider
the idea of cheaper??? That has not been the recent trend.
If it is lighter, it appears that the concept is to spread the wing
load over a much wider area [more of the chord], so that the stresses
do not need to concentrate on a single heavy spar. The wing skin can
possibly be made thinner/lighter this way too since it does not have to
transmit the load as far.
=20
Chris