DG-303 spar issues - puchase?

[Paul[_11_]]

For a new glider pilot, do you think a DG-303 glider would be a good glider to purchase? I really like the design, and I've tried to understand all the issues that occurred around 2007 (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!starred/rec.aviation.soaring/SspUMjJ-YYo), however not sure what the end result was. There are a few DG-30# for sale on W&W.

Appreciate any recommendations. Thanks,
Paul

[Turkey Vulture]

The DG 300 is a fantastic glider that you will love.
It's perfect for the low-time pilot. The 303 has all the creature comforts that were implemented over the versions starting with the DG 100. The 300's performance is supposed to be similiar to the DG 200 (which is flapped). I doubt that's the case at high speeds but maybe?

The wing spar on the DG 300 did have an AD that forbids acrobatic flight without a very specific type of inspection. Something to consider...

Get the DG 303! Or, get a DG 100. It will give you 95% of the fun and satisfaction of the DG 300 at less than half the price. You can also do loops...legally.

[Mike C]

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 12:00:53 PM UTC-6, Paul wrote:
> For a new glider pilot, do you think a DG-303 glider would be a good glider to purchase? I really like the design, and I've tried to understand all the issues that occurred around 2007 (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!starred/rec.aviation.soaring/SspUMjJ-YYo), however not sure what the end result was. There are a few DG-30# for sale on W&W.
>
> Appreciate any recommendations. Thanks,
> Paul

Paul,

FYI

The DG 300 "MQ" on W&W's is a nice, well cared for glider. Belongs to club member. No problems with the spar cap rovings not being straight and weakening the wings and the resulting +/- G safety rating. Would make an excellent Club Class glider if you are interested in competition. Definitely worth consideration.

Mike

[[email protected]]

W dniu wtorek, 12 maja 2020 20:00:53 UTC+2 użytkownik Paul napisał:
> For a new glider pilot, do you think a DG-303 glider would be a good glider to purchase? I really like the design, and I've tried to understand all the issues that occurred around 2007 (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!starred/rec.aviation.soaring/SspUMjJ-YYo), however not sure what the end result was. There are a few DG-30# for sale on W&W.
>
> Appreciate any recommendations. Thanks,
> Paul

Definetly so.
I have owned one and became a huge fan of DG design. Currently own DG600.

Spar thing is a no issue. Out of over 500 ships not a single one had a problem due to the spar problem.
Buy and enjoy! Comfort is excellent, performance as well. You will not go wrong.

S

[[email protected]]

My wife and I love our DG300. I don't think you can go wrong. If you're looking for more information or want to connect with the DG community, I'm the moderator the DGgliders group on groups.io.

Mark

[[email protected]]

I have owned my DG-303 for 10 years. I think it is the absolute best design for the newer transition pilot coming out of club ships in a safety sense.. It does everything very well except winning racing competitions. The spar issue has been a non-issue after lots and lots of extensive study and research. Most of the ships they cut open did not have the problem and no one has ever had a problem with spar failure because of the construction flaw on the few ships that might have it. DG did a load test on a defective spar wing and it broke at over 9G's of load. The thought of the damage of cutting and repairing 4 holes in my wings to increase the safety margin from 1.4 to 1.5 just does not make sense to me especially when most likely most ships probably does not have the problem to begin with, especially my new one.. Come to Utah for a sit and see!!!

[Paul[_11_]]

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 2:28:33 PM UTC-4, Turkey Vulture wrote:
> The DG 300 is a fantastic glider that you will love.
> It's perfect for the low-time pilot. The 303 has all the creature comforts that were implemented over the versions starting with the DG 100. The 300's performance is supposed to be similiar to the DG 200 (which is flapped). I doubt that's the case at high speeds but maybe?
>
> The wing spar on the DG 300 did have an AD that forbids acrobatic flight without a very specific type of inspection. Something to consider...
>
> Get the DG 303! Or, get a DG 100. It will give you 95% of the fun and satisfaction of the DG 300 at less than half the price. You can also do loops....legally.

Thanks! I've looked at flapped gliders, but I'm preferring non-flapped gliders. There are a few DGs for sale on W&W.

