New member so bare with me, but PW5, how does she fly?

[Howard Lau]

I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?

Thanks!
Happy gliding!

[Quietpilot]

On Thursday, October 16, 2014 1:00:19 AM UTC-5, Howard Lau wrote:
> I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Happy gliding!

Its a Joy to fly. it is very light and nimble compared to the Grob. but does not penetrate into the wind as well. Be careful as you lift off because it is very pitch sensitive. many people who are unprepared for this enter a PIO (pilot induced oscillation) the stick is very sensitive and new pilots often over-correct minor pitch problems. my recommendation is to pant your stick hand in your lap and hold the stick slightly back of neutral and move the stick with your fingers only until you are away from the ground. you will quickly get a sense of the stick forces and how little movement is necessary. landing attitude should place the horizon bisecting the compass on the glare-shield. remember that the brake is a trigger on the stick not at the end of the spoiler travel. the span is 13.4 meters FYI

[Bruce Hoult[_2_]]

On 2014-10-16 06:00:19 +0000, Howard Lau said:

> I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my
> instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've
> seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10
> meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?

A lot of people criticise the PW5, and the design contest which
resulted in it, but I think it does what it set out to do. Flying-wise,
anyway. It failed to sell thousands and expand gliding as a whole,
which was one of the hopes.

It's a very nice, responsive, docile glider to fly. Like all
single-seaters, it is lighter and more responsive than the Grob. You'll
feel the air much more (Grobs are known as steamrollers around here).

The glide angle is slightly worse than the Grob. Not enough to notice
or affect your planning at 50 - 55 knots, but it gets rapidly worse
above 65 or 70 knots. Don't fly above 65 knots unless you're in heavy
sink (or want to lose height).

On the plus side, the PW5 will circle much tighter and climb much
better than the Grob.

I've done contest flights up to 250 km in the PW5, in thermals. 500 km
would be a big flight in it and need an early start, but 300 is not a
problem.

If the flight doesn't go according to plan, it's very easy to land in a
field. The brakes work well for a steep approach, and the touchdown
speed is low. I've done a number of outlandings in the PW5 and paced
out each one. Normally I touch down about 30m from the fence (typical
NZ sheep/cattle farm fence about 4 ft high), and stop in another 30m.

[MNLou]

I own a PW-5 and have about 75 hours in it. It is a great glider as stated by Quietpilot and Bruce.

One attraction is it has "no nasty habits". Stalling is a non event. The nose mushes down a slight bit and the glider starts flying again. Ditto in thermals.

Because it is lighter and smaller than the Grob, you do get bounced around more in a rough thermal.

It is a great "first single seat" glider to fly.

A prediction - Once you jump into the PeeWee, you will never want to fly the Grob solo again.

Lou

[jfitch]

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 11:00:19 PM UTC-7, Howard Lau wrote:
> I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Happy gliding!

The canopy release and tow release look pretty similar. Don't mistake one for the other!

[Darryl Ramm]

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 11:00:19 PM UTC-7, Howard Lau wrote:
> I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Happy gliding!

Is it Winter already? :-)

[Howard Lau]

On Friday, October 17, 2014 5:18:27 AM UTC+8, Darryl Ramm wrote:
> On Wednesday, October 15, 2014 11:00:19 PM UTC-7, Howard Lau wrote:
>
> > I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Thanks!
>
> >
>
> > Happy gliding!
>
>
>
> Is it Winter already? :-)

Darryl, I wish

[Howard Lau]

On Thursday, October 16, 2014 3:05:26 PM UTC+8, quietpilot wrote:
> On Thursday, October 16, 2014 1:00:19 AM UTC-5, Howard Lau wrote:
>
> > I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Thanks!
>
> >
>
> > Happy gliding!
>
>
>
> Its a Joy to fly. it is very light and nimble compared to the Grob. but does not penetrate into the wind as well. Be careful as you lift off because it is very pitch sensitive. many people who are unprepared for this enter a PIO (pilot induced oscillation) the stick is very sensitive and new pilots often over-correct minor pitch problems. my recommendation is to pant your stick hand in your lap and hold the stick slightly back of neutral and move the stick with your fingers only until you are away from the ground. you will quickly get a sense of the stick forces and how little movement is necessary. landing attitude should place the horizon bisecting the compass on the glare-shield. remember that the brake is a trigger on the stick not at the end of the spoiler travel. the span is 13.4 meters FYI

Thanks, sorry about the wingspan mistake!

