Bruce Hoult wrote:
In article ,
Eric Greenwell wrote:


There are already gliders available to the hang glider pilots with much
superior performance to a competition hang glider for _same_ price as
competition hang glider. Take a look at the used gliders available: the
Ka-6 and even the 1-26 can meet your target.


I don't know why people keep saying things like this. You can *not*
significantly grow gliding by people buying Ka-6's or 1-26's. They
aren't *MAKING* them any more, there is a only a very limited number
around,

And yet they are very cheap, which is why I suggest there aren't enough
pilots interested in gliding. If hang glider pilots were falling all
over each other to move into low cost gliders with substantially better
performance than their hang gliders, we'd see higher prices. I don't
think it is the glider _supply_ that is lacking, it is the _demand_ for
gliders that is missing.

and if you made new ones they'd cost as much or more as a PW-5
(whcih is better than either of them, albiet marginally in the case of
the K6) anyway.

I agree. But do you think there would be more people starting gliding
lessons if they could buy a new LS4 for $40,000 US instead of $50,000?
Or even it it was only $30,000? I don't think there would be any more
starting pilots, though we would probably keep a few more. It will take
a lot more than that to get the LS4 volume up to where the $30,000 price
is possible.


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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA