18 Meter Nationals

[John Bentley]

With the Duck Hawk now having won the 15 meter Nationals and with an
outstanding performance in the open class nationals, and now looking
to win the 18 meter Nationals you would think that the US Soaring Team
would want to fill its ranks with Duck Hawks and show the world that a
small US company can kick ass. Why not? Why do we buy our goods from
China and our sailplanes from Europe? When will the committee open
there eyes and see what is right in their face?

[Tony[_5_]]

On Friday, June 29, 2012 12:07:18 PM UTC-5, John Bentley wrote:
> With the Duck Hawk now having won the 15 meter Nationals and with an
> outstanding performance in the open class nationals, and now looking
> to win the 18 meter Nationals you would think that the US Soaring Team
> would want to fill its ranks with Duck Hawks and show the world that a
> small US company can kick ass. Why not? Why do we buy our goods from
> China and our sailplanes from Europe? When will the committee open
> there eyes and see what is right in their face?

the US Team committee does not buy gliders for use by the US Team. I'm sure all US Team members wish this was the case but usually team members beg/borrow/buy gliders for contests overseas and fly their personal ships for (rare) world championships here in the states.

I'm with you on being very impressed by the performance of the Duckhawk this contest season and hope that it does some very good things for their sales.

[Mike C]

On Jun 29, 11:07*am, John Bentley > wrote:
> *With the Duck Hawk now having won the 15 meter Nationals and with an
> outstanding performance in the open class nationals, and now looking
> to win the 18 meter Nationals you would think that the US Soaring Team
> would want to fill its ranks with Duck Hawks and show the world that a
> small US company can kick ass. Why not? Why do we buy our goods from
> China and our sailplanes from Europe? When will the committee open
> there eyes and see what is right in their face?

How many Duck Hawks are there?

[[email protected]]

On Friday, June 29, 2012 10:21:18 AM UTC-7, Mike C wrote:
> On Jun 29, 11:07*am, John Bentley > wrote:
> > *With the Duck Hawk now having won the 15 meter Nationals and with an
> > outstanding performance in the open class nationals, and now looking
> > to win the 18 meter Nationals you would think that the US Soaring Team
> > would want to fill its ranks with Duck Hawks and show the world that a
> > small US company can kick ass. Why not? Why do we buy our goods from
> > China and our sailplanes from Europe? When will the committee open
> > there eyes and see what is right in their face?
>
> How many Duck Hawks are there?

One with one on the way and production forcast for 2 a month when production and tooling catch up.

[M North]

How many Chip Garners are there?

[Tony[_5_]]

On Friday, June 29, 2012 1:04:48 PM UTC-5, M North wrote:
> How many Chip Garners are there?

I hear that Windward's next project after the Perlan is a cloning machine <grin>

[Dave Springford]

The Duckhawk did not win the 15 m Nationals, an ASG-29 piloted by a non US citizen won the contest - the Duckhawk had the top ranked US pilot in the contest, but placed second.

This is a great achievement for the manufacturer and designer, but let's keep the facts straight please.

[Mike C]

On Jun 29, 12:04*pm, M North > wrote:
> How many Chip Garners are there?

Very few. It seems soaring becomes mystical with him, and compared to
my dismal abilities, mythical.

[Brad[_2_]]

On Jun 29, 11:59*am, Mike C > wrote:
> On Jun 29, 12:04*pm, M North > wrote:
>
> > How many Chip Garners are there?
>
> Very few. It seems soaring becomes mystical with him, and compared to
> my dismal abilities, mythical.

Mike,

Ditto...........too bad a more competent racing pilot wasn't able to
fly the Tetra-15 in our R8 contest. I did not do the ship any justice.
I believe it has a lot of potential.

Brad

[Evan Ludeman[_4_]]

I love these discussions. They crack me up.

Dave, you still missed the point -- shame on you!

Jerzy won, not the damned glider!

Jerzy and Chip are at the top of their game right now and great fun to
fly with (for as long as you can). I happened to get hot for an hour
or two and flew with Jerzy for while on what must have been his off
day. It was a really neat experience. Flying with Jerzy, you don't
need vario. He's always in the best air. Always. You keep an eye
on the averager, but you just don't need the vario.

The DH flies fine. Remarkable considering that a few things were
typically prototype rough around the edges (cough, spoiler caps,
cough), so it's one to watch. But at Mifflin it was not a super
glider. Chip's flying it *really* well.

