Buying a glider, advice on type and prices

On Sunday, August 28, 2016 at 5:15:23 AM UTC-4, John wrote:
Returned to gliding after many years and out of touch with types and prices.

Have narrowed it down to one of these types but nothing set in concrete.

ASW20, ASW27, ASW28, Discus, Discus 2 or Ventus.

Was originally looking to buy a lower cost glider but with interest rates being so poor, I am thinking that a good glider may be a better investment than money in the bank.

Any suggestions and a rough guide on prices? (appreciate that it ultimately depends on level of equipment and condition.

Thanks

Here is a wild card which will attract a lot of derision !

The Kestrel 19 is in an orphan class, but represents best L/D
per Euro. I owned one for 10 years, and I and several friends who
flew it rated it a very nice glider to fly ( except in rain).
it climbs well, is fairly docile, and does excellent short field
landings. I flew it for the first NA 750 km triangle thanks to the
cockpit comfort for 8 1/2 hrs.
The gel coat was schwabellac, less of a problem than later coatings.
May be easy to buy but hard to sell. Hardware support not known to me but there are many in the UK needing it.
Heavy wings, but there are excellent all body covers available for
1000 euros; leave it securely tied down and go flying in
20mins.

John Firth , an old no longer bold , pilot. Ottawa.

On Thursday, September 1, 2016 at 12:37:36 PM UTC-7, firsys wrote:
On Sunday, August 28, 2016 at 5:15:23 AM UTC-4, John wrote:
Returned to gliding after many years and out of touch with types and prices.

Have narrowed it down to one of these types but nothing set in concrete.

ASW20, ASW27, ASW28, Discus, Discus 2 or Ventus.

Was originally looking to buy a lower cost glider but with interest rates being so poor, I am thinking that a good glider may be a better investment than money in the bank.

Any suggestions and a rough guide on prices? (appreciate that it ultimately depends on level of equipment and condition.

Thanks

Here is a wild card which will attract a lot of derision !

The Kestrel 19 is in an orphan class, but represents best L/D
per Euro. I owned one for 10 years, and I and several friends who
flew it rated it a very nice glider to fly ( except in rain).
it climbs well, is fairly docile, and does excellent short field
landings. I flew it for the first NA 750 km triangle thanks to the
cockpit comfort for 8 1/2 hrs.
The gel coat was schwabellac, less of a problem than later coatings.
May be easy to buy but hard to sell. Hardware support not known to me but there are many in the UK needing it.
Heavy wings, but there are excellent all body covers available for
1000 euros; leave it securely tied down and go flying in
20mins.

John Firth , an old no longer bold , pilot. Ottawa.

If we're talking L/D per Euro the Nimbus 3 is well placed too.

Craig

On Friday, September 2, 2016 at 7:37:36 AM UTC+12, firsys wrote:
On Sunday, August 28, 2016 at 5:15:23 AM UTC-4, John wrote:
Returned to gliding after many years and out of touch with types and prices.

Have narrowed it down to one of these types but nothing set in concrete.

ASW20, ASW27, ASW28, Discus, Discus 2 or Ventus.

Was originally looking to buy a lower cost glider but with interest rates being so poor, I am thinking that a good glider may be a better investment than money in the bank.

Any suggestions and a rough guide on prices? (appreciate that it ultimately depends on level of equipment and condition.

Thanks

Here is a wild card which will attract a lot of derision !

The Kestrel 19 is in an orphan class, but represents best L/D
per Euro. I owned one for 10 years, and I and several friends who
flew it rated it a very nice glider to fly ( except in rain).
it climbs well, is fairly docile, and does excellent short field
landings. I flew it for the first NA 750 km triangle thanks to the
cockpit comfort for 8 1/2 hrs.
The gel coat was schwabellac, less of a problem than later coatings.
May be easy to buy but hard to sell. Hardware support not known to me but there are many in the UK needing it.
Heavy wings, but there are excellent all body covers available for
1000 euros; leave it securely tied down and go flying in
20mins.

Being basically a Glasflugel design (and not a Std Libelle) it should be well made, comfortable, and without vices.

Max L/D isn't everything, but looking at a few internet threads and spreadsheets over the years, it looks quite ok at a decent cruising speed too. The spreadsheet I looked at worked out to about 29:1 at 80 knots.

I helped derig a Kestrel a year or two ago.
The memory remains vivid. You need at
least four very good friends from the local
weight lifting gym.

At 21:14 01 September 2016, Bruce Hoult
wrote:
On Friday, September 2, 2016 at 7:37:36
AM UTC+12, firsys wrote:
On Sunday, August 28, 2016 at 5:15:23
AM UTC-4, John wrote:
Returned to gliding after many years
and out of touch with types and
prices.

Have narrowed it down to one of
these types but nothing set in
concrete.

ASW20, ASW27, ASW28, Discus,
Discus 2 or Ventus.

Was originally looking to buy a lower
cost glider but with interest
rates being so poor, I am thinking that a
good glider may be a better
investment than money in the bank.

Any suggestions and a rough guide
on prices? (appreciate that it
ultimately depends on level of equipment
and condition.

Thanks

Here is a wild card which will attract a
lot of derision !

The Kestrel 19 is in an orphan class,
but represents best L/D
per Euro. I owned one for 10 years, and
I and several friends who
flew it rated it a very nice glider to fly (
except in rain).
it climbs well, is fairly docile, and does
excellent short field
landings. I flew it for the first NA 750
km triangle thanks to the
cockpit comfort for 8 1/2 hrs.
The gel coat was schwabellac, less of
a problem than later coatings.
May be easy to buy but hard to sell.
Hardware support not known to me
but there are many in the UK needing it.
Heavy wings, but there are excellent all
body covers available for
20mins.

Being basically a Glasflugel design (and
not a Std Libelle) it should be
well made, comfortable, and without
vices.

Max L/D isn't everything, but looking at a
few internet threads and
spreadsheets over the years, it looks
quite ok at a decent cruising speed
too. The spreadsheet I looked at worked
out to about 29:1 at 80 knots.

On Thursday, September 1, 2016 at 5:15:06 PM UTC-5, George Haeh wrote:
I helped derig a Kestrel a year or two ago.
The memory remains vivid. You need at
least four very good friends from the local
weight lifting gym.


Rubbish. That may be your experience, but not mine. I one man rig my 604. You just need proper fixtures.

Steve Leonard

PS: The center wing section on the 604 weighs in at roughly 400 lbs. And with proper fixtures, you don't have to lift it.

PPS: The memory can't be too vivid, as you can't recall if it was one or two years ago. :-)