ASH 26E VS DG 808C

wrote:
One question from someone who will eventually have a self launcher
The Antares quote range in vertical metres it can climb,
The ASH26 and DG808C have extra tanks that can increase range,
What would be the climb height expected from say a normal tank of 15
litres
for the ASH or DG .
gary
Andor Holtsmark wrote:
At 04:30 22 October 2006, Roger wrote:
So which one would you choose today? The Antares is
much more
expensive so that limits the market.

I'd like to object to this comment.
Before you decide on an aircraft (or make comments
about their pricing), please get up to date offers
for all brands you would concider, make sure that the
offers include ALL the itimes you will need to operate
the aircraft, then look at the BOTTOM line.
The bottom line Antares pricing is competitive with
similar infernal combustion based products.

It must also be said that ALL sailplane manufacturers
offer an amazing amount of product for the money they
charge. There is a lot of idealism in the business.

Anyway, if you are seriously interrested in an antares,
then you are also more than welcome to make an appointment
for a visit to Lange Flugzeugbau, including a test
flight. Then you will know where the money goes. Contact
information can be found at www.Lange-Flugzeugbau.com

Cheers, Andor

(yep, I work there)

Hi Gary - Unfortunately its a bit of apples and oranges.

The Antares has no noticeable density-altitude penalty,
so it can climb unaffected until around 16k where the
prop speed-limits and the climb-rate slows (and you
can't climb under power this high from sea-level). But,
it has less range than a gas powered machine.

A gas-powered machine may prove "interesting" at
Ely or Telluride (without turbocharger), but has more
range, especially with long-range tanks. Just don't
expect to climb over some of the peaks out west
when its hot. Its OK if you don't mind tooling
around Ely after launch not real high until you find
a thermal; certainly this is doable and plenty
including me have done so.

You have to pick which parameter is more important
for your flying (and don't forget to include stress level
as an independent and important parameter)...

Hope this helps !
Best Regards, Dave

PS: To emphasize Andor's point regarding cost, the
all-up delivered and equipped cost of an Antares 20E
is *not* substantially more than the other machines
discussed here, make sure to compare the real total
cost to your driveway...

On Oct 28, 7:21 pm, wrote:
A gas-powered machine may prove "interesting" at
Ely or Telluride (without turbocharger), but has more
range, especially with long-range tanks. Just don't
expect to climb over some of the peaks out west
when its hot. Its OK if you don't mind tooling
around Ely after launch not real high until you find
a thermal; certainly this is doable and plenty
including me have done so.

I operate my ASH-26E from an airport S of Denver that is at 7,000' MSL.
During the summer, density altitude is 10K or so at the time I launch.
The climb profile compared to a tow bekind a 250 HP Pawnee is quite
similar. I'm climbing at about 50 knots and behind the Pawnee it would
be 70 knots. So I'm actually higher about 1500' down the runway, but
about the same at the end of the runway (about 200' AGL on this 3800'
long runway) and typically 800' or so passsing abeam the departure
point on downwind. Actual climb rate is about 300 fpm. Check my OLC
flight logs for some comparisons as I sometimes take a tow in order to
have a full fuel load for the end of the day.

During the winter, I've still had a positive rate of climb at 16,500
while exploring for wave. In summer, I've made a few self retrieves
from the other side of 13-14K' ridges in the Colorado Rockies. With
the higher density altitude, I stop climbing at about 15K. I only have
the fuselage tank (16 litres), so endurance is about 90 minutes.

So the bottom line is that at high altitudes, either physically, or due
to density, one must use whatever thermals there are, and try to avoid
areas of sink. But so far, in the 5 years I've been flying the ship
there has never been a situation where I wished for more power.

-Tom
ASH-26E 5Z
Black Forest Soaring Society - for OLC logs