Paul

[Paul[_11_]]

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 2:38:35 PM UTC-4, Mike C wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 12:00:53 PM UTC-6, Paul wrote:
> > For a new glider pilot, do you think a DG-303 glider would be a good glider to purchase? I really like the design, and I've tried to understand all the issues that occurred around 2007 (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!starred/rec.aviation.soaring/SspUMjJ-YYo), however not sure what the end result was. There are a few DG-30# for sale on W&W.
> >
> > Appreciate any recommendations. Thanks,
> > Paul
>
> Paul,
>
> FYI
>
> The DG 300 "MQ" on W&W's is a nice, well cared for glider. Belongs to club member. No problems with the spar cap rovings not being straight and weakening the wings and the resulting +/- G safety rating. Would make an excellent Club Class glider if you are interested in competition. Definitely worth consideration.
>
> Mike

Thanks. Competitions are something I'm looking at definitely.

Paul

[Paul[_11_]]

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 5:42:55 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> W dniu wtorek, 12 maja 2020 20:00:53 UTC+2 użytkownik Paul napisał:
> > For a new glider pilot, do you think a DG-303 glider would be a good glider to purchase? I really like the design, and I've tried to understand all the issues that occurred around 2007 (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!starred/rec.aviation.soaring/SspUMjJ-YYo), however not sure what the end result was. There are a few DG-30# for sale on W&W.
> >
> > Appreciate any recommendations. Thanks,
> > Paul
>
> Definetly so.
> I have owned one and became a huge fan of DG design. Currently own DG600.
>
> Spar thing is a no issue. Out of over 500 ships not a single one had a problem due to the spar problem.
> Buy and enjoy! Comfort is excellent, performance as well. You will not go wrong.
>
> S

Yes, I really like DGs attention to quality. I know that performance might not be the best of the best, but for my budget, it meets my requirements! :)

Paul

[Paul[_11_]]

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 5:59:49 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> My wife and I love our DG300. I don't think you can go wrong. If you're looking for more information or want to connect with the DG community, I'm the moderator the DGgliders group on groups.io.
>
> Mark

Thanks Mark, I joined the DGgliders group. Finally read the manual for the DG-300, which I expect is the same for the 303, correct?

Paul

[Paul[_11_]]

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 7:03:07 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> I have owned my DG-303 for 10 years. I think it is the absolute best design for the newer transition pilot coming out of club ships in a safety sense. It does everything very well except winning racing competitions. The spar issue has been a non-issue after lots and lots of extensive study and research. Most of the ships they cut open did not have the problem and no one has ever had a problem with spar failure because of the construction flaw on the few ships that might have it. DG did a load test on a defective spar wing and it broke at over 9G's of load. The thought of the damage of cutting and repairing 4 holes in my wings to increase the safety margin from 1.4 to 1.5 just does not make sense to me especially when most likely most ships probably does not have the problem to begin with, especially my new one. Come to Utah for a sit and see!!!

Thanks for the info about the spar! I've been thinking of moving to Utah, maybe next year. Thanks for the offer to let me sit inside your sailplane; I would love to. ;)

Paul

[Ron Gleason]

On Thursday, 14 May 2020 13:00:02 UTC-6, Paul wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 7:03:07 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> > I have owned my DG-303 for 10 years. I think it is the absolute best design for the newer transition pilot coming out of club ships in a safety sense. It does everything very well except winning racing competitions. The spar issue has been a non-issue after lots and lots of extensive study and research. Most of the ships they cut open did not have the problem and no one has ever had a problem with spar failure because of the construction flaw on the few ships that might have it. DG did a load test on a defective spar wing and it broke at over 9G's of load. The thought of the damage of cutting and repairing 4 holes in my wings to increase the safety margin from 1.4 to 1.5 just does not make sense to me especially when most likely most ships probably does not have the problem to begin with, especially my new one. Come to Utah for a sit and see!!!
>
> Thanks for the info about the spar! I've been thinking of moving to Utah, maybe next year. Thanks for the offer to let me sit inside your sailplane; I would love to. ;)
>
> Paul

Paul, I was the previous owner of DG-303 that John is selling. It was my first single place after learning and getting my license in a Grob 103.

I echo everything John stated plus he has taken great care of the glider along with tremendous upgrades to the electronics.

COme on out to UT and test fit the glider and have ready to fly for when you move here!

