Kestrel 19 info wanted.

Hi all

Anybody got any links to a Kestrel 19 T59D owner group,pages etc?

I have obtained a broken one for a long term project and want to obtain any info that is available re parts, mods and drawings.

I remember from somewhere talk of a one piece canopy ala DG mod.

Any info much appreciated.

E-mail me at p_buchanan(at)rocketmail.com

Cheers

Paul

Hi Paul,

I own a T.59D (1789) and love it A bit heavy to rig, but it handles my size and weight.

There is a Yahoo! group called "Kestrel401" that caters to the Kestrel crowd. It's not very active, but the people are fairly decent and responsive. You'll find the various approved mods there, as well as the TNs and ADs (there are 2 annual-check ADs). The PoH is also there. The various mods were designed by the factory as they went through series production (there are 4 series), including enlarging the rudder and adding an anti-balance tab to the elevator (standard in series 2 and later). There was one (two?) modified to have a double-panel spoiler, but it wasn't approved for general use and apparently didn't do much except make more noise.

Some support for the type is available through Glasfaser at www.streifly.de.. Slingsby is now known as Slingsby Advanced Composites and has various drawings for the Kestrel... at a price.

The Kestrel has no life limits, it's "on condition" for everything, although the rudder actuator has a slight design flaw (annual AD to check the weld joints: any cracks and it's to be replaced... not sure if there are any replacements available).

There are a few other Kestrel owners that follow r.a.s. so others may chime in.

Good luck getting your Kestrel back into the air!

- John

At 22:29 27 May 2018, C-FFKQ 42 wrote:
Hi Paul,

I own a T.59D (1789) and love it A bit heavy to rig,
but it handles my
=
size and weight.

There is a Yahoo! group called "Kestrel401" that caters
to the Kestrel
crow=
d. It's not very active, but the people are fairly decent
and responsive.
=
You'll find the various approved mods there, as well as
the TNs and ADs
(t=
here are 2 annual-check ADs). The PoH is also there.
The various mods
wer=
e designed by the factory as they went through series
production (there
are=
4 series), including enlarging the rudder and adding an
anti-balance tab
t=
o the elevator (standard in series 2 and later). There
was one (two?)
modi=
fied to have a double-panel spoiler, but it wasn't
approved for general
use=
and apparently didn't do much except make more
noise.

Some support for the type is available through
Glasfaser at
www.streifly.de=
.. Slingsby is now known as Slingsby Advanced
Composites and has various
dr=
awings for the Kestrel... at a price.

The Kestrel has no life limits, it's "on condition" for
everything,
althoug=
h the rudder actuator has a slight design flaw (annual
AD to check the
weld=
joints: any cracks and it's to be replaced... not sure if
there are any
re=
placements available).

There are a few other Kestrel owners that follow r.a.s.
so others may
chime=
in.

Good luck getting your Kestrel back into the air!

- John

G-DCTL has a one piece canopy.

"modified to have a double-panel spoiler, but it wasn't approved for general use and apparently didn't do much except make more noise"

Is more airbrake really needed on a Kestrel? I've never had a chance to fly one but seriously considered buying one several years ago and the pilots I talked to who had flown them seemed to think the brakes were fine and the landing flap setting made it even easier to do a steep approach - and then if you still needed more you could deploy the chute. Everyone who I talked to loved the ship.

One peculiarity of the Slingsby Kestrel, at least as certified in Canada, that I remember from that research is that a parachute, specifically a "back type parachute" is listed on the TCDS as required equipment. I've never seen that on any other glider. The German ships all seem to include a back type parachute or a back cushion of a specified thickness as required equipment but the Slingsby TCDS just flat out says you've got to carry a parachute.. I wonder if it was a typo that no one caught back in the early 70's when they were certifying it in Canada.

On Monday, 28 May 2018 02:51:06 UTC-4, wrote:
Is more airbrake really needed on a Kestrel? I've never had a chance to fly...

YES. Even the PoH mentions that the airbrakes aren't very effective! At best, they add about 1.5 kt of sink on my ship.

There are 35-degree landing flaps and, if needed, the drogue chute (I practice with it at my home field); the airbrakes are used to fine-tune the approach. Lots of planning and adjusting in the circuit to make a decent approach.

The brakes on the Kestrel are too far back on the wing to be very effective.
The Slingsby Kestrels had poor sutface accuracy too, thats why the extra 2 meters of wing only improved the LD by one point.
The ultimate ineffective use of span.

On 2018/05/29 02:16, wrote:
The brakes on the Kestrel are too far back on the wing to be very effective.
The Slingsby Kestrels had poor sutface accuracy too, thats why the extra 2 meters of wing only improved the LD by one point.
The ultimate ineffective use of span.

If you reprofile the wings accurately and clean things up the glide does
improve. But it is still an old airfoil, so don't expect wonders. I
measured best glide at ~1:45 (after reprofile and adding with winglets.)

Still a wonderful aircraft. Comfortable, good handling predictable and
strong as a a house.

The one piece canopy is a DG200 unit. The complete kit is available from
Striefenedder - but seriously expensive.

As mentioned before - the airbrakes are not the most effective. But the
landing flaps work well, and like any open class glider, energy
management in the pattern is important. With full landing flap, full
airbrakes and the drogue chute out - if you can see it over your toes,
you probably can't reach it.
Too fast and it will float forever.

Jokes aside - the approach is very steep once the drag chute is out, but
I have only ever practiced a couple of times with it. The landing flaps
are enough...

I contacted Striefeneder about this a couple of years ago, they told me they no longer supply this mod.

On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 1:17:11 AM UTC-6, BruceGreeff wrote:
On 2018/05/29 02:16, wrote:
The brakes on the Kestrel are too far back on the wing to be very effective.
The Slingsby Kestrels had poor sutface accuracy too, thats why the extra 2 meters of wing only improved the LD by one point.
The ultimate ineffective use of span.

If you reprofile the wings accurately and clean things up the glide does
improve. But it is still an old airfoil, so don't expect wonders. I
measured best glide at ~1:45 (after reprofile and adding with winglets.)

Still a wonderful aircraft. Comfortable, good handling predictable and
strong as a a house.

The one piece canopy is a DG200 unit. The complete kit is available from
Striefenedder - but seriously expensive.

As mentioned before - the airbrakes are not the most effective. But the
landing flaps work well, and like any open class glider, energy
management in the pattern is important. With full landing flap, full
airbrakes and the drogue chute out - if you can see it over your toes,
you probably can't reach it.
Too fast and it will float forever.

Jokes aside - the approach is very steep once the drag chute is out, but
I have only ever practiced a couple of times with it. The landing flaps
are enough...

If left out overnight, dew may run down rudder and get the drogue chute wet thus is may freeze solid in before or in flight, depending on the location and season. Sealing it with tape overnight, or removing it and reinstalling before flight will avoid this.

Applies to all gliders with drogue chutes.

Frank Whiteley

Should be better than 45 after reprofiling, my 17m DG200, same airfoil is 45 factory, the 17m kestrel was 43, and the 19m was 44.