Most numerous sailplane type and model in the world?

On Feb 6, 3:36*pm, CJN wrote:
On Feb 6, 2:17*pm, bildan wrote:



A new 1970 2-33 sold for about $22,000 which, in current dollars would
cost about $125,000. *In comparison, a new ASK-21 is a bargain.

Actually, that doesn't sound quite right. *A friend of mine purchased
a new 1-26 in 1972 or 1973 and I believe he paid around $9000 or so.
So the $22K for the 2-33 sounds high. *This is all from memory, no
hard data.

My partner and I purchased an almost new LS-1f (50 hrs TT) in 1978 for
$17K, so that also puts in question the stated price for the 2-33.
Any data for the $22K number for the 2-33?

I wrote out the invoice.

On Feb 6, 7:23*pm, bildan wrote:
I wrote out the invoice.

Looking in early 1970 issues of soaring, one finds a few ads for used
2-33As, a typical one:

SCHWEIZER 2-33A, standard instruments and one vario.
1968 model, less than 250 hours. Firm price $4950.

I haven't found a single used one selling for over $6000, and they
only started making them in '67. How about this ad:

SCHWEIZER 2-32, trailer, oxygen, BEI omni, BEI 990 radio,
J-8 horizon, airspeed, altimeter, turn & bank, Winter vario,
Cook T.E. vario &audio, electric T&B, Cook compass,
accelerometer, clock, temperature gauge, exide battery, and
other extras making N2450W the most sophisticated
in the country. Less than 40 hrs time, in perfect condition.
Cost $16,000; will sell for $11,950 or best offer.

And, finally, quoting from the 2-33 introductory article in the
February '67 Soaring:

Price for the standard ATC'd sailplane is $5,250 F.O.B. Elmira,
New York.

That would have been something like 66% inflation per annum. Sounds
like you got ripped off...

Marc

On 2/6/2011 8:19 AM, Tim wrote:
On Feb 5, 9:04 pm, Eric wrote:


BUT, most auto racing is done in various entry level classes that are
alive because they have continually adapted to changing values and
needs within auto racing. The soaring "powers that be" need to start
thinking and acting "strategically" when considering how to preserve,
let alone GROW our sport of glider racing.

That was exactly the thinking that led to the present World Class, but
it didn't work out. It's not an easy problem. We can't be sure what we
think would have worked, like new LS4s, would have turned out any
better, either. I can hear people saying, "Why buy a new World-Class-LS4
when I can buy a used one for half the price, or a new, higher
performance [insert favorite here] for only 20% more?".

Race cars at the entry level are much cheaper than gliders because they
can be built by almost anybody with a welder's torch and some steel
tubing, or because they are based on production models built by the tens
of thousands PER YEAR, and because they don't have to meet stringent
certification. "Changing and adapting equipment" is probably a poor
model for glider world.

My guess is it's not near the top of the sport - competition - that we
need to think and act, but near the bottom, where the new people come
into the sport. More glider operations closer to the people, a lower
cost path to a license, and less time to do it, would have more impact
on the sport than making a competition class more equal and less expensive.

Get the sport growing 5% a year, and we'd have vibrant racing classes in
a few years without changing the rules or the gliders.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

At 16:19 06 February 2011, Tim wrote:
Look at F1 Motor Racing, it exists, but is just the "tip of the spear"
for auto racing - the best, the most technolgical, the msot expensive,
etc. There is a place for the best, and I can't wait to see the
Concordia fly and race.

BUT, most auto racing is done in various entry level classes that are
alive because they have continually adapted to changing values and
needs within auto racing. The soaring "powers that be" need to start
thinking and acting "strategically" when considering how to preserve,
let alone GROW our sport of glider racing.

Probably the most popular and fastest growing class of club sports car
racing is the Spec Miata class, which is just about what it sounds like.
The cars are readily available, cheap, a blast to drive, and the allowed
modifications for racing are minimal.

The most popular one-class glider racing must still be the 1-26
Association, and their annual Championship competitions. These days the
World Class holds their US naitonal along with the 1-26s, and it's really
sort of embarrassing. The 1-26s field 20 to 30 racers, and the PW-5s have
about half a dozen.

Jim Beckman