It struck me the other day that the materials used to cover R/C models these days could be used to 'refinish' ships on which the gelcoat had deteriorated. We are already 'happy' to stick .5m wide pieces of orange tape to the surfaces of gliders and do so with impunity. Solarfilm ( a trade name ) ...

Anyone know what the gliding situation is in Latvia? Its a tiny country, is there any activity? Ian

I was chatting to a non glider pilot recently who seemed to think that a tip-to-toe flight along the length of the Americas would make a cool expedition. Starting in Alaska and following the Rockies, crossing central America and then picking up the Andes and Klaus Ohlmans tracks to the tip of...

www.glidingmagazine.com has gone AWOL. Any ideas anyone? Ian

Anyone up on the current scene as far as Turkey is concerned? Can foreigners fly there? Are there active clubs? Ian

The 'which glider should we make cheaply' , 'glider classes' and some of the traditional 'winter threads' seem to be based on the premise that if we could build a 40:1 sailplane for some nominal amount then the steady decline in worldwide sailplane pilot numbers can be stemmed. I am yet to be...

The dump valve on my Nimbus 3 are leaking - one leaks about 10 litres overnight, another 10 litres an minute, the others somewhere in between. I'm looking for help on how to go about sealing them better. I will get some new springs manufactured to push the valves closed but I would appreciate...

I'm thinking of claiming a record. I have a valid IGC trace aquired recently in the Pyrenees during which I climbed to 79275' ( yes seventy nine thousand two hundred and seventy five feet ) after taking off at 8228' - a 71000 plus gain of height. The logger was sealed in the glider, a nimbus 3 t, ...

I am about to go away on a gliding holiday and will probably be out of touch with any OO's. Hoping to claim the next big badge I am arranging to have my logger sealed into the glider with a lead seal or non replaceable sealing tape as per the guidelines on being able to operate independently of...

There is another thread on RAS proposing a change to the "once only" rule. Other threads have discussed the use of COTS loggers. I'd like to see a subdivision of loggers available that do not support barometric pressure sensors. This could be implemented quite simply by having a clause that...

'I'll be using no engine, just perfect aerodynamics and my skills' With a glide ratio of 1:3.8 his definition of 'perfect aerodynamics' leaves something to be desired I think. Ian "Mark Stevens" wrote in message...

Anyone know how to get hold of Strong Enterprises? Their number is an 800 one so it doesn't work when dialing from the UK. Their eMail server bounces addresses quoted on their site and their online shop won't let me build a 'chute properley ( colours, canopy size, longer straps ). They may make...

As the subject line says. I'm looking for a Nimbus 3T or early Nimbus 4 ( turbo ready ) Cash waiting! All condition aircraft considered ( I've got 6 months till the season picks up again! ) Anyone know of any Nimbii looking for a new owner? Ian

Apart from the very sweet looking 17.6 m tips and tail ballast what are the other differences between the Ventus B and the Ventus C. Does the C have the same long cockpit as the B ? I believe the C handles a lot better. Ian

Piece of PocketPC based moving map display software. Trace of flight shows areas of lift and sink. My first instinct was to make trace green when in the lift and red when in the sink. Not too clever when a whole bunch of you are red/green colourblind! So, any suggestions on this one? How about...

Aircraft - Ventus Bt, Asw 20 bl and Libelle. Logger / Vario - Colibri and Lx160 ( now a 160s ) Opinion - 8/10 Plusses - Reasonably simple to use. Reliable, plenty memory Minus - can't set task and/or active TP in flight via RS232 interface without redeclaration ocurring Volkslogger / Borgelt...

There is the possibility to do a full FAI triangle 750k out of Parham ( PAR,OSW,BRN) but it would be a major acheivement, although last Friday I reckon it was do-able! Free distance seems the easiest way. In the UK what is the proceedure for declaring a free distance attempt in such a way to...

I'm considering stepping up to the open class in an attempt to overcome the local sea-breeze and usually marginal conditions. Could I ask the group for opinions on the Nimbus 3 ( turbo ) Ian

When is a wing not a wing? I've just watched Felix Baumgartner land live on television. He has a 1.5 m span 'wing' contraption strapped to his back. In effect we have a bloke who has succesfully talked a drinks company out of a chunk of money to fly a very low performance glider across the...