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Ka-8b



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 2nd 15, 04:44 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Ryan Wubben
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Posts: 12
Default Ka-8b

After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring, although
I've
been an active power pilot and have owned a variety of airplanes.

I used to own a Ka-6, but am thinking of a a Ka-8b that is coming up for
sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?

Things to watch out for?
Difficulty rigging?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison

  #2  
Old October 2nd 15, 04:58 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Dave Nadler
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Posts: 1,610
Default Ka-8b

On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 11:45:46 AM UTC-4, Ryan Wubben wrote:
After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring, although I've
been an active power pilot and have owned a variety of airplanes.

I used to own a Ka-6, but am thinking of a a Ka-8b that is coming up for sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?

Things to watch out for?
Difficulty rigging?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison


These are getting pretty old - get a *really* good inspection.
Especially glue joints!
One of these lost a chunk of wing in flight a few years back
due to deteriorated glue (landed safely but yikes).

Enjoy,
Best Regards, Dave

  #3  
Old October 2nd 15, 05:01 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Ryan Wubben
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12
Default Ka-8b

At 15:58 02 October 2015, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 11:45:46 AM UTC-4, Ryan Wubben wrote:
After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring,

although I've
been an active power pilot and have owned a variety of airplanes.

I used to own a Ka-6, but am thinking of a a Ka-8b that is coming up

for
sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?

Things to watch out for?
Difficulty rigging?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison


These are getting pretty old - get a *really* good inspection.
Especially glue joints!
One of these lost a chunk of wing in flight a few years back
due to deteriorated glue (landed safely but yikes).

Enjoy,
Best Regards, Dave



This particular one has had a full BGA type inspection by Chad Wille.

Ryan

  #4  
Old October 2nd 15, 05:05 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Ryan Wubben
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12
Default Ka-8b

At 15:58 02 October 2015, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 11:45:46 AM UTC-4, Ryan Wubben wrote:
After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring,

although I've
been an active power pilot and have owned a variety of airplanes.

I used to own a Ka-6, but am thinking of a a Ka-8b that is coming up

for
sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?

Things to watch out for?
Difficulty rigging?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison


These are getting pretty old - get a *really* good inspection.
Especially glue joints!
One of these lost a chunk of wing in flight a few years back
due to deteriorated glue (landed safely but yikes).

Enjoy,
Best Regards, Dave



This particular one has had a full BGA type inspection by Chad Wille.

Ryan

  #5  
Old October 2nd 15, 05:39 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Richard[_13_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Ka-8b

Ryan Wubben wrote in news:d4yPx.1889$wu1.1402
@fx03.fr7:

At 15:58 02 October 2015, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 11:45:46 AM UTC-4, Ryan Wubben wrote:
After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring,

although I've
been an active power pilot and have owned a variety of airplanes.

I used to own a Ka-6, but am thinking of a a Ka-8b that is coming up

for
sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?

Things to watch out for?
Difficulty rigging?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison


These are getting pretty old - get a *really* good inspection.
Especially glue joints!
One of these lost a chunk of wing in flight a few years back
due to deteriorated glue (landed safely but yikes).

Enjoy,
Best Regards, Dave



This particular one has had a full BGA type inspection by Chad Wille.

Ryan



Lovely old gliders - you can thermal them on a mosquito fart !

Richard
  #6  
Old October 2nd 15, 06:23 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Tom[_20_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Ka-8b

Ryan Wubben wrote:

[...] thinking of a Ka-8b that is coming up for sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?


A lovely glider, utterly viceless and soars on a breath. It
doesn't penetrate very well into wind, so cross-country
ambitions need to be modest (though Karl Striedieck did
a 767km out-and-return in one).

Things to watch out for?


I can't think of anything other than the glue and the state
of its trailer.

Difficulty rigging?


Not at all.
  #7  
Old October 2nd 15, 10:58 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Tony[_5_]
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Posts: 1,965
Default Ka-8b

Of its the one that John Hardy used to own that is now in Reno, I think you should get it. That's a really nice Ka8 with a good trailer. John pulled KT to a lot of Vintage rallies.
  #8  
Old October 2nd 15, 11:13 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 463
Default Ka-8b

On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 10:45:46 AM UTC-5, Ryan Wubben wrote:
After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring, although
I've
been an active power pilot and have owned a variety of airplanes.

I used to own a Ka-6, but am thinking of a a Ka-8b that is coming up for
sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?

Things to watch out for?
Difficulty rigging?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison


Ryan, great to see you found your way back into soaring. Regarding the Ka-8, I made my 50 km private license flight in one in Germany back in 1981. It was an old glider then that I barely fit into and getting to the next thermal was a bit difficult. Don't get one, it will be frustrating seeing your buddies doing 180 mi while you land at a nearby field. Buy a used fiberglass ship like an ASW-20 or similar and find out about the freedom of movement they allow.
Herb in Chicago
  #9  
Old October 4th 15, 11:17 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Eric Munk
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 179
Default Ka-8b

Lovely glider. I have owned a fair few of them in the past. X-country is
possible, but slow, of course. But they are a cheap and delightful way to
fly.

Glue issues have been mentioned. They tend to be more profound on kit-built
gliders, gliders that have seen little maintenance and lots of outdoors
use, and the pre 1964/65 examples for some reason. A full BGA-inspection
would be a very big plus.

Other things to watch for:
- Cracks in the lower rudder hinge flanges that bolt it to the vertical
spar
- Corrosion on/in the lower fuselage tube, especially around the tail skis
and at the Y-joint behind the wheel
- Disbonding of the joint attaching the root D-nose of the elevator to the
elevator D-nose skins (there's a three-yearly mandatory AD on this)
- Symmetry of the elevator drive in the fuselage (base of the vertical
stabilizer), there's a yearly AD on this
- Welds on the middle elevator attachment hinge (three-yearly AD)
- Play on the front and aft fuselage-to-wings pins
- Cracks in the welds of the rudder pedals (hinge tube to vertical tube)

Sounds like a long list, but it is not. Very durable glider. Enjoy!

  #10  
Old October 4th 15, 03:51 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 463
Default Ka-8b

On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 5:13:33 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 10:45:46 AM UTC-5, Ryan Wubben wrote:
After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring, although
I've
been an active power pilot and have owned a variety of airplanes.

I used to own a Ka-6, but am thinking of a a Ka-8b that is coming up for
sale.
Any thoughts on the Ka-8?

Things to watch out for?
Difficulty rigging?

Thanks,
Ryan in Madison


Ryan, great to see you found your way back into soaring. Regarding the Ka-8, I made my 50 km private license flight in one in Germany back in 1981. It was an old glider then that I barely fit into and getting to the next thermal was a bit difficult. Don't get one, it will be frustrating seeing your buddies doing 180 mi while you land at a nearby field. Buy a used fiberglass ship like an ASW-20 or similar and find out about the freedom of movement they allow.
Herb in Chicago


Ryan, if memory serves me right, you reported at one time of a trip you took with your wife to Iceland. You then posted pictures of a Ka-8 and other gliders that you found there at the only glider club they have. That turned out to be the glider I did my Silver C in back in Germany at the Luftsportverein Hameln, we sold it to Iceland. Do you really want to operate such an ancient glider? Modern soaring is about going x-country, traveling to soaring sites in the East and West (forget the stinkin' prairie). The Ka-8 will comply but do that somehow fast only if you head down-wind.
 




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