Moshe Braner wrote on 3/7/2021 6:04 PM:
Personally I think that dragging an expensive battery pack along in every glider is inefficient
use of resources.* But then you may say the same about dragging equally, if not more, expensive
composite structures around the sky.* We do what we have to do to achieve our aerial dance
performances.* Then we land, and like any performance art, it's all gone poof, into the past.
We only do it because we love it.

I think having towplanes sit idle on the ground Monday through Friday is an inefficient use of
resources; ditto for tow planes sitting idle in poor weather, while I'm 100 miles away, looking
at growing cumulus.

But, I agree with the basic point that sharing the launch system is a more efficient use of
resources, and a way to do that with a self-launcher is a partnership, especially with partners
that have different or flexible schedules. Electric self-launchers seem particularly
well-suited to partnerships, with their easier use of the motor.

--
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