John.Roo
Well-Known Member
Hello pilots and designers!
I found many very interesting threads in this forum. For example thread about new two-seat glider for training, thread about short span gliders and others. In my post I mentionned idea of small, light, simple and self-launch one-seat glider. Glider simple and nice to fly so even new glider pilot with "wet license" can fly it.
I definitelly support ideas of new two-seat glider trainers, but I personally don´t think that this is really way how to increase interest for this beautifull way of flying. According to rules you need 15 hours to get your glider pilot license. Lets expect a bit more - so 20 hours. And in that hours are already solo flights. New trainign glider will not make costs for hour much cheaper.
Winch start is very cheap. Aerotow is more expensive, but you don´t need that many of them.
So OK, you are glider pilot and what is next step.
You can take a look for used glider (ASW15, Cirrus) but you still need aerotow to go up.
With light one seater you can use to go up for example ultralight tow planes with not that bad costs for a minute.
However - you still need to ask somebody to help you to get airborn. That is maybe no problem during weekend, but is not easy during normal working day afternoon.
Self-launch gliders are solving this problem, but generally they are much more expensive. And I am not sure if glider - for example like Ventus 2cxM - is good option for non-experienced glider pilot.
One of members - Victor Bravo - wrote:
"Get all the brilliant European sailplane engineers and designers together, with all their brains and experience and knowledge, and give them parameters to design a safe 2 seat rigid wing training glider with a maximum retail price of $25,000 US, and see what they can come up with."
Lets try to do something like this
Dear pilots and designers, lets think about idea of one-seat self-launch "trainer".
I know, that "one-seat trainer" sounds stupid. You can´t make flight training in one-seater. However word "trainer" means, that the plane is safe to fly with predictible flight characteristics and suitable for non-experienced pilots.
I have already some ideas so I decided to add this project to "Phoenix motorgliders" family.
Phoenix sounds more "seriously" and "Phoebe" will be like a "small sister".
Both planes with same mission - pure flying and pure fun
Requested low-cost will be a real challenge... However for one-seater you don´t need engine like Rotax 912, you need less material and ideally also less working hours (hopefully).
OK, that is introduction of "Phoebe"
I will follow with some ideas and soon also with first drawings.
Best regards!
Martin
I found many very interesting threads in this forum. For example thread about new two-seat glider for training, thread about short span gliders and others. In my post I mentionned idea of small, light, simple and self-launch one-seat glider. Glider simple and nice to fly so even new glider pilot with "wet license" can fly it.
I definitelly support ideas of new two-seat glider trainers, but I personally don´t think that this is really way how to increase interest for this beautifull way of flying. According to rules you need 15 hours to get your glider pilot license. Lets expect a bit more - so 20 hours. And in that hours are already solo flights. New trainign glider will not make costs for hour much cheaper.
Winch start is very cheap. Aerotow is more expensive, but you don´t need that many of them.
So OK, you are glider pilot and what is next step.
You can take a look for used glider (ASW15, Cirrus) but you still need aerotow to go up.
With light one seater you can use to go up for example ultralight tow planes with not that bad costs for a minute.
However - you still need to ask somebody to help you to get airborn. That is maybe no problem during weekend, but is not easy during normal working day afternoon.
Self-launch gliders are solving this problem, but generally they are much more expensive. And I am not sure if glider - for example like Ventus 2cxM - is good option for non-experienced glider pilot.
One of members - Victor Bravo - wrote:
"Get all the brilliant European sailplane engineers and designers together, with all their brains and experience and knowledge, and give them parameters to design a safe 2 seat rigid wing training glider with a maximum retail price of $25,000 US, and see what they can come up with."
Lets try to do something like this
Dear pilots and designers, lets think about idea of one-seat self-launch "trainer".I know, that "one-seat trainer" sounds stupid. You can´t make flight training in one-seater. However word "trainer" means, that the plane is safe to fly with predictible flight characteristics and suitable for non-experienced pilots.
I have already some ideas so I decided to add this project to "Phoenix motorgliders" family.
Phoenix sounds more "seriously" and "Phoebe" will be like a "small sister".
Both planes with same mission - pure flying and pure fun
Requested low-cost will be a real challenge... However for one-seater you don´t need engine like Rotax 912, you need less material and ideally also less working hours (hopefully).
OK, that is introduction of "Phoebe"
I will follow with some ideas and soon also with first drawings.
Best regards!
Martin
