"Nick Gilbert" wrote in message ...
Wing dropping can be a problem with part-water on board. If the wing is down
for long enough the water sloshes to the tip and the wing NEVER comes back
up!

No arguement on that point, but we have not seen it in the 55.
Various water loadings, which, actually seem to help stop the drop,
have been used. When it has dropped, it has typically popped back up
as fast as it went down, if it did drop at all. I would offer that
using the forward (chin) tost hook versus the c.g. hook helps to
alleviate the inevitable ground loop that happens to ships with c.g.
hooks when the wing goes down. Plus the 55 has quite a powerful rudder
which helps keep you tracking straight.

Nobody is questioning the performance or the construction of the glider. It
does have a wing dropping problem that could possibly be rectified with
winglets.


Going back to my first note, the Discus whose tip hit the grass has
the biggest rabbit ears out on the tips. Didn't help. I just would
hate to see someone spend good money, and cut up that nice taperwing,
to accomplish probably nothing much. Doing a good briefing with the
wing runner, and being familiar with the ship would be whole lot less
expensive. Thanks for your thoughts.



"SNOOP" wrote in message
om...

My eighteen year old son and I flew our 55 over 120 plus hours since
February, and yes occasionally the wing drops. I've watched the
current U.S. 15 Meter Champ (also a former SZD55 owner) in his Discus
A, drop a wing in the dirt one day at our home field. David just
popped out the spoilers, picked it up and off he went. Same thing in
the 55. No big deal.

It's a non- event. The 55 is a great ship, with a beautiful wing that
doesn't need winglets. There is a paper written by,I beleive it was
Peter Masak,here on Google, about the SZD55's construction, and it's
wing. I'll try to find it. In short, Peter said nothing but great
things about the weight and construction of this fine glider.

The dealer for the 55 is Windpath Corp. outside of Toronto, Canada.
They are doing a great job of supporting this ship. Look for them on
the internet!