What? I don't know of any 13 span glider that comes
close to an LS4.

Knocking a couple of meters off the wings doesn't reduce
your manufacturing costs much. If you're going to
build a glider it's worth the extra $$$ to make it
15M. Otherwise you end up with a PW5.

Ben.


Bob Kuykendall wrote:


At production run rates of several thousand gliders
per manufacturer
per year, I would guess that it would be economically
viable to apply
existing manufacturing technologies that could drastically
reduce the
per-unit price of a typical 15-meter glider. And by
drastically, I
mean between to between a quarter and a third of current
prices.


Many people say they would be delighted to have a
glider with the
performance of an LS4. This performance can now be
achieved with a
smaller span glider of 13 M or less. Can you guess
at the cost reduction
that would be possible with a 12 or 13 meter glider
compared to the 15M
LS4? Smaller factory, less materials, less labor (especially
if hand
finishing is needed), smaller trailer, lower shipping
costs (RO-RO is by
volume, I think).


Eric