Best cross country ship class

On Wednesday, 16 October 2013 00:29:01 UTC+3, Seattle wrote:
I'm in the market for a standard class or 15 meter flapped ship. This is my first ship, and I doubt I want to deal with 18 m of wings.

An example would be a Discus 2 vs ASW 27. Currently most of my flight goals are simple: get as high up, and far out as possible. Speed is nice, but I'm doubtful I'll be comfortable in a competition for many seasons.

All other things being equal, which is the better type (flapped or non-flapped) for staying up a long time and, eventually, cross country flights?

Thanks!

Buy Discus-2T (or Ventus2CT) with decent trailer. You will find that having that little engine gives you twice the amount of really nice cross-country flights annually. Flaps or not is insignificant. All modern gliders are nice and safe to fly.

On Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 12:30:04 AM UTC-7, Kevin Neave wrote:
What are the pilots around you flying?

If everyone else flies 15m class & you buy standard you'll have to push
really hard to fly with / against them & will land out a lot.

If everybody else flies standard class & you buy 15m class then you won't
be pushing yourself at all, and it's pushing yourself (a little) that will
improve your soaring.

Neither of the above scenarios are good in your early years.
(Or later years for that matter)

And it's in the nature of the sport that you WILL want to fly with /
against the pilots around you.

With any glider from the LS4 to the JS1 the limiting factor is likely to be
you not the aircraft.

Regards

KN

The performance difference between a modern standard class and 15 m is not that great - at least here in the strong conditions of the US Southwest. Two pilots we all try to keep up with fly a Discus 2 and an LS-8.

Mike

On Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 11:56:30 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Excellent!

Thanks so much for the wisdom. They should make this post a "sticky" or something for folks buying a first-time XC glider.

I do have time in our glass ship the PW-6 (two seat version of "world class" PW-5). And I LOVE it. I was hoping to get checked out in our PW-5 before the season ends, but that may not happen due to old man winter stealing our fun.

However, I'll be spending a week in Estrella in November just flying everything they will let me.

Also, a big reason for wanting my own ship is so I *can* take it to places like Ephrata, Wanatchee, and Northern Cali.

I'll update as I go through the purchase process...

Please! Give as much thought to automatic hookups and the type of trailer that will come with the ship. I good trailer will help with the assembly and give you more time to focus on having things really checked out before each flight. It will make cross country more enjoyable because it will bother you less with considering whether or not to fly on certain days. Automatic hook up of the controls will take some stress out of the equation. A good trailer is a big part of the equation not to be dismissed. In my opinion, as much of a determinat as that of flaps or no flaps.