UK Gliders

Where's the UK Glider industry?

All gone to Slovakia?



Jack

At 04:48 14 June 2006, Jack wrote:
Where's the UK Glider industry?

All gone to Slovakia?



Jack

Elliots of Newbury make fine furniture and Slingsby's
try and fulfil the wishes of the UK government which
changes all the time :-)

Hmmm....

Where are you headed with this, Jack..?

There hasn't been a UK glider industry in 30 years.

;o)


At 04:48 14 June 2006, Jack wrote:
Where's the UK Glider industry?

All gone to Slovakia?



Jack

Al Eddie wrote:
Hmmm....

Where are you headed with this, Jack..?

There hasn't been a UK glider industry in 30 years.

Too bad. I was hoping there was some action I hadn't heard about.

At least the US has a couple of shoe-string operations which may come to
something, some day. I'd like to see a successful affordable American
two-seater. No reason why we couldn't build something like the ASK21 to
take over the club trainer role.


Jack
buy American
------------

At 04:48 14 June 2006, Jack wrote:
Where's the UK Glider industry?

All gone to Slovakia?



Jack

"Al Eddie" wrote in message
...
Hmmm....

Where are you headed with this, Jack..?

There hasn't been a UK glider industry in 30 years.

;o)


I thought that there was a new glider under development somewhere in north
Devon a couple of years ago?

Keith

At 07:36 14 June 2006, Don Johnstone wrote:
At 04:48 14 June 2006, Jack wrote:
Where's the UK Glider industry?

All gone to Slovakia?

Elliots of Newbury make fine furniture and Slingsby's
try and fulfil the wishes of the UK government which
changes all the time :-)

Are you sure that Elliotts of Newbury are still trading
Don? I can't find them in the phone book, or on the
internet unless it includes references to obsolete
glider types.

Derek Copeland

I think you may be referring to a prototype K-18 lookalike
that appeared a few years ago, cobbled together, I
beleive, by the same outfit that produced the Edgley
Optica. One of it's USPs was that it was skinned with
the same lightweight material used for airliner cabin
flooring. Hmmm....

I think the project was funded by a Millenium grant,
or some such scam, much the same as the Greenwich Dome
and, to my knowledge, it never took any orders.

To be fair though, and to his credit, Derek Piggot
flew it with some success in the UK Club Class Nationals
during testing.

Hardly an 'industry' though....

;o)

At 09:48 14 June 2006, Keith W wrote:

'Al Eddie' wrote in message
...
Hmmm....

Where are you headed with this, Jack..?

There hasn't been a UK glider industry in 30 years.

;o)


I thought that there was a new glider under development
somewhere in north
Devon a couple of years ago?

Keith

I believe the glider you refer to was made out of 'Fibrelam',
which is the same stuff as airliner floors, and was
built at Old Sarum airfield near Salisbury, if that
counts as the West Country. Its official name was the
Edgley Optomist, although it was painted green and
acquired the nickname of 'The Flying Cucumber'. Derek
Piggott certainly flew it to a class win in the Lasham
Regionals, but I am not so sure about the Club Class
Nationals.

Only one prototype was built. The problem was that
it would have cost far more than a good secondhand
'club class' glider to produce, but with less performance.
Still at least somebody tried!

Derek Copeland

At 17:24 14 June 2006, Al Eddie wrote:
I think you may be referring to a prototype K-18 lookalike
that appeared a few years ago, cobbled together, I
beleive, by the same outfit that produced the Edgley
Optica. One of it's USPs was that it was skinned with
the same lightweight material used for airliner cabin
flooring. Hmmm....

I think the project was funded by a Millenium grant,
or some such scam, much the same as the Greenwich Dome
and, to my knowledge, it never took any orders.

To be fair though, and to his credit, Derek Piggot
flew it with some success in the UK Club Class Nationals
during testing.

Hardly an 'industry' though....

Frank Whiteley wrote:
Polish American lineage
http://www.peregrinesailplane.com

Not sure of the current state of production, but $50K is affordable.
Not a K-21 or PW-6, but a whole lot better in the back seat than a
2-33.

Possibly. Know anyone who's actually flown one?


Jack

Know anyone who's actually flown one?

Montreal Soaring Club operated three Krosno for several years.
They could answer any questions.
--
Charles