[[email protected]]

Very docile stall-spin characteristics, easy to handle on the ground as when empty it is almost balanced on the main wheel, very directionally stable on take off and landing due to weight on the nose wheel though this does make it harder to change direction on rollout if needed. Very light and well harmonized controls and easy to assemble. As previously stated it climbs very well but starts coming down pretty quickly if you put on the speed.

There are some calendar life limited parts on the ship which may or may not have been replaced in accordance with the maintenance manual as referenced in the type certificate so that should be checked on any PW-5 being considered for purchase.

The big problem this glider (and others in the same performance class) faced was that the number of glider pilots is not increasing and glass ships have a very long life. This results in a fairly good supply of older standard class ships which could be purchased for less money and which offered better performance while still having acceptable flying characteristics. I really liked flying the PW-5 but when it came to my own money I bought an old, but very nice ASW-15b.

[Dan Marotta]

Years back a friend and I were asked to perform the FAA mandated Phase I
flight tests for a newly imported PW-5. We did ground launch and aero
tow, stalls, spins, rolls, loops, Cuban 8s, Immelmanns, aileron and
barrel rolls, and slow and high-speed flight. It was extremely easy to
take off and to land and, as I recall, had powerful dive brakes. It was
docile and well-behaved in all flight regimes. In fact, the only short
coming we could find was in its appearance. It did not attract the
expected (and hoped for) crowds of chicks...

Dan Marotta

On 10/16/2014 8:20 PM, wrote:
> Very docile stall-spin characteristics, easy to handle on the ground as when empty it is almost balanced on the main wheel, very directionally stable on take off and landing due to weight on the nose wheel though this does make it harder to change direction on rollout if needed. Very light and well harmonized controls and easy to assemble. As previously stated it climbs very well but starts coming down pretty quickly if you put on the speed.
>
> There are some calendar life limited parts on the ship which may or may not have been replaced in accordance with the maintenance manual as referenced in the type certificate so that should be checked on any PW-5 being considered for purchase.
>
> The big problem this glider (and others in the same performance class) faced was that the number of glider pilots is not increasing and glass ships have a very long life. This results in a fairly good supply of older standard class ships which could be purchased for less money and which offered better performance while still having acceptable flying characteristics. I really liked flying the PW-5 but when it came to my own money I bought an old, but very nice ASW-15b.

[Don Johnstone[_4_]]

At 06:00 16 October 2014, Howard Lau wrote:
>I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my
>instru=
>ctor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen
photos
>=
>and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I
>w=
>as wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?=20
>
>Thanks!
>Happy gliding!

How is getting naked together going to further your knowledge of the PW5?
Just asking.

[John Firth[_4_]]

At 16:02 17 October 2014, Don Johnstone wrote:
>At 06:00 16 October 2014, Howard Lau wrote:
>>I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my
>>instru=
>>ctor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've see
>photos
>>=
>>and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so
I
>>w=
>>as wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?=20
>>
>>Thanks!
>>Happy gliding!
>
>How is getting naked together going to further your knowledge of the PW5
>Just asking.
>
>This is called "getting down to basics"

JMF

[SoaringXCellence]

On Friday, October 17, 2014 9:02:11 AM UTC-7, Don Johnstone wrote:
> At 06:00 16 October 2014, Howard Lau wrote:
>
> >I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my
>
> >instru=
>
> >ctor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen
>
> photos
>
> >=
>
> >and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I
>
> >w=
>
> >as wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?=20
>
> >
>
> >Thanks!
>
> >Happy gliding!
>
>
>
> How is getting naked together going to further your knowledge of the PW5?
>
> Just asking.

Next thing you know someone will ask if it has "breaks" ;-)

[JS]

Probably because it doesn't have winglets?
My club just replaced a Junior with two PW5s. They're doing well as first single-place ships (training / 1st solo in Twin Grobs). Then pilots move up to LS7 before flying the newer stuff.
Sort of a modern day 1-26?
Jim

On Friday, October 17, 2014 8:27:04 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
> It did not attract the expected (and hoped for) crowds of chicks...

[Bob Kuykendall]

The one thing I can offer is that the PW5, like most of its sub-15m brethren, is rather lightly built, and will not take much in the way of ground handling loads. Be careful about dragging the wingtips on landing, and don't try to move it about by pulling on both wingtips at the same time.

