Kestrel DG200 canopy mod.

JS wrote:
Whilst you're waiting for the fix from Streifeneder, try different
flap settings on tow.
Jim
Now there's a lateral suggestion.

I shall take your suggestion and try it - but I still want the new canopy.

Bruce

In England Don Austin has put a one-piece canopy on a kestrel,it looks like
a next generation ship,he dosen't know when to stop though, he also put
suspension,a disc brake and wing tips.

At 18:46 11 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
JS wrote:
Whilst you're waiting for the fix from Streifeneder, try different
flap settings on tow.
Jim
Now there's a lateral suggestion.

I shall take your suggestion and try it - but I still want the new
canopy.

Bruce

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Winglets, disk brake and a single
pece cockpit - a little wing profiling and you have a very nice
sailplane for a fraction of the cost of one (15m) with maybe 3% better
performance... A new 18m ship would cost me five times the investment
for maybe 10% more L/D. If you just want to have fun then it is a poor
investment.

The locally developed modification with polyhedral wingtips and winglets
seems to narrow that performance gap even further. So that is a probable
change when time and money allow.

Mine has already had a complete cosmetic going over and wing profile -
needs some work to pretty the cockpit up and then she is as good as new.

Lovely glider as she is - But that canopy has to go.


Jonathon May wrote:
In England Don Austin has put a one-piece canopy on a kestrel,it looks like
a next generation ship,he dosen't know when to stop though, he also put
suspension,a disc brake and wing tips.

At 18:46 11 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
JS wrote:
Whilst you're waiting for the fix from Streifeneder, try different
flap settings on tow.
Jim
Now there's a lateral suggestion.

I shall take your suggestion and try it - but I still want the new
canopy.
Bruce

But wouldn't putting winglets on the bird invalidate the Type
Certicate?

I've been toying with the idea of the double-panel spoiler
modification, but I've been told that my TC would be gone and I'd be
in the "owner maintenance" category. I'm not sure that that's a good
idea.

I can understand upgrading the brakes and canopy not interfering with
the TC, but wouldn't the winglets be a structural change, and thereby
invalidate the TC?

As an aside, my TC states that my Kestrel must be "all white", with
blue-grey (or similar light) registration marks. I understand that it
was written in the early days of FRP, but would it be allowable now to
put bright red anti-collision accents on the extremities?

jsbrake wrote:
But wouldn't putting winglets on the bird invalidate the Type
Certicate?

I've been toying with the idea of the double-panel spoiler
modification, but I've been told that my TC would be gone and I'd be
in the "owner maintenance" category. I'm not sure that that's a good
idea.

I can understand upgrading the brakes and canopy not interfering with
the TC, but wouldn't the winglets be a structural change, and thereby
invalidate the TC?

As an aside, my TC states that my Kestrel must be "all white", with
blue-grey (or similar light) registration marks. I understand that it
was written in the early days of FRP, but would it be allowable now to
put bright red anti-collision accents on the extremities?

Well it all depends on where you live.

In South Africa gliders are maintained much as the BGA did before the
EASA onslaught. So we are - by definition - in owner maintenance world.
No type certificates are significant, except for first registration of a
type in the country.

The winglets are manufactured and tested by a qualified aero engineering
business. Any structural modification like this is subject to a pretty
rigorous approval process, then it is up to owners to decide if they
want them. As long as the change is performed and approved by a suitably
qualified person and signed off in the log book there is no difference
to flying a factory standard ship. Except that you can embarrass some
newer glass. It does make it harder to sell to places that do rely on
type certificates.

At 13:31 12 June 2009, jsbrake wrote:
But wouldn't putting winglets on the bird invalidate the Type
Certicate?

I've been toying with the idea of the double-panel spoiler
modification, but I've been told that my TC would be gone and I'd be
in the "owner maintenance" category. I'm not sure that that's a good
idea.

I can understand upgrading the brakes and canopy not interfering with
the TC, but wouldn't the winglets be a structural change, and thereby
invalidate the TC?

As an aside, my TC states that my Kestrel must be "all white", with
blue-grey (or similar light) registration marks. I understand that it
was written in the early days of FRP, but would it be allowable now to
put bright red anti-collision accents on the extremities?

There is an official double paddle mod for the airbrakes, it was held on
Gliderpilot.net for a long while. It is a very simple mod.

"Don Johnstone" wrote in message
. com...

At 13:31 12 June 2009, jsbrake wrote:
But wouldn't putting winglets on the bird invalidate the Type
Certicate?

I've been toying with the idea of the double-panel spoiler
modification, but I've been told that my TC would be gone and I'd be
in the "owner maintenance" category. I'm not sure that that's a good
idea.

