Typical glider service lives?

I noticed the SZD-55 has a service life of only 3,000 hrs with a possible 1,500 hr extension. Is this typical of other modern ships like the Discus, Ventus, LS, DG series etc??

I think it’s pretty typical. My ASW-15 just completed it’s 3,000 hour inspection and is good until 6,000 hours. Given my typical utilization (50 hours a year if i’m Lucky) it’s unlikely to need another life extension inspection during my lifetime.

There are a couple of Janus flying round in France somewhere that as far as I am aware are allowed to go to 18,000 hours. 12,000 hour check done, extended for another 6,000. Not bad value for money if you intend on flying a lot

Do Schempp-Hirth and Schleicher published approved service life numbers somewhere on their websites? I can’t find them.

At 19:58 22 November 2018, Ross wrote:
There are a couple of Janus flying round in France somewhere
that as far as
I am aware are allowed to go to 18,000 hours. 12,000 hour
check done,
extended for another 6,000. Not bad value for money if you
intend on flying
a lot

As far as the tc-holder is concerned the max is 12000 hours for
any Schempp-Hirth glider. I would say you have the 18000
confused with the ASK-21 which is the only German built GFRP
glider certified for more than 12000 hours currently.

On Thursday, November 22, 2018 at 1:21:08 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I noticed the SZD-55 has a service life of only 3,000 hrs with a possible 1,500 hr extension. Is this typical of other modern ships like the Discus, Ventus, LS, DG series etc??


Not accurate information. Service Bulletin BE-012/55-1/2012 extends the service life of the SZD-55-1 to 12,000 hours (from 3,000). It requires periodic inspections every 1,500 hours with the results sent to the Type Certificate Holder (TCH) who responds with a life extension for the next 1,500 hours, up to 12,000 hours), some FM and TSM pages changes.

In the preamble, in part:
"To extend the life-limit of an airframe of SZD-55-1 / SZD-55-1XM the Allstar PZL Glider (TCH) has completed the actions as follows:
- precise check of four gliders S/N 551193056, 551190005, 551191010
& 551192042, respectively after 2908, 3341, 2978 & 2963 FH TT (total time);
- fatigue characteristic of SZD-55-1 airframe structure;
- fatigue test of wing connection’s node."

A copy of the SB is on the SZD-55 Yahoo group, which I moderate.

Dan
2D (551190001 - still a baby at 1,006 hrs)

Well then!! Thanks Dan!!

Schempp-Hirth gliders have a 6000 hr limit before the first inspection, and if IRRC, all Schleicher gliders have a 3000 hr limit before the first inspection.

They can typically be extended out to 12,000 or 18,000 hours with recurring inspections.

However, since most privately-owned gliders tend to fly 100-200 hours per year a 12,000 hour life gives a 60-120 year period. Even a club or commercial glider that flies 500 hours a year still gets 24 years.

Big picture, life limits are not a problem for most gliders or owners.

FRP structure has no practical service life. Manufacturers approve more hours as fleet ages, at least those who are still in business. There is no reason to ground glider at 12/18000 hours, same inspection program always gives you another 1500/3000/6000 hrs.

There's a difference between what is technically possible and what is legally allowed. There's an interesting read in the "Schleicher-book": before the 18,000h lifetime extension on the ASK21 was approved, a wing was tested in a fatigue evaluation program. This program received public funding by the German government. The intention was to get approval for 24,000h, but the program was running out of funds before that was accomplished. So far, the ASK21 is the only German FRP-glider with 18,000h service life.