Thanks, Bob K.

[Vsoars]

On Thursday, October 16, 2014 1:00:19 AM UTC-5, Howard Lau wrote:
> I'm a rather new glider pilot and I am about to fly on the PW5 as my instructor deems me to be competent after training on the G103, I've seen photos and the glider seems small and the wingspan is only 10 meters or so, so I was wondering how she flies. Any PW-5 experiences?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Happy gliding!

The PW5 can teach you so much about soaring. Nothing will let you feel the energy in the sky any better than this ship. I now alternate between my PW5 and my Duo Discus. Both are fun to fly, but on a day I want to push beyond 400 Km, I want to do it in the PW5 not the heavy 20 meter ship. (The PW5 is also great in wave flights.) Even though I have 1,000+ hours in a PW5, each day flying it is a true joy.(For more on flights in a PW5, you might want to check out this web site: valpaget.com)

[Bruce Hoult[_2_]]

On 2014-10-18 00:55:04 +0000, Bob Kuykendall said:

> The one thing I can offer is that the PW5, like most of its sub-15m
> brethren, is rather lightly built, and will not take much in the way of
> ground handling loads. Be careful about dragging the wingtips on
> landing, and don't try to move it about by pulling on both wingtips at
> the same time.

The advantage of this is when you outland, it's no problem for just you
and your sub-60 kg significant other (and a wing stand) to derig it.

[Roy Clark, \B6\]

On Friday, October 17, 2014 8:27:04 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
> Years back a friend and I were asked to
> perform the FAA mandated Phase I flight tests for a newly imported
> PW-5.* .... In fact, the only short
> coming we could find was in its appearance.* It did not attract
> the expected (and hoped for) crowds of chicks...
>
> Dan Marotta
> On 10/16/2014 8:20 PM, wrote:
>
Did catch the fancy of at least one bull:

Donald Ingraham
3/11/99
From Charlie Spratt's write-up of Day 2 (yesterday) at the Senior's
in Florida....

<snip>
" I have heard some great land-out stories over the years but few
beat the one that happened to Francois Pin in his PW-5. Francois go
low on the second turn and had to pick a field to land in. It was a
good field, and he had no problems with the landing.

Soon after landing cows began to show up around the glider. They
began to lick the glider, and slobber all over it. Francois makes
several attempts to run them off with little luck. His biggest
problem showed up soon after. A very large and aggressive bull comes
on the scene. The bull put a horn under the stab and raised the
glider off the ground. Francois was able to back him up a little
but he continued to have great interest in the glider. After a couple
of runs at Francois the bull seemed to claim the glider as part of
his harem. The bull moved to the front of the glider and began to
tear at the canopy cover. Soon it is in shreds on the ground. Now
the bull suddenly raises up on its hind legs, and to the horror of
Francois tries to mount the glider! The crunch of the canopy is loud
and long as the bulls hoofs penetrate the Plexiglas. Francois
continues to try and run the bull off, but he appears to be in love
and won't budge. Just in time the crew shows up and the bull seems
threatened by the four-wheeler and retreats from his new found love.
As I write this Francois and team are in the hangar supergluing
pieces of the canopy back together in hopes that he can fly tomorrow."

(Note to self: add mace to off-field landing kit. :-)

Don
__________________________________________________ _____
Don Ingraham
Silicon Graphics Friends help you move.
Real friends help you move bodies.>
>
> Very docile stall-spin characteristics, easy to handle on the ground as when empty it is almost balanced on the main wheel, very directionally stable on take off and landing due to weight on the nose wheel though this does make it harder to change direction on rollout if needed. Very light and well harmonized controls and easy to assemble. As previously stated it climbs very well but starts coming down pretty quickly if you put on the speed.
>
> There are some calendar life limited parts on the ship which may or may not have been replaced in accordance with the maintenance manual as referenced in the type certificate so that should be checked on any PW-5 being considered for purchase.
>
> The big problem this glider (and others in the same performance class) faced was that the number of glider pilots is not increasing and glass ships have a very long life. This results in a fairly good supply of older standard class ships which could be purchased for less money and which offered better performance while still having acceptable flying characteristics. I really liked flying the PW-5 but when it came to my own money I bought an old, but very nice ASW-15b.