"Peter Dohm" wrote in message
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"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
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"Wayne Paul" wrote in message
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Veeduber

What would it take to convert a primary into a basic soaring machine
(35+ to 1)?. I know sitting in open would be a high drag problem
but.......maybe a very light none structual wood frame cloth covered
to stream line fuselage?

Could a machine be made very cheap and quick this way to permit
soaring local around the air patch?

Also designed to pull (or fold) the wings in a few minutes (Solo) and
load to haul home for storage (and work/repair) in the garage?


Big John,

35 to 1 and open cockpit don't coexist. Light weigh does not improve
glider ratio. In order to get anything near 35 to 1 in a homebuilt you
must build something like my Schreder HP-14.
(http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/HP-14/N990/N990.html)

Wayne
http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder


Another option is to take a look at the SLA gliders like the Sparrowhawk.
These have an airframe weight of less than 200 pounds. In some cases the
glider weighs less than the pilot! In spite of their light and
relatively simple construction, they exhibit impressive performance in
excess of 30:1. See: http://www.windward-performance.com/

I doubt that they will ever exceed the 40:1 common among the larger 15
meter gliders but they're a far better solution than a 'primary glider'.

Well, I really liked what I saw and read, and might even fit in it quite
comfortably.

However, although I should probably leave this to the experienced glider
pilots, I think that it is probably two steps up from the primary glider.
I also thing that the primary glider, or a modern analog with a little
better occupant protection (especially legs), still has a very usefull
place as a true basic trainer. Personally, having only one glider demo
ride many years ago, I would prefer to start with a much lower
L/D--especially for the first few solo areo-tows!

Sorry about the lack of hubris, but self preservation does have some
merit.
Peter


Let me throw in a slightly controversial idea.

Low L/D, taken in isolation, offers no benefit whatsoever in a trainer. In
fact, higher L/D is a safety feature that gets an inexperienced pilot back
to the runway after a bad judgement call. In spite of this, there is an
instinctive reaction among most glider pilots to inversely relate L/D and
safe handling qualities.

I would claim they are directly related. A glider carefully engineered for
great handling and occupant protection will also have a good L/D. As an
example, I would offer the excellent Schleicher ASK-21 as well as several
other modern composite trainers.

The little Sparrowhawk is not really a trainer. It's a single seater that
requires a pilot to approach it with considerable training in his logbook.
It is, however, an excellent minimalist design.

"Primary gliders" were an expedient developed in an environment that lacked
adequate two-seat trainers. They were abandoned with great relief as soon
as usable 2-seater trainers became available. Today, there are a great
number of excellent 2-seat trainers and qualified instructors. Only a fool
would try to learn flying in a "Primary".