Antares 23 vs JS-1

Just wondering what happened to the Quintus and Antares 23 in the open class competitions around the globe. At the WGC in Uvalde both the Quintus and Antares were highly anticipated, with a pilot flying the Quintus winning the contest. Now the JS-1 at 21 meters seems to be the glider if you are going to race open class and want to win. Is it money, convenience or performance? I rarely see even an EB-29 in the open class competitions. What is the best open class glider and why?

On Saturday, October 1, 2016 at 7:54:39 PM UTC+1, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Just wondering what happened to the Quintus and Antares 23 in the open class competitions around the globe. At the WGC in Uvalde both the Quintus and Antares were highly anticipated, with a pilot flying the Quintus winning the contest. Now the JS-1 at 21 meters seems to be the glider if you are going to race open class and want to win. Is it money, convenience or performance? I rarely see even an EB-29 in the open class competitions. What is the best open class glider and why?


As far as I know Lange haven't been building the Antares 23/Quintus main wing panels for a while.

If you have are prepared put up with the cost, size, weight, self launching engine maintenance, and ground handling etc of an EB29 and can fly like Michael Sommer then that would be the one to go for as the Open Class rules allow for wing span changes during a contest and the so you can have a shorter (still long!)span extremely high wing loading for the strong weather or a very long span lower wing loading glider for the weaker days.

Or save a lot of money and hassle and get as near as dammit the same cross country performance and lovely handling with a JS1c 21m.

At 20:58 01 October 2016, wrote:
As far as I know Lange haven't been building the Antares 23/Quintus
main wing panels for a while.


Incorrect.
Lange builds and delivers Antares 23 E and T
AFAIK, the Quintus needs to complete certification before S-H can produce
more of this model.

On 10/1/2016 12:54 PM, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Just wondering[...]
What is the best open class glider and why?

Whichever one you can afford!!! And that's why.

Sorry - couldn't resist, after a day of mixing and pouring concrete.

Bob W.

On Saturday, 1 October 2016 21:54:39 UTC+3, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Just wondering what happened to the Quintus and Antares 23 in the open class competitions around the globe. At the WGC in Uvalde both the Quintus and Antares were highly anticipated, with a pilot flying the Quintus winning the contest. Now the JS-1 at 21 meters seems to be the glider if you are going to race open class and want to win. Is it money, convenience or performance? I rarely see even an EB-29 in the open class competitions. What is the best open class glider and why?

If you mean one you can buy, my (and many others') guess is EB29R. It has latest wing profiles and aerodynamics, combined with large span and still very high wingloading (for those who need it). It most likely have an edge in low speeds/thermalling/best ld, and looses nothing at high speeds.

I thought perhaps I could generate a discussion on the merits and de-merits of the current open class gliders. I used to fly open class but now I am happy at 18 meters, but still....

On Sunday, October 2, 2016 at 7:15:06 AM UTC-7, krasw wrote:


If you mean one you can buy, my (and many others') guess is EB29R. It has latest wing profiles and aerodynamics, combined with large span and still very high wingloading (for those who need it). It most likely have an edge in low speeds/thermalling/best ld, and looses nothing at high speeds.

The Antares 23E and T are in current production and the factory has been producing about a glider a month -both Antares 20 and 23 models. The 23Es have been selling well and there is only one Antares 23 position left available in 2017. The European charter companies have been buying them and using them with great success in Bitterwasse and Kiripotib. The performance of the glider has produced many 1000km flights and the reliability of the Lange electric dive system is unmatched.

As for building Quintus wings, from what I understand with the EASA certification rules the manufacturer can only build 15 aircraft before the model need to be fully certified. Lange built and delivered 15 sets of wings.

As for competition, Peter Harvey wrote a short story about flying the Antares 23 at the Worlds in Uvalde. Keep in mind he had not flown the aircraft before it's arrival to TX. He said " I am convinced the Antares held an advantage above 200kph over everything. Indeed, with three day wins, a 2nd and a 3rd place, during 7508km of flown tasks (in addition to practice) and the fastest speed ever in Uvalde of 161kph (!), it’s clear the Antares 23m has world beating performance."

http://soaringcafe.com/2012/11/peter...wgc-in-uvalde/