On Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:36:39 -0700, chip.bearden wrote:

You are correct. My family owned a 201 and a 201b. I can't recall the
details and the paperwork has long since passed to subsequent owners but
I know there was a factory-approved procedure for installing water
ballast bags in the 201.

I wasn't aware that fitting water bags was factory approved. Mine had a
set of bags from a Kestrel fitted between 1979 and 1983. As I heard that
leaking bags and porous inner skin had done for a few H.301s I was very
glad to know they'd only been there for four years.

It's quite possible that the resulting
configuration was officially referred to as a 201b.

As far as I know the 201b designation involved several items: foam skins,
new tailplane, revised brakes, ballast bags as standard and increased Vne
and Mtow limits.

Anybody who is interested can see exactly when these changes occurred
because all the TNs are available on Hansjörg Streifeneder's site,
http://www.streifly.de/

Also, you mentioned it in passing but the 201b had dive brakes on
the top surface of the wing only.

That's correct. Lower surface brakes is the easiest way to tell a 201
from a 201b. Everything else apart from the tailplane change are internal
and I, for one, can't walk up to a lone Libelle and tell which tailplane
it has.

I have a feeling, but can't prove it, that the brakes were revised to
minimize damage when landing in crops or long grass. I've seen a
recommendation that you whip the brakes in as the glider settles at the
end of a fully held off landing to prevent the crop from damaging the
lower surface brakes.

I'm told there's little or no difference in effectiveness between the
brakes on a 201 and a 201b, but as I've only flown a 201b once I'm not
the person to ask about that.

I also learned how to sideslip well in this glider as the
dive brakes were not as effective as today's.

Roger that!

Its a very controllable slip. It drops like a sack of anvils when
slipped, which was perfect for getting into Milfield over the small trees
and down the bank.

Great little airplane and the first modern glider I ever flew.
Lots of good memories.

Mine suits me better than anything else I've flown. My club's Pegase 90
would be its closest rival for that slot.


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martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
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