Kestrel DG200 canopy mod.

On Friday, November 15, 2019 at 1:29:43 PM UTC-8, Charlie Quebec wrote:
The first thing you need to do if you want a 19m go well is check the profile accuracy, Slingsby never managed to get it as good as the Germans. That’s why the 10 gained only one L/D point after adding 2 meters. Striefeneder used to do the canopy mod, but when I asked them said it was too expensive to be worthwhile, I’ve got a photo somewhere of one that was done, and it looks great. It won’t give you any better performance though.
In the UK several have been legally modified to 20M span. A slingsby Vega canopy fits exactly, as the front was from the Kestrel. Just a canopy frame and bubble without labour will be well more than you have budgeted.

I am having the fairing looked at, agreeing with you wholeheartedly. I am trying to put off doing paint and fiberglass work as long as I can--with the fiberglass being one of the birds better features.

Did people find the 20M mod worth the effort and expense??? I know lugging around 19M wings at close to 120 pounds a piece is going to get old.

Please do tell me more about where I can get a Vega Canopy--wanting to add six inches to the bubble, so I fit, being close to seven feet tall and 279 pounds. If I can get the attaching hardware--I will blow the bubble myself--so I was discounting the price, doing what I have skills to do.

Biggest thing for me, since I am updating the canopy anyway is to make egress and entry much more easy.

Thinking winglets offer the longer wing aspects, with many desirable traits having them. At 20M of wing, not sure there is much advantage left for winglets.