FES in Contests

On Friday, October 31, 2014 10:21:27 PM UTC-5, John Cochrane wrote:
The procedure for requesting a corrected handicap is spelled out in the US contest rules. It does not start "post your complaint on rec.aviation.soaring." Have you contacted the handicap committee?
John Cochrane

The Handicap Committee has been contacted. Tim McAllister the SSA Handicap Committee, Chair has emailed me that "I will put this issue on the committee's agenda as we head into the winter months and begin to look at outstanding handicap issues." This issue (for me)being the handicap for the LAK 17b FES with both 18 and 15 meter wingspans.
I am waiting for my Flight Manual from the LAK factory which should have polars for both wingspans in it. In the mean time a look at the Idafleig report found here http://www.front-electric-sustainer....A%20FES_en.pdf
is very interesting. The report summery states "The results show a very small increase in aerodynamic drag due to the propeller blades in an
expectable order." However the comparison with and without the propeller blades shown in Figure 9 shows, what looks like to me, a noticeable decrease in the L/D ratios when tested with the propeller blades.*
I am looking forward to taking delivery of my LAK 17b FES this coming spring. I realize that the biggest competitive problem that I will have is not with the glider or the handicap number that the committee assigns, but with its pilot.

DK