I still think someone with a metal vee-tail glider ought to jump on
this idea, and just mount the engine on a short pylon.

Fiberglass forward fuselage, metal rear fuselage and metal V-tail.
Hmm. Didn't Udo Rumph show us that this formula can still lead to a
very high performance glider (ref. Dick Johnson's recent tests on
Udo's modified HP-18 published in Soaring)?

I think Eric may be onto something...

-Doug

It would be fun the to explore a sustainer jet with the HP18.
A 42 lb thrust jet should do to job, provided it has the same or better
reliability
for starting as a conventional engine.
I would reject a self launching jet version on environmental grounds.

Udo Rumpf