Wood glider outdoor storage

Long time ago saw the result of leaving a wooden glider outside in
the weather for considerable time, in covers. Water got into the
airbrakes box damaging spar longerons. Wing folded on take off.
Don’t leave a wooden glider outside in the weather please.

At 18:39 08 July 2020, Sky Surfer wrote:
Random question (kinda): Can an all-wood homebuilt glider be
tied down
out=
side year-round in a dry climate (e.g., Colorado) and be
weather-protected
=
by padded covers? The glider's plywood skin is covered by a
layer of thin
=
fiberglass, then painted. I guess I'm asking for actual
experience or
know=
ledge from anyone who has sucessfully done so. The glider's
owner would
be=
willing to periodically remove/dry-out/put back the covers after
rain/snow=
/hail, etc. Being assembled and tied down is the only practical
way this
p=
articular glider would be flown.=20

On Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 4:30:05 AM UTC-4, Eric Munk wrote:
Long time ago saw the result of leaving a wooden glider outside in
the weather for considerable time, in covers. Water got into the
airbrakes box damaging spar longerons. Wing folded on take off.
Don’t leave a wooden glider outside in the weather please.

At 18:39 08 July 2020, Sky Surfer wrote:
Random question (kinda): Can an all-wood homebuilt glider be
tied down
out=
side year-round in a dry climate (e.g., Colorado) and be
weather-protected
=
by padded covers? The glider's plywood skin is covered by a
layer of thin
=
fiberglass, then painted. I guess I'm asking for actual
experience or
know=
ledge from anyone who has sucessfully done so. The glider's
owner would
be=
willing to periodically remove/dry-out/put back the covers after
rain/snow=
/hail, etc. Being assembled and tied down is the only practical
way this
p=
articular glider would be flown.=20


I saw a Duster stored derigged inside a reasonably rain-tight hangar in PA for many years. Even under these seemingly benign conditions, the annual changes in temperature and humidity did a number on the plywood! It started to delaminate all over the place. I would have not stood under the wing had it been rigged let alone flown it no matter how desperate I needed a glider-fix!
Wooden gliders need to be taken care of by storing them in a dry and somewhat humidity controlled place.

Uli
'AS'