Purists are from Pluto, Motorgliderists are from Mars - #2

On Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 10:51:57 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Bob as another said - better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it - this is a rule that is most commonly applied to a big industry "elsewhere." I carry my polymer ballast with me in case of an unfriendly landout location in my motorglider. The added benefit is I can go for a flight when no one is home at the club. Or when the towplane is down.

If you don't want to fly at all - unless it's in a pure sailplane, which I can get - maybe one day humor me and let's go have fun man! No tow pilot required, but it is desired. I'll even give you a headset and pay for the Greta 2 stroke oil and evil, evil gasoline.

I really want to thank you for helping convince me to buy a motorglider! See you at the club man! I hope you get some more flights in soon. I guess it'll take a tow pilot to make that happen? Or will you cave and go for a flight with me? No photos will be taken for Seminole Lake to see. I promise. shhhhh

jbl, thanks but no thanks for the offer on the MG. As someone once said, "I'd rather have a sister in a whorehouse than a brother in a motorglider". so true it is. As I stated very early on the self launch is impressive, I could see myself buying one of those sometime in the future, but I would promise to never use the motor other than launching. Our visitor during the Safari displayed several takeoff's before the engine failed and required a tow, yet it was impressive to see that motorglider lift into the air void of any towplane.
Eileen has been eager to fly her 27 again so I guess I will be on the front end of the rope again this week, maybe she will be kind enough to come down early and let me go for a hop in the 27 , I think I have flown only 3 or 4 times since January. She also has a new polymer ballast to give her a bit more weight up front.
I spent the last few days getting the new club ship ready for the youth program which is really gaining new members with both male and female participants continuing to shine with their enthusiasm toward flying gliders. Looking forward to seeing that big bird lift into the sky, take care. Old Bob

That's been my take on the SLS. I just want to launch whenever and wherever.. The promise to not use it I think is for each to make. The sucky part is actually landing out when you tried to start it, and the risk involved. There's a reason the premiums are just under 3x for SLS.

I'm trying to talk Neal into coming to give you a tow. The idea was to get him to get you in the air, then he and I can take off and come follow you for a nice adventure.

I'm glad I'm not the only one keeping polymer ballast with me on flights. I'd sure hate to need it and not have it while waiting for a retrieve lol

I'm glad I'm not the only one keeping polymer ballast with me on flights. I'd sure hate to need it and not have it while waiting for a retrieve lol

For a bear of little brain, and from the E side of the pond, would someone please explain the 'polymer ballast' in-joke?
J.

On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:11:45 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I'm glad I'm not the only one keeping polymer ballast with me on flights. I'd sure hate to need it and not have it while waiting for a retrieve lol
For a bear of little brain, and from the E side of the pond, would someone please explain the 'polymer ballast' in-joke?
J.

I guess the best way to describe it is one of those things some other countries don't have too much of, yet American's have considerably more of on average. Mine was designed in Croatia. My wife loves hers, and I have no fear of her being safe when driving home at night. I don't want to melt any snow. So I'll refrain from explaining it further. Plus I don't want to divert from the thread. The comment was made above about "Having it and not needing it rather than needing it and not having it" and it's a common saying in the responsible end of the ownership community.

I feel that having the capability of self launching when needed directly parallels, and if you are into it, the potential to self retrieve if you run out of talent does as well.

Hopefully the wind will behave so I can go for some pattern work in the DG505MB tomorrow.

On Monday, 26 April 2021 at 20:36:20 UTC+1, wrote:
On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:11:45 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I'm glad I'm not the only one keeping polymer ballast with me on flights. I'd sure hate to need it and not have it while waiting for a retrieve lol
For a bear of little brain, and from the E side of the pond, would someone please explain the 'polymer ballast' in-joke?
J.
I guess the best way to describe it is one of those things some other countries don't have too much of, yet American's have considerably more of on average. Mine was designed in Croatia. My wife loves hers, and I have no fear of her being safe when driving home at night. I don't want to melt any snow. So I'll refrain from explaining it further. Plus I don't want to divert from the thread. The comment was made above about "Having it and not needing it rather than needing it and not having it" and it's a common saying in the responsible end of the ownership community.
I feel that having the capability of self launching when needed directly parallels, and if you are into it, the potential to self retrieve if you run out of talent does as well.

