Wings and wheels has a 19m Kestrel on it for a lot less than this.
Things against it.
Detachable canopy with that hoop in your field of view.
The weight of the wings - you really know who your friends are when you rig a
T59 Kestrel.
19m Wingspan makes for more ground handling effort and concentration than a 15m
ship.
Not competitive in any class - it is too much wing to be in 18m, and too little
to win in open.
Not exactly nimble.

Things going for it.
Delightful handling.
Looong legs - beats a Ventus on performance.
Landing flap gives very steep and slow approaches, nice and safe.
Big cockpit.
Very good value for money.

So - If what you want to do is fly XC - it might be an idea. Lots of performance
for little money means you can spend more on good instruments, and aerotow.

Just my 2c.

You will probably like whatever you buy - it is human nature. I would just
suggest that you keep a reserve of money available to invest in instruments and
developmental flying - like a club/sports class contest or two. My old std
Cirrus is still teaching me things after 5 years. Though the Kestrel is
introducing me to the dark side of performance enhancing stuff like span, and
flaps...


noel.wade wrote:
On Mar 28, 11:54 am, Ramy wrote:
Most of the gliders you mentioned in your higher price range ($35K-
$40K) are available in your previous price range ($25K-$30K), at least
in the US. Pegasus for even less.

Ramy

Ramy -

Even though metal and old glass ships have been losing value, prices
on 80's glass has been holding steady or going up. I blame it on the
Euro-Dollar disparity and the widening gap between the cost of used
vs. new gliders (encouraging more folks to stick with 80's and 90's
glass).

I know of 1 DG-300 in so-so condition that sold for just over $30k
recently. High-end DG-300's and 303's have been selling quite rapidly
at $50k - $60k. I don't know of ANY ASW-20's that have sold for under
$30k recently.

But having said that, your point is well taken. I have often debated
whether the minor performance differences between a Mosquito and an
ASW-20 / LS-6 / DG-300 are worth the extra cost (especially since I
fly in such weak conditions). Wouldn't I be better with an older ship
and use the "extra" money to improve it? The thing is, those older
ships leave more to be desired in terms of ergonomics, rigging, and
resale value. And I've decided that those traits ARE worth some
money. How much - well that's a matter of opinion...

--Noel