Manufactures Lack of Images

On Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 6:30:11 AM UTC-8, Casey wrote:
Have you ever noticed the lack of images on glider manufactures web sites? Especially cockpit and closeups. Sure they have a few of the gliders flying, but auto manufactures have detailed images and even 360 cameras and the autos cost less then a quarter as much. Yeah I know there is more auto competition and many more people buying autos, but with glider manufactures going after a smaller number of people I would think they would wow a potential buyer with detailed images. And it is all manufactures and not just web its also their downloadable brochures as well. I suppose I may have missed some images buried in their web sites but don't you think they should be up front and readily seen? I don't think at this point in the game any manufacture is going to change their tooling much to copy another manufacture. And if so they probably would not go by a web image of a competitor. The only explanation I seem to come up with the lack of detailed, quality images is that they are too busy and selling all the gliders they can make. JS has a couple. And Schleicher has one of the better brochures, but has more of employees than cool looking shots of the interior and so forth. Schemp-Hirth has a new web site but lacking for images. DG has a lot of information on their site but its buried and still lacking current design wowing images. Most all the images on HPH site is of flying. Same for LAK. And many of the manufactures images look like the public sent them in. And a web site can not be any more generic than GP. Ironic that one of the smallest manufactures TST has images right on front page. Maybe the older, bigger manufactures know more than the large auto makers.

I hate to be busting on some of these manufactures that I drool over their gliders, but I hate to keep hearing that soaring is a dying sport or not as poplar as it once was. Well, don't you think manufactures should dazzle the public, potential buyers, or those that can afford a new glider ever so often, with better images and marketing?

Maybe us glider pilots are more informed consumers than auto purchasing consumers and don't need the extra eye candy. Maybe auto purchasers make fickle purchases based on eye candy and then trade after a short time.

Just wish I had more eye candy to view sometimes when its cold and rainy out.


http://www.jonkersailplanes.co.za/instruments.htm

http://www.alexander-schleicher.de/en/

http://www.schempp-hirth.com/en/sail...-2cxa-fes.html

http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/index.p...dg-flugzeuge-d

http://www.hph.cz/index.php?option=c...mid=56&lang=en

http://lak.lt/index.php?option=com_c...5&Itemi d=140

http://alisport.com/eu/eng/galleryglobal.htm

http://www.gliders-albastar.com/proj...der-as-13-5-m/

http://www.gpgliders.com

http://www.lsa-gliders.com/html/tst-10_atlas.html

I totally agree with you, but one admitted nitpick: when you write "manufactures" you really mean "manufacturers".

On Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 4:58:17 PM UTC-8, DaTruth wrote:
If you can afford a new glider, you can afford to visit the factory.

So, the manufacturer can't be bothered to take a 10 cent photo (if that), but you can be expected to take a week AND spend $5k to go visit them instead? I take it that your profession IS (WAS) NOT marketing.

On Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 10:04:27 PM UTC-5, 2G wrote:
On Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 4:58:17 PM UTC-8, DaTruth wrote:
If you can afford a new glider, you can afford to visit the factory.

So, the manufacturer can't be bothered to take a 10 cent photo (if that), but you can be expected to take a week AND spend $5k to go visit them instead? I take it that your profession IS (WAS) NOT marketing.

But wait... if you can afford a new glider, you can afford to travel to 3 different manufactures in Germany, one in Italy, one in US, one in Poland, and one in Chez.. oh and one in S. Africa.

Hell, if I had that kind of money I would have 3-4 gliders anyway.

I too would like to see more pictures and videos from the manufacturers. On the other hand I'm never going to be in the market for a brand new glider due to lack of money so they're certainly not losing any sales in my case by not having them! I suppose even when they're thinking of real potential customers there probably isn't much urgency in putting resources into marketing when you've got a waiting list for the product.

You have to sit in the glider to know if the cockpit is right for you. Not really something you learn from pictures or videos.
Unsure how you take photos or videos of things that don't exist. Many new gliders are purchased before serial number one is manufactured, every one is custom ordered anyway.
Every glider instrument panel is different. Is that the same for the Ford Focus?
Will Chrysler Corporation let you change a few things here and there in the construction of your new 300? Can you order a different battery system in your Prius? Can you order a new Silverado with interchangeable 6' and 8' beds? Will Subaru let you order white car with beige cloth seats? No cars I've seen can be delivered with the navigation system of your choice.
And if you ask for photographs or drawings of the inside of some parts of your car, will the manufacturer send them along with details on how to do the job you're working on?
I just checked a couple of the glider manufacturers' websites and found some light on imagery, but examples the ASG29 had ample photographs from my perspective and Schempp-Hirth's Wastebook page had videos. The GP14 Velo was documented as you may expect.
Hadn't watched the JS1 Wing Test video in a while. It broke the test rig, good stuff!
Jim

On Monday, March 7, 2016 at 11:36:03 AM UTC-8, JS wrote:

It broke the test rig, good stuff!

I'm not sure I'd fullyt trust the engineering of folks who can't design a simple whiffle tree.

On Monday, March 7, 2016 at 7:48:49 PM UTC, wrote:
On Monday, March 7, 2016 at 11:36:03 AM UTC-8, JS wrote:

It broke the test rig, good stuff!

I'm not sure I'd fullyt trust the engineering of folks who can't design a simple whiffle tree.

The wing failed to break at well past its design limits so they continued and the rig broke. Its the wing engineering that was being tested not the rig.

HPH also has some good images on the website of its UK dealer...
see www.HpHUK.co.uk

Craig

At 19:48 07 March 2016, wrote:
On Monday, March 7, 2016 at 11:36:03 AM UTC-8, JS wrote:

It broke the test rig, good stuff!

I'm not sure I'd fullyt trust the engineering of folks who can't design a
simple whiffle tree.

At 20:09 07 March 2016, wrote:
On Monday, March 7, 2016 at 7:48:49 PM UTC,
wrote:
On Monday, March 7, 2016 at 11:36:03 AM UTC-8, JS wrote:

It broke the test rig, good stuff!

I'm not sure I'd fullyt trust the engineering of folks who can't
design a
simple whiffle tree.

The wing failed to break at well past its design limits so they
continued
and the rig broke. Its the wing engineering that was being tested
not the
rig.

The MOD, after the Grob 103 was issued to the Air Cadets, put one on
the rig. When they had proved the service life they asked the testers to
break the wings. It is said they gave up after they broke the rig 3
times.
Just one other thought, with a waiting list as long as your arm and a
waiting time of over 12 months for some gliders why would anyone
want to spend time and money on marketing?

Just one other thought, with a waiting list as long as your arm and a
waiting time of over 12 months for some gliders why would anyone
want to spend time and money on marketing?

Give me something to look at on cold rainy days while I wish upon a star.