On 5/13/2011 9:39 AM, tstock wrote:
I had been browsing 1-26's looking for my first glider and had a few
sellers tell me the 1-26 would not be happy in Florida due to the
humid environment.

Is this because the fuselage frame is made from steel rather than
aluminum and prone to rusting?

I know there are plenty of 1-26's here in Florida and I had never
heard of this problem until now...

But, in case you are wondering, I have decided that it may be better
to save another $6K and get something with a 30+:1 glide ratio than to
try to sell the 1-26 later when I am ready for something with better
performance. Laying in bed I realized that 20:1 glide radio is only
twice that of a Cessna 172! Ouch. Ultimately I would like to fly
cross country... I tend to get bored flying around the airport.

I admit I am attracted to the "one class" and simplicity of the 1-26
so I have not ruled it out completely... decided I will keep saving
money while trying to decide, however, the closer I get to $16,000USD,
the less appealing the 1-26 becomes.

Thanks
Tom

Ruh roh!! The dreaded FUD rears its ugly head. (That's "Fear Uncertainty
Doubt"; it's an ugly cousin to "buyer's remorse".)

Cons to ALL the glider materials:
- aircraft steel rusts;
- aluminum oxidizes;
- magnesium burns;
- all fatigue;
- UV is hard on paints/fabrics/gel-coats/skin;
- composites break.

Much safer & cheaper to remain on the ground!

Okay...wry broad-brush humor aside, here's how I've long handled such puzzlers
as, "...had a few sellers tell me the 1-26 would not be happy in Florida due
to the humid environment." Relentlessly ask those who propound such things,
"Why do you say that?" until all the answers are clear to you, and - ideally -
make good engineering/physical sense. Some, of course, never will. Then apply
your own best judgment.

WRT 'Florida 1-26-es' contact guys like Harry Senn for their (informed, at
many levels) input.

As for XC flying of 1-26-es, take a gander at the badge pages of "Soaring"
magazines from (say) 1965 through 1975, for a great idea of what
'non-abbie-normal' (which is to say everyday, Joe-Six-Pack dudes and dudette
pilots like me and you) routinely did with 1-26-es before fiberglass came
along to make everyone realize XC was impossible in 1-26-es. So what if none
of those pilots had any fun along the way?!?

If you find the 1-26 you want for $16,000, I'll sell you one in excellent
condition, on 'the usual generic' (also in decent condition) open trailer, for
less than half that. So will a lot of other people, I'll bet.

Have fun!

Bob W.

P.S. Any so-so time aloft beats most Really Good Times on the ground,
hands-down. So don't sweat the fact that - if you stick with the silly sport
for any time at all, say several years or more - you're almost certainly sure
to 'outgrow' your entry level of ship performance (though not all do...and no
one can know for certain where they'll end up 'attitudinally speaking'
regarding their 'ideal level of glider performance' until gaining some real
world experiences). The 'outgrow' part is as true for a glass bird as much as
it is for a 1-26, unless you can afford to buy the latest and greatest plastic
plane...most of the performance of which will be *way* beyond your existing
skills anyway. It's just the nature of the soaring beast. Assuming you pay a
fair price for a used ship to begin with, and don't 'prematurely age' it,
you'll likely be able sell it for what you have in it, along the way to your
next ship. Know yourself as well as possible, buy something, then go enjoy it!!!