Ron Gleason
Huntsville, UT

[Tim from Pure Glide]

On Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 6:00:53 AM UTC+12, Paul wrote:
> For a new glider pilot, do you think a DG-303 glider would be a good glider to purchase? I really like the design, and I've tried to understand all the issues that occurred around 2007 (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!starred/rec.aviation.soaring/SspUMjJ-YYo), however not sure what the end result was. There are a few DG-30# for sale on W&W.
>
> Appreciate any recommendations. Thanks,
> Paul

I owned a DG300 (almost the same as the 303) for over 5 years and loved it. As long as it's handicapped it's fine for contests, I flew it in many and won lots of days and the odd comp. Generally contest failures are the pilot not pointing the glider in the right direction, rather than the glider! It handled water well. So docile to fly, easy to rig, and the original gel coat polished up great. Loved the visibility. I put in an LX S100 which works great for the panel and is about the right investment for that age of glider. Recently sold it to buy a Ventus CT for the turbo.
https://imgur.com/DPwDsFk

[Charles Longley]

We have a couple of DG 300’s in our club. Everyone seems to enjoy them. There is the DG tax to consider though.

[Richard DalCanto]

I have been flying John's 303 since last season, in exchange for keeping it in my hangar, and for upgrading the transponder/FLARM with ADSB. I LOVE this glider. Great roll rate from the big aerobatic ailerons. Very docile (no bad stall tendencies), but very responsive. Thermals basically hands off. I started flying it the year after I got my add-on rating with less than 30 hours in a Grob, and it was a very easy transition. I believe the glide is comparable with a flapped glider until about 80 knots, then you start to have a higher sink rate as you push to 100 knots. The glider is in incredible condition, with a beautiful gel coat. Who ever buys this glider is going to be very happy. I am jumping into a JS3 (with Jet sustainer) next month, and I hope the handling and thermalling is half as good as the 303.....

[Paul[_11_]]

On Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 10:53:18 PM UTC-4, Richard DalCanto wrote:
> I have been flying John's 303 since last season, in exchange for keeping it in my hangar, and for upgrading the transponder/FLARM with ADSB. I LOVE this glider. Great roll rate from the big aerobatic ailerons. Very docile (no bad stall tendencies), but very responsive. Thermals basically hands off. I started flying it the year after I got my add-on rating with less than 30 hours in a Grob, and it was a very easy transition. I believe the glide is comparable with a flapped glider until about 80 knots, then you start to have a higher sink rate as you push to 100 knots. The glider is in incredible condition, with a beautiful gel coat. Who ever buys this glider is going to be very happy. I am jumping into a JS3 (with Jet sustainer) next month, and I hope the handling and thermalling is half as good as the 303....

Thank you for letting me know. There are a few 303, so waiting to hear from them.

Paul

[Paul[_11_]]

On Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 3:59:54 AM UTC-4, Tim from Pure Glide wrote:
> On Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 6:00:53 AM UTC+12, Paul wrote:
> > For a new glider pilot, do you think a DG-303 glider would be a good glider to purchase? I really like the design, and I've tried to understand all the issues that occurred around 2007 (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!starred/rec.aviation.soaring/SspUMjJ-YYo), however not sure what the end result was. There are a few DG-30# for sale on W&W.
> >
> > Appreciate any recommendations. Thanks,
> > Paul
>
> I owned a DG300 (almost the same as the 303) for over 5 years and loved it. As long as it's handicapped it's fine for contests, I flew it in many and won lots of days and the odd comp. Generally contest failures are the pilot not pointing the glider in the right direction, rather than the glider! It handled water well. So docile to fly, easy to rig, and the original gel coat polished up great. Loved the visibility. I put in an LX S100 which works great for the panel and is about the right investment for that age of glider. Recently sold it to buy a Ventus CT for the turbo.
> https://imgur.com/DPwDsFk

thanks!

Paul

[Paul[_11_]]

On Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 9:49:57 AM UTC-4, Charles Longley wrote:
> We have a couple of DG 300’s in our club. Everyone seems to enjoy them. There is the DG tax to consider though.

Not sure exactly what is meant by the tax...

Paul

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

Cost to get info from the mfr. you can do a yearly, or case by case.....thus "tax".

[Paul[_11_]]

On Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 2:58:27 PM UTC-4, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
> Cost to get info from the mfr. you can do a yearly, or case by case.....thus "tax".

