ron@hpfcmt.UUCP (ron) (10/15/84)
Motorgliding is a great way to go ! Within the last month or so I have checked out in a Grob G 109 B Motorglider. Big deal, right ? Well, listen to this: The beasty combines many of the best features of high- performance sailplanes and lightplanes. It has a 4 cylinder aircraft engine perched in the nose with a 3 position controllable pitch propellor, side-by-side seating, stick-type controls, full night flying equipment,VOX-type intercoms with headsets, extremely effective dive brakes and a decent cruise speed of over 100 kts true. But, not only is this thing an airframe full of toys to play with (radios,etc) it is a really decent sailplane. It has an L/D of 28 to 1 (rated) and around a 300 fpm sink rate. Not bad for an 1800 lb aircraft ! Challenges to the macho: It has a very narrow track fixed landing gear with a tailwheel. (For your average glider-only jock, steering and taxiing are foreign enough without having a critter that is trying to make you look bad where people can see ! Also the rudder is a typical sailplane-size, not big enough, particularly for steering on the ground.) But, in spite of its ungainliness on the ground these things are a blast ! For me, the biggest kick is being able to get reliable time in the air. And it response better than many other sailplanes I have flown. For all you folks out in aviation-net land, there are two of these delightful machines available at the Ft. Collins - Loveland Colorado airport courtesy of : Soaring High Inc. (Fred Herr, owner) 303-491-9169 ( for reservations, directions) 303-226-0671 ( for more detailed info, evenings only) This note enthusiastically posted by : Ron Miller Hewlett-Packard Co. Ft. Collins, Co. ( 303-226-3800 ext 3260 ) P.S. If anyone out there is wanting to buy one of these for me for Xmas, I'll not object !
rmiller@ccvaxa.UUCP (11/01/84)
taxiing is foreign? is that suppossed to be an insult or what? taxiing my Ls-4 is downright dangerous! because without appropriate air flow over the surfaces, there is no way that it goes straight in a crosswind. so why do i want to taxi? a narrow track is macho? try a single wheel sometime! then you REALLY learn what controlling an aircraft is all about. but if you really want macho, try to catch that Ls-4 sometime, best glide is >40:1, and the only range limitation is what the pilot can do. uiucdcs!ccvaxa!rmiller