On Wednesday, April 16, 2014 2:01:28 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Dne ponedeljek, 14. april 2014 22:17:13 UTC+2 je oseba LZ design napisala:

Some photos from 1st public presentation of Ventus 2cxa with FES during Aero 2014







https://picasaweb.google.com/1154794...noredirect= 1







Regards,







Luka



I read a comments with interest. It is a matter of good airmanship to have at least some options always available where you can land a glider.

But it is true that at FES there is no additional drag of extended pylon, and so you always have performance of pure glider at least, so more time to decide.

Additionally we have very good reliability statistic with FES. So far as I am informed nobody landed on the field due to the reason, that FES did not start. Actually when you switch ON power switch, and get green LED, and "Controller ready" message on the screen, pilot can be 99% sure that motor will start. There is no engine which would be 100% reliable, but I think FES is close to that.

Before each flight pilot needs to perform a short test run, in order to be sure that all is OK. If there is any problem in the system, is then showed already.

For comparison with existing sustainers with Solo 2350 engine, which require windmiling and decompressor, is pretty difficult and also dangerous to perform a test run on the ground, as it works only at full power. So pilot do not have any idea if the system will start until he is on 200m trying to start it. And the worse thing is that pilot needs to push a stick forward to get some speed, but when you are already low, this is not action somebody would appreciate to perform...

Those pilots who are flying with FES equipped gliders, already know the difference. Regarding the range: existing battery packs are more than sufficient for what average glider pilot really needs. You can read in book of Sebastian Kawa on page 88:

"I really would happily fly a glider which has a reliable engine that starts up quickly. It would only need to run for 15 minutes or so; it wouldn't have to get me back to the airfield, just help me to return to safer place."

And FES is just this, and much more!

I suggest you to read also text in his book on page 222 and 223 about Kawa's experiance with Solo sustainer engine.



Regards,



Luka

Indeed, we have that very problem in southern Arizona. Many of our emergency landing spots are less than desirable (dirt strips on the wrong side of the mountains requiring a long arduous road retrieve, or smugglers landing spots near the border where you are likely to meet with armed villains). You can land safely there (as I have done), but the retrieve will be long and not much fun.

A modest self-retrieval of 50 km or so will get us to a town with a decent airfield with the possibility of an aero retrieve or, at worst, dinner and a bed for the night! It might even get us final glide home.

Mike