-Evan Ludeman / T8

[Mike C]

On Jun 29, 1:19*pm, Brad > wrote:
> On Jun 29, 11:59*am, Mike C > wrote:
>
> > On Jun 29, 12:04*pm, M North > wrote:
>
> > > How many Chip Garners are there?
>
> > Very few. It seems soaring becomes mystical with him, and compared to
> > my dismal abilities, mythical.
>
> Mike,
>
> Ditto...........too bad a more competent racing pilot wasn't able to
> fly the Tetra-15 in our R8 contest. I did not do the ship any justice.
> I believe it has a lot of potential.
>
> Brad

Brad,

What type of performance does the Tetra-15 have? Any side by side
glide tests?

Mike

[Brad[_2_]]

On Jun 29, 5:32*pm, Mike C > wrote:
> On Jun 29, 1:19*pm, Brad > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 29, 11:59*am, Mike C > wrote:
>
> > > On Jun 29, 12:04*pm, M North > wrote:
>
> > > > How many Chip Garners are there?
>
> > > Very few. It seems soaring becomes mystical with him, and compared to
> > > my dismal abilities, mythical.
>
> > Mike,
>
> > Ditto...........too bad a more competent racing pilot wasn't able to
> > fly the Tetra-15 in our R8 contest. I did not do the ship any justice.
> > I believe it has a lot of potential.
>
> > Brad
>
> Brad,
>
> What type of performance does the Tetra-15 have? *Any side by side
> glide tests?
>
> Mike

Mike,

So far side-by-side testing shows it has very good performance in
climb and sink rate. The light-ish wing loading during high speed
cruise still needs to be better understood, but I am certainly not
falling out of the sky or falling far behind.

At some point I would like to get a top comp pilot in the seat and see
what it can really do.

I think this sailplane is going to really do well, it sure has met my
goals!

Brad

[Mike C]

On Jun 29, 7:45*pm, Brad > wrote:
> On Jun 29, 5:32*pm, Mike C > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 29, 1:19*pm, Brad > wrote:
>
> > > On Jun 29, 11:59*am, Mike C > wrote:
>
> > > > On Jun 29, 12:04*pm, M North > wrote:
>
> > > > > How many Chip Garners are there?
>
> > > > Very few. It seems soaring becomes mystical with him, and compared to
> > > > my dismal abilities, mythical.
>
> > > Mike,
>
> > > Ditto...........too bad a more competent racing pilot wasn't able to
> > > fly the Tetra-15 in our R8 contest. I did not do the ship any justice..
> > > I believe it has a lot of potential.
>
> > > Brad
>
> > Brad,
>
> > What type of performance does the Tetra-15 have? *Any side by side
> > glide tests?
>
> > Mike
>
> Mike,
>
> So far side-by-side testing shows it has very good performance in
> climb and sink rate. The light-ish wing loading during high speed
> cruise still needs to be better understood, but I am certainly not
> falling out of the sky or falling far behind.
>
> At some point I would like to get a top comp pilot in the seat and see
> what it can really do.
>
> I think this sailplane is going to really do well, it sure has met my
> goals!
>
> Brad

Brad,

I am interested in knowing what sailplanes you have flown with to
check the Tetra's sink rate and at what speed range you were flying.

How does she do at 80 knots and above?

I never thought about the Tetra as a modern competition ship because
it was never advertised as being one.

Mike

[Brad[_2_]]

On Jun 29, 7:42*pm, Mike C > wrote:
> On Jun 29, 7:45*pm, Brad > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 29, 5:32*pm, Mike C > wrote:
>
> > > On Jun 29, 1:19*pm, Brad > wrote:
>
> > > > On Jun 29, 11:59*am, Mike C > wrote:
>
> > > > > On Jun 29, 12:04*pm, M North > wrote:
>
> > > > > > How many Chip Garners are there?
>
> > > > > Very few. It seems soaring becomes mystical with him, and compared to
> > > > > my dismal abilities, mythical.
>
> > > > Mike,
>
> > > > Ditto...........too bad a more competent racing pilot wasn't able to
> > > > fly the Tetra-15 in our R8 contest. I did not do the ship any justice.
> > > > I believe it has a lot of potential.
>
> > > > Brad
>
> > > Brad,
>
> > > What type of performance does the Tetra-15 have? *Any side by side
> > > glide tests?
>
> > > Mike
>
> > Mike,
>
> > So far side-by-side testing shows it has very good performance in
> > climb and sink rate. The light-ish wing loading during high speed
> > cruise still needs to be better understood, but I am certainly not
> > falling out of the sky or falling far behind.
>
> > At some point I would like to get a top comp pilot in the seat and see
> > what it can really do.
>
> > I think this sailplane is going to really do well, it sure has met my
> > goals!
>
> > Brad
>
> Brad,
>
> I am interested in knowing what sailplanes you have flown with to
> check the Tetra's sink rate and at what speed range you were flying.
>
> How does she do at 80 knots and above?
>
> I never thought about the Tetra as a modern competition ship because
> it was never advertised as being one.
>
> Mike

Mike,

Well, no...............the ship was designed using the best racing
tech of the 80's.............that being said the ships I've flown with
were just those ships. That's why I would like to see this design
flown by a competition pilot flying against a wide selection of
sailplanes.

