Open Class

On Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 1:49:46 AM UTC-5, Bruce Hoult wrote:
On Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 5:09:07 PM UTC+13, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Friday, February 13, 2015 at 9:49:02 PM UTC-8, Bruce Hoult wrote:

...but they lose badly to the new thin airfoils at high speed...

It's kind of a nitpick, but there's really nothing new about thin airfoils. What has changed in the last decade and a half is the cost-effectiveness of the structure required to implement them in competitive sailplanes.

Sure, carbon spars enabled them.

Spars AND skins. Torsional stiffness is a big consideration in these structures.
UH

I owned a Jantar-1 many years ago. From the weight of each wing panel, I surmise that the main spar was a steel girder, probably a recycled railway line. Modern technology enables thinner, lighter, stronger structures (and no steel girders!)

Mike

On Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 4:04:19 PM UTC-5, Mike the Strike wrote:
I owned a Jantar-1 many years ago. From the weight of each wing panel, I surmise that the main spar was a steel girder, probably a recycled railway line. Modern technology enables thinner, lighter, stronger structures (and no steel girders!)

Mike

Ever rig a Diamant 16.5? The list of who has done it once is long, the list for twice+ is VERY short....
I'm on the short list (used to crew for pay & food...)

Steve Leonard: When it comes to glider wings how much cumulative span do you own right now? :-)

The newer ships going to shorter wings and the advantages and disadvantages of doing so is something that fascinates me. Mind you, with the amount of money I have it's not something that will have any relevance to my buying decisions unless I win a lottery! Someday I hope to move from 15 meters to 20 meters by replacing my ASW-15 with an ASW-17 but that's about as far as I'm ever likely to be able to go.

The newer ships have a higher minumum circling speed and therefore need a
slightly higher level of skill to maximise climb rate but they go better at
high speeds. This statement has been true since the 1930's

At 09:01 24 February 2015, wrote:
Steve Leonard: When it comes to glider wings how much cumulative span do
yo=
u own right now? :-)

The newer ships going to shorter wings and the advantages and
disadvantages=
of doing so is something that fascinates me. Mind you, with the amount
of
=
money I have it's not something that will have any relevance to my buying
d=
ecisions unless I win a lottery! Someday I hope to move from 15 meters to
2=
0 meters by replacing my ASW-15 with an ASW-17 but that's about as far as
I=
'm ever likely to be able to go.

Ah, skill, that sets the cat among the pigeons.

Where can I buy that and is there a preferred supplier?


On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 7:00:05 AM UTC-5, Chris Rollings wrote:
The newer ships have a higher minumum circling speed and therefore need a
slightly higher level of skill to maximise climb rate but they go better at
high speeds. This statement has been true since the 1930's

At 09:01 24 February 2015, wrote:
Steve Leonard: When it comes to glider wings how much cumulative span do
yo=
u own right now? :-)

The newer ships going to shorter wings and the advantages and
disadvantages=
of doing so is something that fascinates me. Mind you, with the amount
of
=
money I have it's not something that will have any relevance to my buying
d=
ecisions unless I win a lottery! Someday I hope to move from 15 meters to
2=
0 meters by replacing my ASW-15 with an ASW-17 but that's about as far as
I=
'm ever likely to be able to go.




On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 7:00:05 AM UTC-5, Chris Rollings wrote:
The newer ships have a higher minumum circling speed and therefore need a
slightly higher level of skill to maximise climb rate but they go better at
high speeds. This statement has been true since the 1930's

At 09:01 24 February 2015, wrote:
Steve Leonard: When it comes to glider wings how much cumulative span do
yo=
u own right now? :-)

The newer ships going to shorter wings and the advantages and
disadvantages=
of doing so is something that fascinates me. Mind you, with the amount
of
=
money I have it's not something that will have any relevance to my buying
d=
ecisions unless I win a lottery! Someday I hope to move from 15 meters to
2=
0 meters by replacing my ASW-15 with an ASW-17 but that's about as far as
I=
'm ever likely to be able to go.

Your namesake was one of the best suppliers in the World, sadly, no longer
with us.

At 14:41 24 February 2015, Andy Gough wrote:

Ah, skill, that sets the cat among the pigeons.

Where can I buy that and is there a preferred supplier?


On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 7:00:05 AM UTC-5, Chris Rollings wrote:
The newer ships have a higher minumum circling speed and therefore need
a
slightly higher level of skill to maximise climb rate but they go
better
at
high speeds. This statement has been true since the 1930's

At 09:01 24 February 2015, wrote:
Steve Leonard: When it comes to glider wings how much cumulative span
do
yo=
u own right now? :-)

The newer ships going to shorter wings and the advantages and
disadvantages=
of doing so is something that fascinates me. Mind you, with the
amount
of
=
money I have it's not something that will have any relevance to my
buying
d=
ecisions unless I win a lottery! Someday I hope to move from 15 meters
to
2=
0 meters by replacing my ASW-15 with an ASW-17 but that's about as far
as
I=
'm ever likely to be able to go.




On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 7:00:05 AM UTC-5, Chris Rollings wrote:
The newer ships have a higher minumum circling speed and therefore need
a
slightly higher level of skill to maximise climb rate but they go
better
at
high speeds. This statement has been true since the 1930's

At 09:01 24 February 2015, wrote:
Steve Leonard: When it comes to glider wings how much cumulative span
do
yo=
u own right now? :-)

The newer ships going to shorter wings and the advantages and
disadvantages=
of doing so is something that fascinates me. Mind you, with the
amount
of
=
money I have it's not something that will have any relevance to my
buying
d=
ecisions unless I win a lottery! Someday I hope to move from 15 meters
to
2=
0 meters by replacing my ASW-15 with an ASW-17 but that's about as far
as
I=
'm ever likely to be able to go.

At 14:41 24 February 2015,

Andy Gough wrote:
Ah, skill, that sets the cat among the pigeons.
Where can I buy that and is there a preferred supplier?

Check your DNA . . Cheers Jock