On Mar 8, 8:18*am, wrote:
I have read many posts about how gliders like the PW5, L33, and other
similar performance gliders are not the greatest cross country gliders
and that for the same money you can get older higher performance
gliders. *My question is, if you forget about dollars per L/D, do
these type of gliders have enough performance to not cause frustration
in the beginner cross country pilot? *Another question is, would the
avg pilot be satisfied with these for a few years or would most really
get the itch to trade sooner?

Thanks

Story time........Hobbs Standards & PW-5 nats............3000' cloud
base.............everyone took a start and headed
out .................first thermal 20 moles out..............all
standard ships made it.................none of the PW-5
did........enough said?.........Dick Johnson wrote a paper a few years
back that said you need 35:1 to successfully go cross-country on a
regular basis.
I'd buy a Libelle or better,
JJ
Or, how about the DG-300 I'm finishing up right now? Completely
refinished in acrylic urethane, B-100 & B-400, Becker radio, Model 20
GPS/data logger, Winter vario, nelson oxygen, ASI, Alt, compas, Cobra
trailer.......will paint contest numbers and install your choice of
computer, if you proffer. Damage history = broken boom. $38,500.00.

PS; I owned & operated an FAA certified glider repair station prior to
retiring 10 years back.