kinsell wrote on 1/24/2020 9:39 PM:


Why are we talking about electric airplanes instead of electric sailplanes? Even
stodgy Schleicher now has a really nice 18M electric self-launcher at at an
interesting price. It should be very appealing to pilots that want a really good
motorglider without the cost, operating complexity, and maintenance of the
fossil fueled motorgliders.

An the 15M GP15 also looks like a good choice: smaller, lighter, cheaper, but
still very good gliding performance. The miniLak and Silent 2 FES gliders seem
perfect for pilots looking for decent performance and freedom from the tow plane.

So why are we talking about electric airplanes?* Sure beats talking about phoney
movies on ballooning in the 1860's, doesn't it?

I see some great similarities between stuffing lithium-cobalt batteries in a
glider and adding an electric motor, and doing the same with a power plane.* They
both suffer from limited battery capacity, safety concerns, significant cost, and
charging hassles.* Lots more work being done currently on power planes than
gliders.* When a Pipistrel Alpha Electro goes for a swim in a cold lake in Norway,
it's hard to tell if that's a power plane or motorglider.

I'm less impressed with the current crop of electric gliders than you are.* Couple
of friends got in the very first orders for GP-15's and have been waiting years
for delivery.* I keep seeing gliders certified for self-launch taking tows,
because they can self-launch or self-retrieve, but not both.* The gas-powered
solutions aren't great, but IMHO better than the electrics, or heaven forbid the
jets.

I know several people WA state that are happy self-launching in their Silent
Electro and miniLaks. The GP15 has been delayed, in part because they are a new
glider company, and in part due the technical difficulties of producing a high
performance, self-launching sailplane. It still has a long order list. And when
Schleicher thinks it time to enter the field, it's not the future anymore. Call
the Schleicher dealer and place your order for one, before the list gets too long.

--
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