There was a moment in time, late 1960s and early 1970s, where homebuilders were building moderate performance self launch gliders and having lots of fun, using fixed engines in a tractor or pusher configuration.
They'd self launch and fly on marginal lift days, when the pure gliders were on the ground waiting for better conditions.
They'd make long cross countries like high performance pure sailplanes, by restarting their engines and climbing back up when moderate performance wasn't good enough.
Oh well, time for an iron thermal.
They even had a short lived magazine called "Motorgliding" that described all the fun they were having.
When the high performance Scheibe SF-27M came along it killed the interest in low cost moderate performance gliders, Before their advantages were understood.
The Scheibe had a retractable engine that folded away (like most modern glass ships today) and for its day it was a high performance sailplane. It set a course for what we have today, self launching sailplanes with 50 to 1 performance. But they're $300,000 or more.
My point is ... have we missed the boat?
Is there a lot of fun to be had with a moderate performance glider with a fixed engine - that has great handling characteristics that make it a great sport plane too?
If anyone could combine those traits and bring a kit to market it would be Richard VanGrunsven.
They'd self launch and fly on marginal lift days, when the pure gliders were on the ground waiting for better conditions.
They'd make long cross countries like high performance pure sailplanes, by restarting their engines and climbing back up when moderate performance wasn't good enough.
Oh well, time for an iron thermal.
They even had a short lived magazine called "Motorgliding" that described all the fun they were having.
When the high performance Scheibe SF-27M came along it killed the interest in low cost moderate performance gliders, Before their advantages were understood.
The Scheibe had a retractable engine that folded away (like most modern glass ships today) and for its day it was a high performance sailplane. It set a course for what we have today, self launching sailplanes with 50 to 1 performance. But they're $300,000 or more.
My point is ... have we missed the boat?
Is there a lot of fun to be had with a moderate performance glider with a fixed engine - that has great handling characteristics that make it a great sport plane too?
If anyone could combine those traits and bring a kit to market it would be Richard VanGrunsven.
