Talk is cheap, while skepticism is free...well, except perhaps for a
diminution of imagination.

I remember when news of Greg Cole's Sparrow Hawk first appeared on RAS.
There were the predictable skeptics:
- he'll never deliver anything;
- he'll never deliver at U.S. ultralight weight;
- it won't have the predicted performance if he does deliver;
- it'll cost too much in any event;
- insurance woes will kill it;
- it'll be too fragile;
- it's not 15 meters;
- etc...

Never mind the man's publicly-known technical background and
professional resume of the time. Since then he has not only delivered,
but done so at a rate that helps sustain a technology-intensive business
in what remains a low-volume market. I, for one, am impressed as all
get-out, at many levels.

Now - in the same understated manner in which he acknowledged the
existence of Sparrow Hawk hardware/airframe development - Greg Cole has
informed the U.S. soaring world of his second (as known to me, anyway)
sailplane/hardware under development. And - as with the Sparrow Hawk -
Greg Cole has not only imagined a ship 'outside the box* of conventional
soaring thought' but begun seriously acting upon his imaginings. He has
my deep respect and sincere wishes for continuing business success...and
would have even were we not from the same country.

He's not alone in so having that, BTW; I'm no less impressed with the
work of Attie Jonkers and Danny Howell (as known largely to me via the
same convention) and the tremendous belief and years of effort of Bob
Kuykendall (as known to me mostly via RAS). Throughout its history and
as well demonstrated still today, soaring has attracted some remarkable
people!

Personally, I'm less skeptical about the Duck Hawk than I am hopeful
sufficient numbers of them will wind up in the hands of soaring pilots
with sufficient imagination and talent and wherewithal to begin
expanding 'everyone's' commonly accepted realm of soaring possibilities.
Ditto Danny Howell's Lighthawk.

While I doubt any of the men mentioned here dream and design and create
mostly for reasons of receiving 'Attaboys!' I'm genuinely pleased to be
in a position to give them mine. I can hardly wait until the first Duck
Hawk airframe is completed, even though I'll almost certainly never be
in a position to pilot it.

Bob - anticipatorily - W.

* 'Outside the box' - Am I the only one who remembers from the
Albuquerque convention Greg Cole's intention (then, anyway) to stress
the Duck Hawk for 'useful' dynamic soaring speeds and maneuvers (and
concomitant stresses)...as in enabling it to be capable of dynamically
soaring (say) the fringes of the jet stream?