Can't buy them all, choosing between ASW19 vs LS1 vs PIK20

My experience has been that gliders with manual control hookups are very
easy to rig, just don't forget to hook up the controls. I think all
that you mention have manual controls. I owned an ASW-19b and it was
very easy to rig. Most of the people here will tell you to get the
glider with the best trailer, but I think the glider is most important.
You will decide that for yourself.

Regarding condition, I would look first for cracks in the finish. I'm
not talking about the normal crazing or cracking that you see in the
finish of older gliders but those which indicate deeper damage. You
would be wise to have someone with experience in these things to help
you with the inspection. Check log book(s) for damage/repair history
but realize that not all damage or repairs will be documented. You'll
have to make a careful inspection.

My personal preference in certification is to get a glider which is
licensed as experimental. There are minor hassles with annual Program
Letters, but these are simple to write and submit. People on this forum
can provide examples. With an experimental glider you have more leeway
with inspections and modifications than with a Standard airworthiness
glider, especially if your manufacturer is no longer in business. Just
be sure that you stay within the regulations.

Good luck in your hunt and welcome back!

Dan

On 10/16/2015 8:51 AM, PAGA wrote:
Hi all,

After a long break from gliders, last year I moved close to an airfield and resumed flying at the local soaring club on Blanik metal 2-seaters. While this is always a lot of fun I am tempted to finally get my own one-seater and start practice longer flights, with slightly better performance than the L23, and also maybe take it on the road to fly elsewhere in the US.

Most of my previous one-seater experience was on Grob 102, both in Europe and in the US : I was looking for a used one and missed a local sale by a few weeks/days. While searching other available used ships not too far from me, within the set performances and the price range I want to commit to, I have narrowed it down to a PIK20, or a LS-1 or an ASW19, in similar conditions and within my parameters (L/D, sink rate, instruments, size, weight, type, etc... i.e. similar to the Grob) and price range (+/- a few $K).

This is the first time I am considering owning my own ship, and I am sure this forum has seen this kind of question a million times (apologies for the duplicate thread) I searched some of these threads but I need to ask a more experience crowd about my specific choice : how to decide between these 3 fine sailplanes, what should I do/ask/check with the sellers in order avoid obvious mistakes and make it easier to decide?

My main concerns are very "grounded" : how to deal with maintenance (when the manufacturer is no longer around for example), and how hard/easy is it to assemble/store them back in the trailer. Of course I am sure these ships handle differently when in the air but I am not too concerned about learning how to deal with each flying specifics/idiosyncrasy, at this point I feel most of my challenges are actually going to be when on land :-)

Thank you all for your time.

--
Dan, 5J