Buying a glider, advice on type and prices

The Discus-2 just took the top 4 positions in this years Standard Class Nationals and won Sports Class Nationals. A newer ship will keep its fit and finish longer. A Standard Class bird with a good gear warning system is probably the safest way to go. OK, I do have a dog in this fight and I have just what you need!
JJ. Johnsinclair210(at)yahoo.como

Standard class gliders are nearly dead. Domestically and internationally. For the past several years, in the USA, their national contest has been teetering on the edge of not being held. Sad, but a reality that is important based the list you offered.

I would suggest a flapped glider, probably the ASW27. Ventus is ok too.

For whatever it is worth, the Lak17a is also excellent and is both 15/18 (competitive in both classes). This one can be acquired for far less than an ASG29 or other 18-meter glider. In most cases for less than a 27 or Ventus! The Lak17a was my first racing glider and I was very, very pleased with it. I actually miss it from time to time. My dad still has his and keeps up with my in my 29 with ease (even now that I know what I am doing a bit).. 18 meter flapped is a really fun, popular class. The Lak17a allows you to enter this class at a fraction of the cost.

Several he http://wingsandwheels.com/classifieds

Good luck and welcome back!

Sean

I agree with Sean on the LAK17a recommendation. It is a sweet glider to fly. You get huge performance "bang for your buck".

With a lot of help from Sean and his dad, Bob (for which I am greatly appreciative!), I bought a LAK17at from one of the other Ionia soaring pilots and picked it up in June of last year.

I now have more than 100 hours in her and, one contest and three week long camps later, am very happy.

Lou

Standard advice:

Something that fits in your budget of course. Leave reserve for some instruments, insurance, andoney to buy tows.

Make sure you fit comfortably. You'll be wanting to sit in the seat for 5-8 hrs.

Automatic control hookups are a deciding factor for many. Decide if it is for you.

That will narrow it down to maybe a half dozen types. From there, find what's available at the price you like, and pick the one with the nicest trailer.

On Monday, August 29, 2016 at 4:04:11 PM UTC+1, Tony wrote:
Standard advice:

Something that fits in your budget of course. Leave reserve for some instruments, insurance, andoney to buy tows.

Make sure you fit comfortably. You'll be wanting to sit in the seat for 5-8 hrs.

Automatic control hookups are a deciding factor for many. Decide if it is for you.

That will narrow it down to maybe a half dozen types. From there, find what's available at the price you like, and pick the one with the nicest trailer.

I agree with the above. Also, although I am an older current pilot flying a flapped 18/21m glider, I would suggest that an older slightly rusty pilot should fly a 15m unflapped glider for a couple of years before moving up. Presumably you aren't going to be going straight into high level competitions so the comments about the standard class dying out are not very relevant. The original Discus (along with the LS4) is the one of the most useful, benign and salable gliders ever made. The Discus 2 and ASW28 are also fine standard class gliders (I have owned A Discus B and a Discus 2c) and newer so more likely to come with better gelcoat or optional PU paint finish.

The 15m flapped gliders are have little performance advantage until you are happy flying them ballasted and are at the stage where your cross country speed is not limited by thermal selection and centering issues.

The ASW20 is a classic of its time but the lack of automatic control connections on this (and other) designs, particularly for the elevator, is a serious, literally killer, deficiency.

John Galloway