On Monday, February 11, 2013 10:46:32 AM UTC-7, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Feb 10, 9:09*pm, wrote:



I do not own one. I am contemplating buying one and am looking

for more information from current owners and former or current builders..



Andrew, there are a couple of things you need to know about the Spirit/

Falcon:



* Full disclosu I offer a competing sailplane kit, so anything I

tell you should be automatically suspect. You have to do your homework

on this.



* Static tests of the as-originally-designed wing structure have

failed in static test at less than the design load limit; the wing

should have been good for at least 1.5 times the design limit. The

problem seems to have been shear failure of the wing root rib where

the transverse pin on the opposite wing spar plugs into it.



* Fixes for the root rib shear issue were designed and at least one

builder tested them. Make sure you know what the fixes are and how to

implement them.



* There are a number of ASC ships that are operational and get flown

regularly, so it is apparently possible to make a usable sailplane out

of one.



* I have satisfied myself that the Spirit and Falcon are relatively

direct copies of a crashed Ventus that was used to make the ASC molds.

However, I haven't gotten any of the remaining principals to go in

record to that effect.



* ASC founder Tor Jensen was killed in 2006 in a motorcycle accident

near Reed's Pinnacle in Yosemite, so he is not available to offer

advice.



* Ralph Luebke seems to be the go-to guy for the various fixes and

upgrades, I wouldn't consider buying a kit without talking with him

about it.



* Marty Eiler of California City flew most of the ASC ships and knew

Tor well; I also recommend you talk with him before buying any ASC kit

or ship.



Wandering off topic, I learned a lot about sailplane design and

development from watching a couple of ASC kits go together at a shop

in Fremont, California:



* Big floppy wing shells and fuselage shells are a real pain for the

builder to align and join, and it is a huge problem if they are

aligned wrong. That is something best done at the kit factory.



* Integrity of the basic structure is key. Static tests to at least

design limit load must be performed and documented.



* Detail design is important in and of itself.



Thanks, Bob K.

Ralph cooked a wing root fix for post build which results in a bump. Contact Dr. Mark Maughmer at Penn State for a construction fix. At least one kit went there for his sailplane design program. Another kit is at Mississippi State. Contact the club. It was nearing completion last year. There was a 95% completion in AZ a couple of years ago. There is a 95% completed prototype in CA according to a recent message. There was one for sale in Boulder over a year ago.

AFAIK, none have failed in flight.

Frank Whiteley