Yeah ... thanks. I was not having any difficulty with the gliding (or motorgliding) allusions. But I guess you're talking about carrying a gun, perhaps (??) with 'baton rounds'. Still no clue how Croatia comes into it, but never mind!
J.

On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 5:24:42 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Monday, 26 April 2021 at 20:36:20 UTC+1, wrote:
On Monday, April 26, 2021 at 3:11:45 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I'm glad I'm not the only one keeping polymer ballast with me on flights. I'd sure hate to need it and not have it while waiting for a retrieve lol
For a bear of little brain, and from the E side of the pond, would someone please explain the 'polymer ballast' in-joke?
J.
I guess the best way to describe it is one of those things some other countries don't have too much of, yet American's have considerably more of on average. Mine was designed in Croatia. My wife loves hers, and I have no fear of her being safe when driving home at night. I don't want to melt any snow. So I'll refrain from explaining it further. Plus I don't want to divert from the thread. The comment was made above about "Having it and not needing it rather than needing it and not having it" and it's a common saying in the responsible end of the ownership community.
I feel that having the capability of self launching when needed directly parallels, and if you are into it, the potential to self retrieve if you run out of talent does as well.
Yeah ... thanks. I was not having any difficulty with the gliding (or motorgliding) allusions. But I guess you're talking about carrying a gun, perhaps (??) with 'baton rounds'. Still no clue how Croatia comes into it, but never mind!
J.
I don't know about you, but I am going around Lake O again this week, weather permitting, maybe I can get some of the motorglider gentlemen to join me. Looks like Wednesday or Thursday is the good window, should I carry my floaties?

On Saturday, 24 April 2021 at 03:43:27 UTC+1, Eric Greenwell wrote:

Amen! The fuselage of my ASH 26E weighs over 500 lbs! Getting that out
of a soft field will take more than my wife. She knows the absolute
minimum is two sturdy people to come with her if I ever need a field
retrieve.


The day the engine in my Arcus M didn't start, as mentioned earlier I landed safely in a good field, and called for 2 kind friends to come out with the trailer. The four of us couldn't lift the nose out of the soft ground enough to get it on the belly dolly. Fortunately, two strong young policeman arrived to check out the scene of the 'accident' and with their help it was sorted!

On Saturday, 24 April 2021 at 17:34:40 UTC+1, Eric Greenwell wrote:


But, a JS3 self-launching jet would be awesome!

Sadly the JS2 which will be a self-launching version of the JS1 is going to use a Solo two stroke.

On Saturday, 24 April 2021 at 20:12:48 UTC+1, Tom BravoMike wrote:

Do you really believe Klaus Ohlmann and Jean-Marie Clément would have set their records in the Andes in a "pure" sailplane? Instead, they flew each a Nimbus 4DM, I believe. "No safety advantage" - really? Will you say it's a special case? Well, it is a sort of competition in setting records.


Well I remember reading an article by Klaus Ohlmann after his first distance record in the Andes. That one was in a Stemme, and I remember he said if he had wanted to use the engine he would have had to land first and give it time to warm up, because it was too cold to use after a long time at altitude. So a convenience feature, not a safety feature.

I don't know why he subsequently changed to a Nimbus 4 - did it have anything to do with what generous people were willing to lend him? Even with the Nimbus, the engine might not have started after a few hours at 20,000 feet.

On the subject of warming up time, with my Solo engine I was advised by Shempp-HIrth to take off without waiting for it to get to 40 degrees C (that is what the manual specifies) because a cold engine develops more power. I generally take off as soon as I have completed the ignition etc checks, and if I start over a field I go to climb power very soon. I remember in his guide Eric mentions taking a better look at the field which you didn't have to land in while the engine warms up a bit before increasing power and climbing away.

On 4/23/2021 7:48 PM, Andrzej Kobus wrote:
Bob, repeating the same thing over and over again does not make it true.

Andrej! Apparently you haven't been following USA politics!
He's just emulating, well, you know...