In article ,
Martin Gregorie wrote:

BTW I agree it would be interesting to see how it performed as a glider.
Let's see now:
- restricted vis - I wouldn't want to share airspace with it
- it might run a cloud street, but could it turn tight enough to
core a thermal?
- with a design cruise of 250kts, it may be too fast to use
anything but wave or ridge lift.
- Anybody fancy running the Appalachians in it? A two hour 750
should be on in theory.

The 250 kts is TAS, at altitude. IAS VNE is 170 knots, similar to
modern gliders.

We also know that empty it has about the same wing loading as typical
gliders, and so presumably about the same stall speed and turning
circle. Note that fully fuelled, at which it has six times the wing
loading it has empty, best powered climb is at 100 knots dirty, 130
knots clean. The corresponding speeds with empty tanks will be 2.4 -
2.5 times lower, or 40 knots and 53 knots. So min sink empty probably
lies somewhere around this range.

--
Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+-
Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O----------