Ka-8b

After 11000 hrs in aircraft the Ka8b I am a partner in is still the best control harmony I have ever had the experience of feeling. And yes I race fiberglass ships.

The K8 flies like my plastic toy planes did in my minds eye 40 years ago.

Lane
XF

And for at least 1/3, maybe 1/4 the cost of an ASW-20...

On Friday, October 2, 2015 at 8:45:46 AM UTC-7, Ryan Wubben wrote:
After a long (12 year) absence, looking to get back into soaring

So, do you want to "thermal on a mosquito fart"? If so, get yourself a "lovely glider" with the "best control harmony". You will have a beautiful object, that returns your TLC with inner goodness every time you fly.

Do you want to race? Then get something more "normal", to fit in with the tasking and gridding at contests.

p.s. what's so stinking about the prairie?

http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0...t=olc&pi=32573

The KA8 has a lot of parallels to a KA6, so if you have experience with the KA6 then you already have a pretty good idea what the KA8 is like. Rigging a KA8 is a little bit more work as you have tapered wing pins. Other than that weight, dimensions control hookups and steps for rigging are all more or less the same. The trailer will make the difference.

A KA8 is nice to fly but a noticeable downgrade from the KA6 in terms of performance, control harmony and noise. While the KA6 already gave a peek into the glass era, the KA8 is firmly settled in the pre-glass era.

At 21:27 04 October 2015, Tony wrote:
And for at least 1/3, maybe 1/4 the cost of an ASW-20...

Against European prices this would mean I could be an ASW for 6000 euros,
as K8s go for 1500 euros. Please let me know where to find this ASW20 ;-)

On Monday, October 5, 2015 at 9:00:07 AM UTC-5, Eric Munk wrote:
At 21:27 04 October 2015, Tony wrote:
And for at least 1/3, maybe 1/4 the cost of an ASW-20...

Against European prices this would mean I could be an ASW for 6000 euros,
as K8s go for 1500 euros. Please let me know where to find this ASW20 ;-)

US prices. Ka-8 in question has good fabric, enclosed trailer (steel frame, aluminum skin), asking was, I believe $7500?

Range I see for Ka-8s on segelflug.de is 1,090 to 2,500 Euro. With 3 at 2,000 Euro. All appear to have an open trailer or "covered" trailer. Which I believe means a trailer with a plastic or canvas tarp to put on over the glider once it is on the open trailer. One is 2,000 Euro, add 500 Euro if you want the trailer.

I could point you towards a 6000 Euro AS-W 20. But, it will probably "need a little TLC." :-)

Steve Leonard

I could point you towards a 6000 Euro AS-W 20. But, it will probably
"need=
a little TLC." :-)

Don't bother, please, Steve. I still have a backlog of gliders in need of
TLC over here. They seem to become more rather than less ;-)

Last four K8s I bought were even cheaper than the typical Segelflug.de ones
(all of which are reasonable, considering their numbers this side of the
Atlantic). Paid 1700 euros for the four of them, including three open
trailers. One of the gliders was a recently overhauled one with low hours
and no-damage history. Lovely ship. Owner lost storage and auctioned it off
in a hurry. Another was a flyer with some work. Other two were decent
wrecks and parted out. The expensive bit for them over here in Europe is a
closed roadlegal trailer. They can fetch quite some money, usually more
than the aircraft itself!

The arch enemy of any wooden ship is wood-rot. Wood rot is triggered when moisture finds its way to the wood. Be extra vigilant that no water entrees the ship when stored on its open trailer. A drip that hits the aileron will run into the drag spar, in time the spar will rot. I remember a tragic accident where undetected wood rot had developed in the drag spar of a BG-12. When the flaps were deployed at high speed, one flap hinge tore out which caused the drag spar to fail. This allowed the wing to twist and that caused wing separation.............I hate it when that happens!
JJ

True. Last K7 I had in the 'shop looked great from a distance. From up
close and a couple of inspection holes later not so much. Ply of the
aileron aux spar had separated from its longerons over 2/3 of its length.
Water ingress from a hole in the transport cover used on the open trailer,
running off the aileron onto the back of the aux spar in the wing. Hard one
to spot, great to catch in time. Aircraft had a full wing inspection/repair
as necessary and partial recover done. Now flying again. Other obvious
spots to look for water ingress damage are the airbrake box, elevator spar
web.

At 17:56 05 October 2015, JJ Sinclair wrote:
The arch enemy of any wooden ship is wood-rot. Wood rot is triggered when
m=
oisture finds its way to the wood. Be extra vigilant that no water
entrees
=
the ship when stored on its open trailer. A drip that hits the aileron
will=
run into the drag spar, in time the spar will rot. I remember a tragic
acc=
ident where undetected wood rot had developed in the drag spar of a
BG-12.
=
When the flaps were deployed at high speed, one flap hinge tore out which
c=
aused the drag spar to fail. This allowed the wing to twist and that
caused=
wing separation.............I hate it when that happens!
JJ