On Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 3:48:54 PM UTC-7, Eric Greenwell wrote:
2G wrote on 3/16/2021 12:46 PM:
Landing out in eastern Nevada is serious business; some may chose to fly non-motorized gliders there (which, in my mind, the GP15 is) and get away with it.
I forgot to respond to the "non-motorized" portion of your remarks. Perhaps you will be
surprised (or at least interested) to learn the GP15 climb rate from the runway on a typical
flying day at Ely will be nearly double the climb rate of my ASH26E. A major reason is the
electric motor still has the same power at 9000' DA, while the carbureted Wankel has lost about
18%. The better climb on takeoff in high density altitudes was an important factor in my
choice. It's not important at Ely, but it is at Parowan, and a few other places I've flown (or
wanted to fly but decided it was marginal).

Now, I realize you think 90 miles of self-retrieve is the same as zero miles, but that view is
not shared by every "pure" glider pilot out there!
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Where do you get 90 miles? GP's website doesn't list it. Their numbers are dry - if you can trust them (nobody's verified them and they may be estimated for all you know). The self-retrieve distance they list for the B battery is 100km (63 miles) with a 800m launch with no ballast. Now add ballast, add an 3,000 ft obstacle and a 20kt headwind (all realistic conditions at Ely) and refigure what the hypothetical retrieve distance is, if any.

Tom