On Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 8:28:41 PM UTC+3, Sean Fidler wrote:
Brand new winches "can" be expensive? Can be? Wow! There is a plug.

I hear they are well over 100k. Or more! I have heard $250k plus for an advanced european system. "Can" be expensive? I also hear insurance is not cheap either. You say its included? Sure, for the glider. What about the club or operator? When is the last US purchase of a new winch system? What was the price? How many have been purchased in the last 10 years?

You hear?

How about $86k, brand new, ready to launch gliders?

http://www.skylaunchuk.com/skylaunchevo.php

Plus shipping and taxes of course.

It's less than a new Duo Discus or DG1001.

I don't know how many have been bought in the USA, but my club in New Zealand just in the last month or so has ordered and paid 50% deposit on a new winch from this company. Converting from two Pawnees (one's been in the hangar awaiting reconditioning for several years) to one Pawnee plus a winch. And accompanied by an airfield move and associated necessity to build hangars and clubhouse.

I expect our new winch has some of the options, raising the price a bit, but I don't know which ones. Certainly $86k gets you a perfectly functional winch that will launch a lot more gliders for more years than any car.