US Dollar sinks to new low against Euro

If the US$ continues to sink, the trade imbalance will correct itself: imports
of any type will be too expensive, and US exports will boom, sailplanes
included.
Cheers, Charles

"Vorsanger1" wrote in message
...
If the US$ continues to sink, the trade imbalance will correct itself:
imports
of any type will be too expensive, and US exports will boom, sailplanes
included.
Cheers, Charles


I don't know about that Charles.

If the Czechs and Poles can't match German build quality what hope have the
Yank's got?

Ian

( only slightly tounge in cheek )

tango4 wrote:
"Vorsanger1" wrote in message
...

If the US$ continues to sink, the trade imbalance will correct itself:
imports
of any type will be too expensive, and US exports will boom, sailplanes
included.
Cheers, Charles



I don't know about that Charles.

If the Czechs and Poles can't match German build quality what hope have the
Yank's got?

Ian

( only slightly tounge in cheek )


One might say they went 'bossies' minimum 4 year recovery period. ;-)

As for matching build quality. It appears to be more the combination of price
and proximity to market that counts. Standards argument about "built to price"
and "value for money" - most people will buy what they can see and feel,
preferably from someone they can understand. Scary discovery to find that there
are less than 100 insured gliders in South Africa. Not going to get far
manufacturing them here no matter what the quality.

tango4 wrote:

"Vorsanger1" wrote in message
...

If the US$ continues to sink, the trade imbalance will correct itself:
imports
of any type will be too expensive, and US exports will boom, sailplanes
included.
Cheers, Charles

I don't know about that Charles.

If the Czechs and Poles can't match German build quality what hope have the
Yank's got?

The US will be able to match German build quality in our exports,
because, unfortunately, most of the sailplanes we are likely to export
as the dollar weakens will be German sailplanes, which will become
attractively priced outside the US.

For any manufacturer, "build quality" is just one factor in a successful
product, as LS can tell you. Even the Germans don't all buy Mercedes or
BMWs. The US designed and manufactured SparrowHawk, for example, offers
offers features like none of the German manufacturers, along with good
quality construction.


--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

(Vorsanger1) writes:

US exports will boom, sailplanes
included.

This might be right, but I think it will be used sailplanes that return to the
continent of their birth.

Steve

Eric Greenwell wrote in message ...
Vaughn wrote:
"Mike Stringfellow" wrote in message
om...

Economic models would suggest a strong incentive for sailplane
manufacture in North America,


Like this? http://www.peregrinesailplane.com/

Vaughn

Or like this:

http://www.windward-performance.com/

And if the US$ continues to sink, maybe some of these will find their
way to Europe. We'll have to sell boatloads to make up for our trade
imbalance, though.

Glider exports to Europe will have to deal with the airworthiness
issue. There is no "Experimental" category in Europe like the 'Racing
and Exhibition' niche that so many of us - including me - have
registered their gliders in. That may be the reason why I've never
come across a US made glider during my time in Germany, come to think
of it. Bureaucracy is still king, particularly in Germany.
Herb, J7

"Herbert Kilian" wrote in message
om...

Glider exports to Europe will have to deal with the airworthiness
issue. There is no "Experimental" category in Europe like the 'Racing
and Exhibition' niche that so many of us - including me - have
registered their gliders in. That may be the reason why I've never
come across a US made glider during my time in Germany

I don't think that is the *only* reason you don't see US gliders in Europe,
but airworthiness should not be an issue for the Peregrine; it already has both
US and JAR-22 certification.

Vaughn

come to think
of it. Bureaucracy is still king, particularly in Germany.

Here in the good 'ole USA also!

Vaughn



Herb, J7

Eric Greenwell wrote:
...
And if the US$ continues to sink, maybe some of these will find their
way to Europe. We'll have to sell boatloads to make up for our trade
imbalance, though.


Nope, since they don't meet the criteria for being certified and there is
no category like "expereimental' in tha US, and anyway the cost and length
of the certification process would probably discourage the manufacturer to
attempt it.

Windward Performance is hoping that the recommendation of the EASU for
an ultralight glider (80 kg empty) regulation is taken up by more
European countries. We have heard that Germany has adopted this rule
but haven't confirmed it yet. This combined with a base price of
$33,950 and performance very nearly that of a used LS4 should mean
that Europe as well as the U.S.A. will be a good market for the
SparrowHawk. (I flew closely with an LS4 for a couple hours on a
pretty weak day so can't comment on high speeds. At the speeds we
were flying, there was no difference) Not to mention extremely fun
handling qualities and very safe low speed handling. As more
SparrowHawks have been delivered (12 flying now), people are seeing
that it is not limited, but enhanced by being an ultralight and our
sales have been increasing in the U.S. A European dealer should be
available soon. This will open a MUCH bigger market than the U.S. and
hopefully increased volume will help off set some of the price
increases in materials that we have been suffering.

Best regards,
Doug Taylor
Windward Performance, LLC



Nope, since they don't meet the criteria for being certified and there is
no category like "expereimental' in tha US, and anyway the cost and length
of the certification process would probably discourage the manufacturer to
attempt it.

Doug Taylor wrote:

Windward Performance is hoping that the recommendation of the EASU for
an ultralight glider (80 kg empty) regulation is taken up by more
European countries. We have heard that Germany has adopted this rule
but haven't confirmed it yet. This combined with a base price of
$33,950 and performance very nearly that of a used LS4 should mean
that Europe as well as the U.S.A. will be a good market for the
SparrowHawk. (I flew closely with an LS4 for a couple hours on a
pretty weak day so can't comment on high speeds. At the speeds we
were flying, there was no difference) Not to mention extremely fun
handling qualities and very safe low speed handling. As more
SparrowHawks have been delivered (12 flying now), people are seeing
that it is not limited, but enhanced by being an ultralight and our
sales have been increasing in the U.S. A European dealer should be
available soon. This will open a MUCH bigger market than the U.S. and
hopefully increased volume will help off set some of the price
increases in materials that we have been suffering.

Being classified as ultralight glider raises some other problems: it is
a different category. As a glider pilot and instructor, I am not allowed
to fly them, unless I get a new ultralight licence, for which I a have
to take dual instruction somewhere where it is available, and on an
aircraft which is probably fairly different from the intended ultralight glider.
Anyway I would never be able to fly it at my home field, since ultrlights
are not allowed at a distance under 50 km from Paris and my home field
is at 40 km. Beside that, most gliders in France are club gliders and most
pilots fly club gliders. In order for a club to propose ultralights, the
club has to first propose ultralight instruction, i.e. buy some ultralight
two-seater(s) and have ultralight instructors. This is a big change
involving majors investments and I think few clubs would be ready to do
that, as there is almost no demand for that now. So it seems that the
possible market for the SparrowHawk is rather in private owners. But the
2 most spread motivations of private owners to be private owners rather
than fly club gliders which are a lot less expensive are 1) competing in
the classical FAI classes with the last state of the art glider; 2) being
able to fly wihout being dependant of some help by using a motor glider,
and the SparrowHawk doesn't suit to any of these 2 needs.