Best Overall Motorglider available today?

kinsell wrote on 10/9/2020 7:47 AM:
Now that this discussion is totally off in the* weeds, I'm wondering what the
conclusion is?



On 9/15/20 11:48 AM, Nick Kennedy wrote:
Didn't want to hijack the current FES tread so I thought I'd start a new one.
This topic came up over dinner a couple of weeks ago.

When you add all the following into a pot and stir, whats the "Best"
Say for Western Great Basin flying.

I think it may be the Carat, but I don't know much about it.
CX thinks its the DG 800 series, but all I know is since he bought that thing
its been a endless battle to keep it running.* But it does climb well.

FACTORS

Reliability
Maintenance required* to keep it running
XC flyability, performance and control feel
Storability
Rigging
Initial cost
High density climb performance
Range
Cockpit layout and seating
Parts availability
Insurance cost
Landing gear complexity
Overall quality
Nick
T


Well, the weeds were interesting at times :^)

I hope Nick will tell us _his_ conclusion, since he asked the question. Given his
list of unprioritized factors, the rest of us can't give him the answer. The
discussion illustrates there are many acceptable choices that you have to rank
using your priorities. It also illustrates how motorgliders have a much wider
appeal than 25 years ago, when I got my ASH26E. Back then, the discussion often
focused on whether they were "real" sailplanes; now it's about "which one should I
get". And some, no longer interested in the "real" sailplane argument, are now
eager to argue where to draw a line between "real" self-launchers and "just"
self-retrievers!

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On Friday, October 9, 2020 at 12:08:08 PM UTC-6, Eric Greenwell wrote:
kinsell wrote on 10/9/2020 7:47 AM:
Now that this discussion is totally off in the weeds, I'm wondering what the
conclusion is?



On 9/15/20 11:48 AM, Nick Kennedy wrote:
Didn't want to hijack the current FES tread so I thought I'd start a new one.
This topic came up over dinner a couple of weeks ago.

When you add all the following into a pot and stir, whats the "Best"
Say for Western Great Basin flying.

I think it may be the Carat, but I don't know much about it.
CX thinks its the DG 800 series, but all I know is since he bought that thing
its been a endless battle to keep it running. But it does climb well.

FACTORS

Reliability
Maintenance required to keep it running
XC flyability, performance and control feel
Storability
Rigging
Initial cost
High density climb performance
Range
Cockpit layout and seating
Parts availability
Insurance cost
Landing gear complexity
Overall quality
Nick
T


Well, the weeds were interesting at times :^)

Thank you to all that replied to this thread!
Given the above criteria I think probably the best value is the ASH 26E.
They seen to be fairly reliable, go great, service is available.
But a JFitch pointed out these things are expensive, by any benchmark.
Best Regards
Nick
T

What are the issues people are finding with the 31? I talked to a couple of owners that didn't like them and then moved on but never understood what the issues were.
Darren

Darren
I don't know but one of them might be a spouse who is ****ed at a .25 mil asset that sits unused 95-98% of the time.
Nick
T

On Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 1:48:13 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Didn't want to hijack the current FES tread so I thought I'd start a new one.
This topic came up over dinner a couple of weeks ago.

When you add all the following into a pot and stir, whats the "Best"
Say for Western Great Basin flying.

I think it may be the Carat, but I don't know much about it.
CX thinks its the DG 800 series, but all I know is since he bought that thing its been a endless battle to keep it running. But it does climb well.

FACTORS

Reliability
Maintenance required to keep it running
XC flyability, performance and control feel
Storability
Rigging
Initial cost
High density climb performance
Range
Cockpit layout and seating
Parts availability
Insurance cost
Landing gear complexity
Overall quality
Nick
T

Best answer...a sailplane someone else owns, insures and maintains that does what you need...but you can still fly when you want.....

On Sunday, October 11, 2020 at 8:03:57 PM UTC-6, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
Ramy
I've tied down next to RV with his Antares in Ephrata a couple of years now.
He ties it on the ramp and has a very small Honda generator to charge it back up. The generator is very small and quiet, you can barely hear it running. If your out on the road I think this is how your going to charge your electric glider.
He loves the way that Antares's flys, he does not love the lack of factory support and all the problems he's had with the power unit's various components.
I'm sure Nadler could write a small book on the Antares problems.
It looks to me that the manufacture's can get the glider right, the electric propulsion system, not so much.
The AS34 looks good on paper, its such a huge claim of power I wonder if it is possible, and rigging those things day in day out with those heavy wings, and when your flying and run out of amps, your still heavy.
You show up at Tonopah at 9 am and you've got to rig by yourself, it might be a challenge, your not 29 years old any more.
Personally I've always wondered why you did not transition to a ASH 26E a long time ago.
I would think it would have matched your style.
Nick
T

Not to hijack this interesting thread either, but for anyone who is leaning towards getting in to a self-launcher, I just listed my DG-400 on wings and wheels.
It is serial# 104, built in 1984. I flew it this past season and am upgrading to a Schleicher self-launcher.

Henry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8lBpVfIGX0

On Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 10:48:13 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Didn't want to hijack the current FES tread so I thought I'd start a new one.
This topic came up over dinner a couple of weeks ago.

When you add all the following into a pot and stir, whats the "Best"
Say for Western Great Basin flying.

I think it may be the Carat, but I don't know much about it.
CX thinks its the DG 800 series, but all I know is since he bought that thing its been a endless battle to keep it running. But it does climb well.

FACTORS

Reliability
Maintenance required to keep it running
XC flyability, performance and control feel
Storability
Rigging
Initial cost
High density climb performance
Range
Cockpit layout and seating
Parts availability
Insurance cost
Landing gear complexity
Overall quality
Nick
T