Libelles on Facebook

Great idea! Thanks for setting this up for us!

Boggs

Soaring historians is or isn't a Libelle the first ever glass glider? Theres one on the fiel seldom flown. We were only in 4th grade back in 64', but remember this Charlie Combs character who flew his with one finger for like a hundred dist diamonds.

On Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:34:47 -0800, mom2kjcns wrote:

Soaring historians is or isn't a Libelle the first ever glass glider?
Theres one on the fiel seldom flown. We were only in 4th grade back in
64', but remember this Charlie Combs character who flew his with one
finger for like a hundred dist diamonds.

No, the first glass glider was the Phoenix, which first flew in 1957. It
was built by three well-known German Free Flight model flyers who had
become soaring pilots (Herman Naegele, Richard Eppler, Rudi Lindner).
Eight were built.

The H.301 Open Libelle didn't fly until 1964, but was by far the most
numerous of the first wave of glass gliders (111 built). The H.201
Standard Libelle first flew in 1967 and can claim to be the first really
mass-produced glass glider with 600 built: The contemporary Phoebus (238
built and and designed by the Phoenix team) was next.

The Standard Cirrus didn't appear until 1979 but slightly more, 740, of
them were built than both H.301 and H.201 Libelles combined.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

On Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:38:21 +0000, Martin Gregorie wrote:

The Standard Cirrus didn't appear until 1979 but slightly more, 740, of

----------- correction -------------- 1969 ---------------

them were built than both H.301 and H.201 Libelles combined.





--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

On 2/3/2013 3:34 PM, wrote:
Soaring historians is or isn't a Libelle the first ever glass glider?
Theres one on the fiel seldom flown. We were only in 4th grade back in 64',
but remember this Charlie Combs character who flew his with one finger for
like a hundred dist diamonds.


The first *production* glass glider I believe was the Phoenix? I expect some
of our European friends will clarify this point.

Judging from scouring older "Soaring" magazines way back when I got into the
sport (late '72), I - correctly or incorrectly - concluded importation of
Libelles, Phoebuses (Phoebii?), Open Cirruses and a few AS W-12s happened more
or less concurrently, with Diamants, St'd Cirrii and AS W-15's not long
behind. In any event, it was a pretty abrupt transition!

Bob W.

On Sun, 03 Feb 2013 17:06:35 -0700, Bob Whelan wrote:

The first *production* glass glider I believe was the Phoenix? I expect
some of our European friends will clarify this point.

First glass glider, but does it count as 'production' with only 8 built?

I'd give that title to the H.301 Libelle with 111 built. It first flew in
1964, three years ahead of the H.201 Libelle and the Phoebus.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

Henry combs. Over 200 diamond distance straight out flights. His 301 still flies free distance many times a year with barry mcgarraugh (spelling) flying with the famous crystal squadron.

Yes. That Henry Combs. Nicest guy, driest whit, always carried 200 fpm around in his back pocket. People stood in line to do his BFRs because they always learned something from him.