Windward's Sparrow Hawk and Duck Hawk out of production?

[J. Nieuwenhuize]

Windward has revamped their website (http://windward-performance.com/) and all sailplanes have disappeared from their website. Anybody in the know as to whether they've ceased any production, or sold off the molds etc?

[[email protected]]

My Norton antivirus software blocks the access to this new website...

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

wrote on 7/25/2016 1:37 PM:
> My Norton antivirus software blocks the access to this new website...
>
My Norton is happy with it.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"

https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications/download-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/Guide-to-transponders-in-sailplanes-2014A.pdf

[ND]

i don't know for sure, but they haven't really sold that many sparrowhawks or duckhawks have they? if i were him i would be inclined to try something different. something like a light airplane/motorglider concept makes sense. the market is larger for that. It seems like they also offer moldmaking services, prototyping, and layup stuff. I think they are going for diversification in order to offer their services in their areas of competence, and try to get a hit with a different general aviation segment. its actually a really smart move. look at HPH. there was an article about HPH in gliding international where they are doing a similar thing.

I'd like to make a few comments that maybe he'll see, and hopefully he won't hold them against me. maybe i should preface it by saying i think it's awesome that he is (or was) manufacturing gliders in the US despite intense german competition. he also developed a glider with a unique concept, and differentiated looks. also, his duckhawk apparently flies very well. i've raced against one in a discus and it seemed to be pretty good. having said that, it's lines aren't super sexy, and its interior seems spartan, almost cheap looking. that's probably what he was going for, simple, low cost production for a low cost composite sailplane. so my "cheap" comment shouldnt be taken in offense. meanwhile, high cost gliders are being sold with fancier interiors, more interior detail, and better external aesthetics. function over form, i get it. if a sexy glider gets whooped on by an "ugly" one because the ugly one is aerodynamically better, the top guys will fly the better one.

On Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 12:29:30 PM UTC-4, J. Nieuwenhuize wrote:
> Windward has revamped their website (http://windward-performance.com/) and all sailplanes have disappeared from their website. Anybody in the know as to whether they've ceased any production, or sold off the molds etc?

[Mike Schumann[_2_]]

On Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 8:55:55 AM UTC-5, ND wrote:
> i don't know for sure, but they haven't really sold that many sparrowhawks or duckhawks have they? if i were him i would be inclined to try something different. something like a light airplane/motorglider concept makes sense. the market is larger for that. It seems like they also offer moldmaking services, prototyping, and layup stuff. I think they are going for diversification in order to offer their services in their areas of competence, and try to get a hit with a different general aviation segment. its actually a really smart move. look at HPH. there was an article about HPH in gliding international where they are doing a similar thing.
>
> I'd like to make a few comments that maybe he'll see, and hopefully he won't hold them against me. maybe i should preface it by saying i think it's awesome that he is (or was) manufacturing gliders in the US despite intense german competition. he also developed a glider with a unique concept, and differentiated looks. also, his duckhawk apparently flies very well. i've raced against one in a discus and it seemed to be pretty good. having said that, it's lines aren't super sexy, and its interior seems spartan, almost cheap looking. that's probably what he was going for, simple, low cost production for a low cost composite sailplane. so my "cheap" comment shouldnt be taken in offense. meanwhile, high cost gliders are being sold with fancier interiors, more interior detail, and better external aesthetics. function over form, i get it. if a sexy glider gets whooped on by an "ugly" one because the ugly one is aerodynamically better, the top guys will fly the better one.
>
> On Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 12:29:30 PM UTC-4, J. Nieuwenhuize wrote:
> > Windward has revamped their website (http://windward-performance.com/) and all sailplanes have disappeared from their website. Anybody in the know as to whether they've ceased any production, or sold off the molds etc?

I'm perplexed by what's going on. I was interested in buying a Motorglider and could never get any information on the Goshawk. About a year ago, I got an e-mail saying that more info would be coming within a week or so. Never got any more info, even after a couple of additional inquiries.

They seem to be very distracted with more lucrative work. I ended up buying a Phoenix Motorglider, which is an incredible plane.

[Dave Nadler]

On Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 8:10:46 PM UTC-4, Mike Schumann wrote:
> I'm perplexed by what's going on.

We know.
Darryl?

[[email protected]]

I think you could still get a Sparrowhawk made, but the price went up a lot! The situation is there was not enough demand to keep the "factory" open. It's a shame, I toured it in 2014, and was very impressed. The molds are incredible to see up close. There was even a Perlan Project fuselage off to the side.
If you own a Sparrowhawk (like me) and are looking for information or tips/tricks etc, there is a Facebook page available. If you search "Sparrowhawk Owners" while logged into Facebook it will come up. It looks like a small group that could use some new activity :).
I've owned my glider for about a year and its been amazing. The Sparrowhawk flies so well! However, the instant and huge response to lift is the best thing. This is exactly what I expected from a carbon fiber airplane that weights under 200 lbs.

[WAVEGURU]

There were a couple of Sparrowhawks for sale on wings and wheels but they're not there anymore. Does anybody know if they sold?

Boggs

[Soartech]

Their website works for me and shows the Goshawk and an airplane called the Bruin Cub. What is amazing is that they claim the Goshawk motorglider, while cruising at 90 knots airspeed, will travel 3100 statue miles on 20 gallons of gas! That is 155 miles per gallon !! Am I reading that right?

[WAVEGURU]

That is 155 miles per gallon !! Am I reading that right?

Remember when the Sparrowhawk came out and they insisted that it has an L/D of 42/1 for a long time? Then Dick Johnson got a hold of one at the convention in LA and we got the real numbers.

Boggs

[Sean[_2_]]

Lol.

Mike drop! Boom.

https://youtu.be/rc9YzUK38H0

[WAVEGURU]

I think Johnson came up with an actual L/D of 33, and then whipped out some cardboard and made an improved wheel fairing and taped it on and brought it up to 36/1. Good for a short winged glider but not 42/1
Greg was not happy.

Boggs

[chris mckeage]

On Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 9:29:30 AM UTC-7, J. Nieuwenhuize wrote:
> Windward has revamped their website (http://windward-performance.com/) and all sailplanes have disappeared from their website. Anybody in the know as to whether they've ceased any production, or sold off the molds etc?

Greg still has all the molds and could make new parts. 7/18/19

[[email protected]]

But, would he?