I can understand upgrading the brakes and canopy not interfering with
the TC, but wouldn't the winglets be a structural change, and thereby
invalidate the TC?

As an aside, my TC states that my Kestrel must be "all white", with
blue-grey (or similar light) registration marks. I understand that it
was written in the early days of FRP, but would it be allowable now to
put bright red anti-collision accents on the extremities?

There is an official double paddle mod for the airbrakes, it was held on
Gliderpilot.net for a long while. It is a very simple mod.

Mod is on the Kestrel Yahoo group.
The word is that all it does is change the noise.
Landing flap and good speed control is all that's needed.
( Unless you are out to impress, when the use of the tail chute looks
coooool )

At 09:22 12 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Winglets, disk brake and a single
pece cockpit - a little wing profiling and you have a very nice
sailplane for a fraction of the cost of one (15m) with maybe 3% better
performance... A new 18m ship would cost me five times the investment
for maybe 10% more L/D. If you just want to have fun then it is a poor
investment.

The locally developed modification with polyhedral wingtips and winglets

seems to narrow that performance gap even further. So that is a probable

change when time and money allow.

Mine has already had a complete cosmetic going over and wing profile -
needs some work to pretty the cockpit up and then she is as good as new.

Lovely glider as she is - But that canopy has to go.


Jonathon May wrote:
In England Don Austin has put a one-piece canopy on a kestrel,it looks
like
a next generation ship,he dosen't know when to stop though, he also
put
suspension,a disc brake and wing tips.

At 18:46 11 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
JS wrote:
Whilst you're waiting for the fix from Streifeneder, try different
flap settings on tow.
Jim
Now there's a lateral suggestion.

I shall take your suggestion and try it - but I still want the new
canopy.
Bruce

As to the mods done on my Kestrel 19 I have fitted a Vega Canopy to it as
I watched the Vega Mould being made and they used an uncut Kestrel Canopy
for the front of the Vega.
I liked the simple hinging arrangement used by DG so I used this method.
The winglets I fitted were on the style of Shemp Hirth and measurably
improve the roll rate and I believe improves the best glide angle.
The BGA permitted the fitting ofwnglets to any gider that can have its
wings extended. ie 20 Meter Kestrel.I have also fitted two ASW 20's
with winglets.The easy way to do this is to modify the stub tips.
Kestrels are too heavy for a drum brake but a M/Cycle front disk brake can
be obtained complete with Brake Lever pipe and reservoir quite easilly.The
standard Glider wheel with disk is the one I used.
It seemed a shame not to fit Rubber springs to the U/C when it was
reassembled so I did.
Anyone who would like a picture is welcome.
Don Austin

At 09:22 12 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Winglets, disk brake and a single
pece cockpit - a little wing profiling and you have a very nice
sailplane for a fraction of the cost of one (15m) with maybe 3% better
performance... A new 18m ship would cost me five times the investment
for maybe 10% more L/D. If you just want to have fun then it is a poor
investment.

The locally developed modification with polyhedral wingtips and winglets

seems to narrow that performance gap even further. So that is a probable

change when time and money allow.

Mine has already had a complete cosmetic going over and wing profile -
needs some work to pretty the cockpit up and then she is as good as new.

Lovely glider as she is - But that canopy has to go.


Jonathon May wrote:
In England Don Austin has put a one-piece canopy on a kestrel,it looks
like
a next generation ship,he dosen't know when to stop though, he also
put
suspension,a disc brake and wing tips.

At 18:46 11 June 2009, Bruce wrote:
JS wrote:
Whilst you're waiting for the fix from Streifeneder, try different
flap settings on tow.
Jim
Now there's a lateral suggestion.

I shall take your suggestion and try it - but I still want the new
canopy.
Bruce

As to the mods done on my Kestrel 19 I have fitted a Vega Canopy to it as
I watched the Vega Mould being made and they used an uncut Kestrel Canopy
for the front of the Vega.
I liked the simple hinging arrangement used by DG so I used this method.
The winglets I fitted were on the style of Shemp Hirth and measurably
improve the roll rate and I believe improves the best glide angle.
The BGA permitted the fitting ofwnglets to any gider that can have its
wings extended. ie 20 Meter Kestrel.I have also fitted two ASW 20's
with winglets.The easy way to do this is to modify the stub tips.
Kestrels are too heavy for a drum brake but a M/Cycle front disk brake can
be obtained complete with Brake Lever pipe and reservoir quite easilly.The
standard Glider wheel with disk is the one I used.
It seemed a shame not to fit Rubber springs to the U/C when it was
reassembled so I did.
Anyone who would like a picture is welcome.
Don Austin

Don:

I would like a photo and the specifications of the M/C disc brake you used. I have just purchased a Kestrel and would like to make this modification.

Fred.lasor AT gmail.com