Whatever happened with the LS-10?
On Friday, May 29, 2015 at 2:53:04 AM UTC-4, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Just curious whatever happened with the LS-10 I heard years ago when DG acquired the assets of Rolland-Schnieder they were to make an LS-10 with a larger cockpit. I also saw that a few LS-10 were made and seemed to go very well. Anyone know how many were made, did they perform well, why are they not as popular as the other LS series gliders?
I little bit of truth to most posts to Jonathan's question. I was the LS dealer during that period and had over 20 orders for this very promising new 18M ship.
The fact that they had to pay cash for the (computer generated) molds bankrupted the LS company. DG took over but the deal ended up in the German courts, halting any production for almost 2 years. Most customers gave up waiting and cancelled. The first one we brought to the US in 2006 was prototype #2 and the only one that was build exactly as Wolf Lemke and Werner Scholtz had designed it. (With small 15M tips and large 18M tips, putting the break where it would optimize both configurations.) I just sold that one to a lucky glider pilot is SC! There were 2 more delivered in the US plus a "turbo", for a total of 4 in the USA.
Rick Walters flew my "10" at the 15M Nationals in Mifflin (2007) and was very impressed. He wanted one to fly in the Worlds in Germany and we arranged one in which he won the 18M Pre-Worlds...
It is a shame that due to the bad turn of events this glider never got the attention it deserves. I have put about 600 Hrs. in both configurations and it is an absolute dream to fly (as one of the UK flight reports noted "if you like the LS-6 and the LS-8, you will love the LS-10").
It is still in production and I think almost 30 have been build. Quite a few went to Australia where it is very popular, due to it's superior high speed performance. Sorry Bob, but it is quite a better performer than the LS-6 and as good as both the ASW-29 and JS-1.
Ed Hollestelle.
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