Aveo Gliderburst - Maximini

On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at 5:25:51 PM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
http://www.aveoengineering.com/gliderburst/

http://www.aveoengineering.com/redbaron-maximini/

When at the Logan Ridge Flying Clinic, I saw a new glider with a factory-mounted strobe light in the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. I was a distance away when an irregular flashing caught my attention. So, I went over to see what it was. It was a strobe light mounted flush and streamlined. Very cool.

Schleicher has been offering this option. Coupled with a LX device the strobe activates when a flarm target is seen.


On Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 3:02:55 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at 5:25:51 PM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
http://www.aveoengineering.com/gliderburst/

http://www.aveoengineering.com/redbaron-maximini/

When at the Logan Ridge Flying Clinic, I saw a new glider with a factory-mounted strobe light in the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. I was a distance away when an irregular flashing caught my attention. So, I went over to see what it was. It was a strobe light mounted flush and streamlined. Very cool.

On Thursday, 20 August 2015 05:21:36 UTC+2, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Schleicher has been offering this option. Coupled with a LX device the strobe activates when a flarm target is seen.

Will it only flash when another FLARM unit is nearby or will it also work with ADS-B and Mode-C/S traffic?
I'd want those strobes to work over time if there is a military or commercial flight closing in rapidly.

On Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 12:30:07 AM UTC-4, Surge wrote:

Will it only flash when another FLARM unit is nearby or will it also work with ADS-B and Mode-C/S traffic?

If you factor out the potential to annoy other pilots, there is little reason to not have the strobe flashing for the entire flight. By my reckoning a four hour flight would consume 2.25 AH That said, it might make sense to turn it off in a gaggle and have it turn back on with a Flarm alert, but outside of a gaggle it could run continuously (especially while flying ridge or in a cloudstreet).

RedBaron MiniMaxi Specifications

Power - strobe (Watts): 6.6 W (33 W peak)
Current - strobe (@12V): 0.56 A (2.77 A peak)
Repetition Rate of Strobe: 50 cycles per minute

The flashes project in a hemisphere of directions.

I've noticed that the strobe makes it easier to find the towplane at a distance when scanning. (I like to know where the towplane is headed when I'm doing my initial 'climb out' near the airport.)

I also seem to notice the strobe in my peripheral vision when the tow plane is quite close and before I see it with my scan. The strobe 'draws the eye'. I find it easy to completely ignore the towplane strobe while I'm on tow.

On one occasion I shared a short ridge with several other gliders. One of the gliders had wingtip strobes and it really made a difference.

The strobe on the Schleicher glider's is a strip about 18-24 inches long with multiple LED lights, Very bright and a great safety option. It is part of the leading edge of the vertical fin, so there is no aerodynamic penalty. It is popular option but still some chose to order without the strobe.

On Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 7:22:36 AM UTC-7, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
The strobe on the Schleicher glider's is a strip about 18-24 inches long with multiple LED lights, Very bright and a great safety option. It is part of the leading edge of the vertical fin, so there is no aerodynamic penalty. It is popular option but still some chose to order without the strobe..

1,260.00 Euro option

If ordering a $150,000-$300,000 glider the extra $1,400 dollars while not insignificant is money well spent for both the buyer his/her family and the others pilots and their families he/she shares airspace with. There was a thread a while ago about who is responsible. Well we are all responsible for the safety of everyone around us. This is why we do not back up on freeways (almost hit an a__hole doing this), we use blinkers while changing lanes, we install PF in gliders ...etc. I know there is a cost argument which fails miserably in the context of lives at stake. Agreed a 1-26 might not warrant a S-mode transponder, PF and strobes due to price. I usually go with the safety options weather it be sailing (have done lots of off shore racing and sailing) driving, antilock brakes, all wheel disk brakes regular service...

Fifteen years ago I reinstrumented a 4 person power aircraft I had, and while the TCAS was too expensive ($30,000) I did install a S-mode transponder and an instrument which would alert and show traffic from the S-mode. That was the best money I spent in instruments and I used it every flight and on multiple occasions it saved my bacon! Sometime glider pilots while flying $100,000 plus gliders can be cheap. I personally think my life it worth the extra several thousand.

On Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 7:33:48 AM UTC-7, Craig Reinholt wrote:
On Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 7:22:36 AM UTC-7, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
The strobe on the Schleicher glider's is a strip about 18-24 inches long with multiple LED lights, Very bright and a great safety option. It is part of the leading edge of the vertical fin, so there is no aerodynamic penalty. It is popular option but still some chose to order without the strobe.

1,260.00 Euro option

I saw the same thing on an ASH-31 mi at Moriarty. Apparently it's a
factory option. And a good idea, to boot!

On 8/19/2015 4:02 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at 5:25:51 PM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
http://www.aveoengineering.com/gliderburst/

http://www.aveoengineering.com/redbaron-maximini/
When at the Logan Ridge Flying Clinic, I saw a new glider with a factory-mounted strobe light in the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. I was a distance away when an irregular flashing caught my attention. So, I went over to see what it was. It was a strobe light mounted flush and streamlined. Very cool.

--
Dan Marotta