On Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 8:45:53 AM UTC-4, Bruce Hoult wrote:
On Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 3:35:07 PM UTC+3, Tango Eight wrote:
Fast, unstable, edgy sailplane plus 200 hr pilot can eventually work out. Once upon a time I bought an HP-18 with 160 hrs. Eventually, it worked out. It took a while.

There are better paths.

Buy a Discus (or LS-4, or DG-300...) and master it soon, start going places.

Buy a Ventus, spend the next couple of seasons wrestling with too much airplane.

Paper polar is 5% of performance. Pilot is 95.

Is a Ventus really so difficult if you're competent in a Janus?

It probably will take a little longer to get used to the Ventus. I bought a B as my first sailplane with no experience with any single seat glass. That said it has become an old friend and the flaps lets you dial in to the day quicker and more effectively and is a fast glider. Also the spoilers / flap combination are very powerful and a great tool if you need to land in small fields.

Dennis

DC