Below is what I found on DG's FAQ website (https://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/en/maintenance-service-aircraft/service-contract).

Am I reading this incorrectly?

"I own a glider made by your company, which I just purchased second hand. Do I have to conclude a Service Agreement?
No you don’t have to. All gliders built after 1996 by DG Flugzeugbau take advantage of our lifelong after-sales-service. You have virtually purchased it with your used aircraft. The same applies to customers who own such a DG- or LS-glider and want to sell it. The buyer does not have to sign a Service Agreement."

[Richard DalCanto]

On Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 4:43:35 PM UTC-6, Paul wrote:
> On Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 2:58:27 PM UTC-4, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
> > Cost to get info from the mfr. you can do a yearly, or case by case......thus "tax".
>
> Below is what I found on DG's FAQ website (https://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/en/maintenance-service-aircraft/service-contract).
>
> Am I reading this incorrectly?
>
> "I own a glider made by your company, which I just purchased second hand. Do I have to conclude a Service Agreement?
> No you don’t have to. All gliders built after 1996 by DG Flugzeugbau take advantage of our lifelong after-sales-service. You have virtually purchased it with your used aircraft. The same applies to customers who own such a DG- or LS-glider and want to sell it. The buyer does not have to sign a Service Agreement."

I should let John answer, but as far as I know his 303 is new enough that it qualifies for the lifelong after-sales-service.

[John[_36_]]

Yes, I get full support on my DG-303 with no annual service agreement because my 303 is newer than 1996. I have been able to order parts without any extra fee or agreement. This was a big factor when I purchased my 303.

[John Good]

I owned a DG-300 for a good while, and really liked it - many memorable flights including the 1000-km task during the Regional contest at New Castle VA. I'd recommend it highly.

Here are two notable details worthy of attention, that seem not to be common knowledge among owners:

The gear-retract handle is a knob on the end of the actuator rod that rotates outboard to lock the gear up or down. Its rotation is restrained by a friction washer. Over time, this wears / compresses, so the friction decreases. It can reach the point where the knob rotates freely, making the gear somewhat prone to collapse, especially when landing on rough ground. The friction is easily adjusted by a nut that compresses the friction washer. Owners should be aware that a freely rotating knob is a problem waiting to happen - but it seems only a minority understand this issue.

The spoiler panels are often just a bit too high at their outboard end. This means that when you pull up and the wings flex, the spoiler box pushes the end of the spoiler up a few mm above the wing surface. You thus suffer a small performance loss each time you pull into a thermal, and perhaps when you thermal in a steep bank.

The problem is easy to detect: Pull the divebrakes open and inspect the bottom of the box at its outboard end. If it's been pushing on the spoiler panel, you'll see a black mark caused by aluminum rubbing on fiberglass. In my experience, about 60% of DG-300 gliders exhibit this (I have no info on the DG-303). The solution is fairly simple: shave a small wedge of aluminum off the outboard bottom edge of the panel - perhaps 6mm at the end, tapering to nothing over a distance of 80mm.

[Paul[_11_]]

On Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 12:32:56 PM UTC-4, John Good wrote:
> I owned a DG-300 for a good while, and really liked it - many memorable flights including the 1000-km task during the Regional contest at New Castle VA. I'd recommend it highly.
>
> Here are two notable details worthy of attention, that seem not to be common knowledge among owners:
>
> The gear-retract handle is a knob on the end of the actuator rod that rotates outboard to lock the gear up or down. Its rotation is restrained by a friction washer. Over time, this wears / compresses, so the friction decreases. It can reach the point where the knob rotates freely, making the gear somewhat prone to collapse, especially when landing on rough ground. The friction is easily adjusted by a nut that compresses the friction washer. Owners should be aware that a freely rotating knob is a problem waiting to happen - but it seems only a minority understand this issue.
>
> The spoiler panels are often just a bit too high at their outboard end. This means that when you pull up and the wings flex, the spoiler box pushes the end of the spoiler up a few mm above the wing surface. You thus suffer a small performance loss each time you pull into a thermal, and perhaps when you thermal in a steep bank.
>
> The problem is easy to detect: Pull the divebrakes open and inspect the bottom of the box at its outboard end. If it's been pushing on the spoiler panel, you'll see a black mark caused by aluminum rubbing on fiberglass. In my experience, about 60% of DG-300 gliders exhibit this (I have no info on the DG-303). The solution is fairly simple: shave a small wedge of aluminum off the outboard bottom edge of the panel - perhaps 6mm at the end, tapering to nothing over a distance of 80mm.

