Flapped Glider Recommendations...

Hi All,

Assuming a budget of under $30k, I'm looking at upgrading my Russia
AC-4. She's an excellent ship and I could do a whole lot more with
her... But with our weak conditions locally, I find myself itching for
a few more points of glide (currently about 31:1) and a lower min-sink
(currently somewhere around 130-140 fpm). A promotion will be
forthcoming soon, and I've decided to take some of those dollars and
sink them into a better toy (to the detriment of my retirement fund,
I'm sure *chuckle*).

I fly in the Seattle area, where we regularly see cloud-bases of about
4k AGL, and only 2-4 knot lift. Winds tend to be only moderate, so
I'm more interested in a "floater" than a heavy/fast ship. I will be
doing little (if any) competitive flying; I just want to have fun, go
on decent X/C flights, and not get shot down on weak days when the
thermals are a few miles apart... Hypothetical situation: I fly 4
miles to check out potential lift and I have to bail back to my
starting point. Over that 8 miles I give up ~600 ft more altitude
than a decent 15m ship. If my starting altitude is only 3k - 4k, that
extra 600 ft means a lot!

BUT, I must say that the quick rigging of the Russia and its automatic
control hookups are really, really nice (as is its maneuverability and
other handling qualities). Many of the ships I'm looking at lack
those qualities, so I'm hesitant. If the Dollar wasn't so weak vs.
the Euro, I'd look seriously at buying an Apis kit...

Bottom line: I want a 15m ship, and want it to be easy to rig and fly
(so I fly it more often). It has to be a good weak-weather performer,
and cost less than $30k (preferably closer to $25k).

The top names that spring to mind a Mini-Nimbus, Mosquito, LS-3.
(And yes I've read the Moffat article, Johnson Reports, and done a
crap-load of research online about these planes)

I've long liked the Mini's lower sink rate, lighter weight, and
automatic hookups. However, the seating ergonomics and visibility look
(from photos) like they're not as good as the other two. Its also not
as pretty of a ship, but that's a seriously minor concern (hell, I fly
a RUSSIA right now, remember!). The other selling point of the Mini
is that "b" and "c" models (with the improved tail) can be had for
around $20k - $24k.

The Mosquito is slightly heavier than the Mini (though it has the same
wing). This translates into a slightly higher min-sink rate. But it
appears to have better ergonomics, better visibility, and a reputation
for high-quality construction. Unfortunately this costs $$ - with
Mosquitos seemingly selling for near $30k.

The LS-3 is around $25k, has some of the best performance numbers, and
is reportedly very good in climb. However, it has NO automatic
hookups and the wings are a fair bit heavier to handle than the other
two gliders. It has the highest min-sink by a small margin.
Ergonomics are supposedly good (other than the flap & airbrake handles
having to be operated together); but I've never seen one in person.
The high weight and lack of automatic hookups bug me, but the price-
performance point is nice.

I've chatted with Mini and Mosquito pilots (its surprisingly hard to
find someone who's flown both), and am hoping to fly both a Mini and
an LS-3a at Minden this winter/spring (though if I buy one, I think
I'd prefer the flaperon LS-3). No clear decision as of yet...

Anyone care to toss in their opinions and thoughts?

Any alternate suggestions of aircraft I may have overlooked?

Thanks, take care,

--Noel