Someone said that the hot comp pilots could do extremely well flying
LS-1F sailplanes. I think the HP-24 would do very well.

80 and above.............it moves!

Brad

[Mike C]

On Jun 29, 10:34*pm, Brad > wrote:
> On Jun 29, 7:42*pm, Mike C > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 29, 7:45*pm, Brad > wrote:
>
> > > On Jun 29, 5:32*pm, Mike C > wrote:
>
> > > > On Jun 29, 1:19*pm, Brad > wrote:
>
> > > > > On Jun 29, 11:59*am, Mike C > wrote:
>
> > > > > > On Jun 29, 12:04*pm, M North > wrote:
>
> > > > > > > How many Chip Garners are there?
>
> > > > > > Very few. It seems soaring becomes mystical with him, and compared to
> > > > > > my dismal abilities, mythical.
>
> > > > > Mike,
>
> > > > > Ditto...........too bad a more competent racing pilot wasn't able to
> > > > > fly the Tetra-15 in our R8 contest. I did not do the ship any justice.
> > > > > I believe it has a lot of potential.
>
> > > > > Brad
>
> > > > Brad,
>
> > > > What type of performance does the Tetra-15 have? *Any side by side
> > > > glide tests?
>
> > > > Mike
>
> > > Mike,
>
> > > So far side-by-side testing shows it has very good performance in
> > > climb and sink rate. The light-ish wing loading during high speed
> > > cruise still needs to be better understood, but I am certainly not
> > > falling out of the sky or falling far behind.
>
> > > At some point I would like to get a top comp pilot in the seat and see
> > > what it can really do.
>
> > > I think this sailplane is going to really do well, it sure has met my
> > > goals!
>
> > > Brad
>
> > Brad,
>
> > I am interested in knowing what sailplanes you have flown with to
> > check the Tetra's sink rate and at what speed range you were flying.
>
> > How does she do at 80 knots and above?
>
> > I never thought about the Tetra as a modern competition ship because
> > it was never advertised as being one.
>
> > Mike
>
> Mike,
>
> Well, no...............the ship was designed using the best racing
> tech of the 80's.............that being said the ships I've flown with
> were just those ships. That's why I would like to see this design
> flown by a competition pilot flying against a wide selection of
> sailplanes.
>
> Someone said that the hot comp pilots could do extremely well flying
> LS-1F sailplanes. I think the HP-24 would do very well.
>
> 80 and above.............it moves!
>
> Brad

Thanks Brad.

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

On 6/29/2012 11:50 AM, Dave Springford wrote:
> The Duckhawk did not win the 15 m Nationals, an ASG-29 piloted by a
> non US citizen won the contest - the Duckhawk had the top ranked US
> pilot in the contest, but placed second.
>
> This is a great achievement for the manufacturer and designer, but
> let's keep the facts straight please.
>
The Contest Summary on the SSA website lists Jerzy with the rank of "G"
and Chip with a rank of "1". Would it be reasonable to say Jerzy flew as
a guest but not an entrant, and therefore can not win the 15 Meter
Nationals?

We all agree Jerzy did score the highest, but I think it is completely
factual to answer the question "Who won the 2012 15 Meter Nationals?"
with the statement "Chip Garner in the DuckHawk".

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

[Tony[_5_]]

On Friday, June 29, 2012 12:07:18 PM UTC-5, John Bentley wrote:
> With the Duck Hawk now having won the 15 meter Nationals and with an
> outstanding performance in the open class nationals, and now looking
> to win the 18 meter Nationals you would think that the US Soaring Team
> would want to fill its ranks with Duck Hawks and show the world that a
> small US company can kick ass. Why not? Why do we buy our goods from
> China and our sailplanes from Europe? When will the committee open
> there eyes and see what is right in their face?

well 'looking to win' turned into 2nd place by 19 points but still a fine showing by the 15 meter Duckhawk and pilot Chip Garner in the 18 meter nationals. Now i'm having nightmares that he will show up at the 13.5 meter regionals with a sparrowhawk!!!