Open Cirrus

On Sunday, July 1, 2012 7:28:03 PM UTC-4, Duster wrote:
Any thoughts on flight characteristics of the Open Cirrus? There used
to be a website covering this glider, but it doesn't appear to be
active since last year.

Thanks,
Mike

My club had one and I flew it quite a bit off the winch and aero-tow. Both are non-events although it is impressive to see these floppy wings flex during the winch launch.
I don't agree with the notion that the drogue chute is unreliable! I used it on just about every landing just for fun. The key is to keep it dry, aired out and packed correctly. It WILL deploy. I saw one Cirrus that had its chute not deployed since it thermaled last with Pterodactyls. It was all stuck together, wadded up and came out in one chunk. It is an operator's/owner's error if they fail to deploy!
Uli

On Sunday, December 14, 2014 6:50:19 AM UTC-8, GM wrote:
I don't agree with the notion that the drogue chute is unreliable! I used it on just about every landing just for fun. The key is to keep it dry, aired out and packed correctly. It WILL deploy. I saw one Cirrus that had its chute not deployed since it thermaled last with Pterodactyls. It was all stuck together, wadded up and came out in one chunk. It is an operator's/owner's error if they fail to deploy!

Assuming it's the Cirrus I think it is (the one with the single piece canopy), I know the guy who restored it, and it no longer has a drogue chute nor the deployment mechanism. I tried, in vain, to talk him out that choice several times, it's otherwise a beautiful piece of work. To me, half the fun of owning a glider like this is the occasional chute assisted landing. Lacking the chute is not a problem, unless you really need to get into a short field someday.

Marc

Mike,
The first glider I ever owned was an Open Cirrus. It flies really well. No bad habits to speak of. It will stay up when everything else can't. As long as you run at 60 -65 Kts. all is good, run at 70 Kts., and it falls out of the sky pretty fast.

At the end of the day handling the wing root will make you groan. It's not too bad to rig as long as you and two of your closest friends are "Strong Like Bull". I didn't have a one man rig, so it was a beast to handle.

It turns better to the right than the left, so you get in the habit of turning right. The rudder hinge is off set to one side. After spin training I entered what was supposed to be a quarter turn spin to the right, six turns later it finally came out of the spin after I pointed it straight down. The Drogue chute will pull it out of a spin supposedly, I was almost ready to try that. During normal flight it never tried to enter a spin, you really have to want it to spin to get it to break.

I used the drogue chute once for practice, and once for real on an outfield landing behind a building. (34.962767, -81.999230) Approach was from the SW over the concrete plant, the trees were about 60 FT tall, and the light poles that I flew between around the road were about 30 FT tall. It stopped about the middle of the building. Fantastic, every glider should have one.. Your are supposed to jettison the chute right before touch down, on this one I left it out hoping it would catch on something. Put it back in the box, went back to the field, re-assembled it, and flew 200K to the South that day. With the drogue chute out you have to really point the nose down to maintain your airspeed.

The cockpit is roomy, the sling seat takes a little working out to get it right, but I made a lot of long flights in it without difficulty.

As long as you work out the rigging & De-rigging, and are content with a leisurely pace, it's a great airplane. If you want to race it, have the handicap changed, it isn't as good as the handicap would lead one to believe.

SF

Dear Cirrus pilots: If not for yourselves at least keep the chute for the benefit of the rest of us. A glider popping the chute coming down final looks really cool. Just watch The Sun Ship Game!

If you're an SSA member you can dig up the old Polars Of Eight tests by Paul Bickle which include the big Cirrus.

Greetings!

Looking to buy a canopy for VTC Cirrus.If anyone knows where i can get it?

Can I compete in club class with Open Cirrus and what is the Hcap? I cant find it on FAI list.

On Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 3:59:23 PM UTC-6, wrote:
Can I compete in club class with Open Cirrus and what is the Hcap? I cant find it on FAI list.

I believe the handicap for the 17.7m Cirrus is 0.98.
Officially, the "Open" in Open Cirrus is an unofficial nickname given it is an open-class glider. The "Standard" Cirrus is standard-class 15m (no flaps).

On Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 8:51:18 PM UTC-5, Duster wrote:
On Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 3:59:23 PM UTC-6, wrote:
Can I compete in club class with Open Cirrus and what is the Hcap? I cant find it on FAI list.

I believe the handicap for the 17.7m Cirrus is 0.98.
Officially, the "Open" in Open Cirrus is an unofficial nickname given it is an open-class glider. The "Standard" Cirrus is standard-class 15m (no flaps).

I think Club class is restricted to 15 Meters. Sounds like a dumb rule to me but that is the rule.

Not sure you can fly it in the club class. Would need to be asked at the contest.
According to the German list:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segelf...ste#Clubklasse

The 18m version has a 102 handicap. I see no real reason why you couldn't but may require individual approval for the comp.

Would need to be asked at the contest.
According to the German list:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segelf...ste#Clubklasse

The 18m version has a 102 handicap. I see no real reason why you couldn't but may require individual approval for the comp.