I started off in primaries; the Schweizer 1-26 is a WHOLE LOT BETTER than a
primary glider. The 1-26 will soar and a primary won't in any ordinary
circumstances.

You can't build even a primary and try to fly it alone without
instruction. Maybe you should take a few lessons somewhere before
starting to build anything or buy something.

At 11:57 06 July 2008, Jim Beckman wrote:
At 03:50 06 July 2008, Flash wrote:

Looking at the craft at the fields and in the online directories, one
sees

hi-dollar, high performance craft everywhere. Is anyone home-building
gliders? Entry-level craft? If so, what are they, and where are the
plans

obtained?

I'd possibly be interested in something slightly more capable than the

"Primary" of the 30's, if such were available.

If what you are *really* looking for is a project, then homebuilding
may be for you. But if what you want to do is to *fly*, then
maybe you should think again. The ratio of completed projects
to finished projects is pretty small. Certainly less than half.

The Windrose is intended to be a self-launcher. That may be
important to you. It is also made of wood, so you'd want to
store it out of the elements. Nothing wrong with wooden
gliders, though. There *can* be a problem with selling an
aircraft you built yourself, once you're ready to move on.

The obvious alternative (assuming you're in the US) is a
1-26. Readily available on the market, it's metal so you
can leave it outside, you can get one in good shape, with
a trailer, reasonably equipped, for under $10K. And yes,
it performs better than a Primary. Not by much, but still
it will get you in the air right away. It's also dead simple
to fly, and you sort of sound like you're just starting
out with your dream. But it's good to get started!

Jim Beckman