John, really great information, thank you!

Paul

[[email protected]]

My 303 had the gear retract handle problem causing a gear collapse back in 2014. I had the entire bent bracket re-engineered and rebuilt so N303MR will never have a gear collapse again. We joke sometimes that DG stands for "Defective Gear" It's really hard to explain but easy to show and tell. At least I don't have to worry about it failing again on my 303

[Eric]

> > The gear-retract handle is a knob on the end of the actuator rod that rotates outboard to lock the gear up or down. Its rotation is restrained by a friction washer. Over time, this wears / compresses, so the friction decreases. It can reach the point where the knob rotates freely, making the gear somewhat prone to collapse, especially when landing on rough ground. The friction is easily adjusted by a nut that compresses the friction washer.. Owners should be aware that a freely rotating knob is a problem waiting to happen - but it seems only a minority understand this issue.
> >
> Paul

DG also offers a retrofit kit that forces the brakes torque tube in the outboard position. Technical note TN 359/22 (service contract required)

https://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/en/download/Data/TN-DG/DG-300/359-22/8FW25e.pdf

[[email protected]]

> DG also offers a retrofit kit that forces the brakes torque tube in the outboard position. Technical note TN 359/22 (service contract required)
>
> https://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/en/download/Data/TN-DG/DG-300/359-22/8FW25e.pdf

When I go try DG 400, the DG300 gear fix was already performed on the bird. Simple elegant solution that I would highly recommend.

Kevin
92

[Paul[_11_]]

On Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 1:21:19 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> My 303 had the gear retract handle problem causing a gear collapse back in 2014. I had the entire bent bracket re-engineered and rebuilt so N303MR will never have a gear collapse again. We joke sometimes that DG stands for "Defective Gear" It's really hard to explain but easy to show and tell. At least I don't have to worry about it failing again on my 303

John, what alterations were made? Also, I have been reading the TNs, and I'm confused if simple aerobatics, i.e. loops, chandelles, etc., are allowed or not.

Paul

[[email protected]]

Paul,
I had my gear lock bracket lengthened an inch so that the gear handle does not give a false lock in front of the bracket and not behind it as happened in my case when my gear collapsed after I lowered the gear with a false lock. The previous pilot installed the stronger spring installed on the gear handle so it won't pop out on bumpy landing.
I don't think they made it specific differentiation in the TN so I assumed in my favor with a healthy margin of safety that simple aerobatics fall under the utility category and not the aerobatic category as stated in the flight manual. Spins, Inside loop, stall turn, Chandelle, and lazy eight are all considered simple aerobatics flown under the utility category. All of these are low G maneuvers anyway which fall well with in it's capacity of a 303 with a healthy margin of safety even if it had the spar cap problem which most don't even have. I was always too heavy to fly the technical Acro category anyway but all the things I like to do anyway are labeled under utility anyway so I never really cared. My personal feeling is that in the end its mostly a paperwork check the box in the EU to be letter of the law +7G with 1.5 safety margin specs from what I have read. The worst defective spar cap still had a 1.4 safety margin on the +7g rating. Most gliders are rated at +5g's. It broke at over +9g's when they tested it. The FAA never cared and we never got an AD in the USA from it as no plane ever suffered a failure in over 20 years. Just my 2 cents.

[Paul[_11_]]

On Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 7:26:43 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> Paul,
> I had my gear lock bracket lengthened an inch so that the gear handle does not give a false lock in front of the bracket and not behind it as happened in my case when my gear collapsed after I lowered the gear with a false lock. The previous pilot installed the stronger spring installed on the gear handle so it won't pop out on bumpy landing.
> I don't think they made it specific differentiation in the TN so I assumed in my favor with a healthy margin of safety that simple aerobatics fall under the utility category and not the aerobatic category as stated in the flight manual. Spins, Inside loop, stall turn, Chandelle, and lazy eight are all considered simple aerobatics flown under the utility category. All of these are low G maneuvers anyway which fall well with in it's capacity of a 303 with a healthy margin of safety even if it had the spar cap problem which most don't even have. I was always too heavy to fly the technical Acro category anyway but all the things I like to do anyway are labeled under utility anyway so I never really cared. My personal feeling is that in the end its mostly a paperwork check the box in the EU to be letter of the law +7G with 1.5 safety margin specs from what I have read. The worst defective spar cap still had a 1.4 safety margin on the +7g rating. Most gliders are rated at +5g's. It broke at over +9g's when they tested it. The FAA never cared and we never got an AD in the USA from it as no plane ever suffered a failure in over 20 years. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks John for the answer.

