Next glider, ownership costs question?

If the gelcoat on a composite glider is shot it will cost quit a bit to refinish it. Even doing it the "cheap" way by just sanding down the old finish and spraying polyurethane over it will cost a fair amount. The rest of the maintenance isn't really any different from a metal ship when it comes to cost. As long as there is a good maintenance shop within reasonable distance that is willing and able to do the work a composite ship is fine. Ask the pilots in your area who fly glass who they work with. A Schweizer 1-34 or 1-35 would have the advantage that all the parts and materials are North American aircraft standard and would be familiar to any light aircraft maintenance shop but it isn't a decisive factor. On the other hand being able to leave the ship tied down and ready to fly may be an attractive benefit to you. I know a few pilots with easy to rig glass ships that still frequently leave them staked down overnight because they find the assembly/disassembly process too much work. I can usually have my ASW-15 cleaned, disassembled and in the trailer using an Udo rigger in less time than it takes them to get their stakes, hammer them in and tie their ship down though! For a quick summary of flying characteristics look up Derek Piggot's "Gliding Safety" book or the evaluation table he made that is printed in the Soaring magazine sailplane directory.

Whatever you go for get a good inspection done by someone who really knows what they're doing before you buy.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I've decided the Standard Libelle is probably the best option for my next ship. It's within my price range and I feel the longer legs would give me more bang for the buck, and result in a ship I will keep longer before wanting to move up.

Thanks for all the help! Funny thing is, I almost purchased a Libelle before buying my 1-26!