Antares 18S Maiden Flight

Greg Arnold wrote:
Eric Greenwell wrote:


Do the sustainer equipped gliders have enough altitude capability to
get over the mountains in the Alps, or does the pilot return by flying
through the valleys?


A very good question. It is my impression that the sustainers really
can't climb at all, and that you need to get a self-launching plane if
you want to get over a mountain.

There hasn't been much talk on RAS about the Apis electric
self-launcher, but it seems that it could work quite well as a
sustainer, and at a price that is much cheaper than the Antares.


A club member's Ventus b 16.6T could climb above 11,000 feet MSL with
his 16.6 tips (I saw him do it).

Shawn