paul

[rudolph stutzmann]

I'm on my fifth year of having a DG303. Great flying ship, was very easy to transition into. great climber and runs side by side with most ships there, until about 75-80 kts, then performance will fade a little. Very comfortable, great view.

[MQ]

I appreciate the kind words from Mike C. about MQ that I have listed on W&W after well over a decade of flights. I flew it after two-seaters, a 1-26, Libelle and Discus. I think that new glider pilots have some great options in the Discus/DG300/LS4 category with automatic hookups and nice (perhaps read as Cobra) trailers. These ships seem much friendlier to me than other ships new glider pilots get stuck in.

Friendly and Comfortable- I did not fly mine for 18mos :( and was able to zoom around at 108km/h dry on my first flight for a couple of hours. I love the friendly wing (perhaps read as fat) and the relatively large rudder with outboard aileron positions that make it roll much faster than the Discus. I like the DGs so much that I am hoping to finally step up into another as I planned so many years ago when I thought I should continue to build hours in the DG300 first (perhaps read as not having enough coin).

It seems like there are many options for anyone in the market now. I will not be too sad if this means it will be another decade of flying my DG300. I would like to add some complexity and glide points now that I have added another 500hrs of experience though.

[MQ]

I forgot to add (my personal thoughts) that while I lost much sleep each and every day learning about the later ship spar issue hard landing story as it unfolded by reading posts and looking at pictures, following the releases from DG (post bankruptcy new ownership DG), discussing things with the other owners, talking to DG dealers, traveling to Germany, looking at an "inspected/repaired" ship in person with their photos of nothing found or changed, talking to multiple dealers and repair stations, reviewing the resulting technical note, reading the test reports and doing some calculations of my own on both best and worst scenarios as a working principal engineer that has developed aircraft structures...I have never lost a night's sleep concerned about the rovings in the spars on my early ship since conducting that research.

Warning- Your ship that had higher strength ratings (manufactured over 500 aircraft over two decades by different crews in different locations at Elan and in its third decade of manned flight) is now disowned of liability by new owners of the parent company and is now noted that it could have strengths similar to comparable ships that had initially slightly lower ratings. For a reality check on all our ships and strength effects/variability encountered in production and repairs you could buy or borrow my copy of SAE's Care and Repair of Advanced Composites by Keith Armstrong or just talk to your nearest expert like Steve Hill here, maybe buy them lunch.

[Paul[_11_]]

On Friday, June 5, 2020 at 3:48:51 AM UTC-4, MQ wrote:
> I appreciate the kind words from Mike C. about MQ that I have listed on W&W after well over a decade of flights. I flew it after two-seaters, a 1-26, Libelle and Discus. I think that new glider pilots have some great options in the Discus/DG300/LS4 category with automatic hookups and nice (perhaps read as Cobra) trailers. These ships seem much friendlier to me than other ships new glider pilots get stuck in.
>
> Friendly and Comfortable- I did not fly mine for 18mos :( and was able to zoom around at 108km/h dry on my first flight for a couple of hours. I love the friendly wing (perhaps read as fat) and the relatively large rudder with outboard aileron positions that make it roll much faster than the Discus. I like the DGs so much that I am hoping to finally step up into another as I planned so many years ago when I thought I should continue to build hours in the DG300 first (perhaps read as not having enough coin).
>
> It seems like there are many options for anyone in the market now. I will not be too sad if this means it will be another decade of flying my DG300. I would like to add some complexity and glide points now that I have added another 500hrs of experience though.

Thanks, everything I've heard about the DG-300's has been what I expected. You're right, there are so many for sale at the moment, and I think I'll make a decision soon.