Russia Sailplanes website

Hei!

Mark James Boyd wrote:

A trailer+glider that requires a V8 truck to tow is different
from one I can tow with a 6 cylinder SUV. The weight is there,
and has other implications than just rigging...

I used to tow our LS-3a with a Toyota Corolla with 1.6l engine without
any problems at all. Now I have Carina E with a 2.0l engine for more
comfort though; it tows two-seaters like the ASK-21 and Janus just fine,
and I wouldn't expect an open-class glider to pose any difficulties. So
I do wonder what kind of gliders would require a V8 truck.

[...], these are good club gliders and entry level first
gliders. If someone has quite a bit more experience, or knows
for sure they will stick with the sport like us fanatics, something
sexier may be warranted.

I don't see any reason why someone would need to own an "entry level"
glider privately; you can fly those in your club. When the need for
your own glider arrives you are no longer a beginner, and you are better
off with a used LS-3, ASW-20 or something similar.

Christian 8-)

(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:4035b4c5$1@darkstar...

A trailer+glider that requires a V8 truck to tow is different
from one I can tow with a 6 cylinder SUV. The weight is there,
and has other implications than just rigging...


WTF? I've owned two 600-lb 15m gliders, and I've never used more than
4 cylinders to tow them.

Perhaps you forgot to release the parking brake?

Christian Husvik wrote:
Hei!

Mark James Boyd wrote:

A trailer+glider that requires a V8 truck to tow is different
from one I can tow with a 6 cylinder SUV. The weight is there,
and has other implications than just rigging...

I used to tow our LS-3a with a Toyota Corolla with 1.6l engine without
any problems at all. Now I have Carina E with a 2.0l engine for more
comfort though; it tows two-seaters like the ASK-21 and Janus just fine,
and I wouldn't expect an open-class glider to pose any difficulties. So
I do wonder what kind of gliders would require a V8 truck.

Try towing something heavy uphill, both ways, in the snow. 3 percent or
better grade. Sure sure, on the flat roads and beaches of Santa
Cruz I'd tow a catamaran, but a heavy trailer of ski gear up
to Tahoe with four people seemed to like a nice big engine...

If your path is flat enough, and acceleration is no issue, you
can tow your 600# glider with a bicycle, right?


[...], these are good club gliders and entry level first
gliders. If someone has quite a bit more experience, or knows
for sure they will stick with the sport like us fanatics, something
sexier may be warranted.

I don't see any reason why someone would need to own an "entry level"
glider privately; you can fly those in your club. When the need for
your own glider arrives you are no longer a beginner, and you are better
off with a used LS-3, ASW-20 or something similar.

I think there are those who don't want a "club" glider
because it may be too heavily scheduled and they want something they don't
have to compete for time with. This and going to remote gliding
spots without getting "permission." This is the case for my club
PW-5 and is a little bit of a hassle.

But if the person is no longer a beginner, then sure, they're
gonna want more performance, and if they don't mind the
required "extras" then yep, get something faster...



Christian 8-)

In article ,
Liam Finley wrote:
(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:4035b4c5$1@darkstar...

A trailer+glider that requires a V8 truck to tow is different
from one I can tow with a 6 cylinder SUV. The weight is there,
and has other implications than just rigging...


WTF? I've owned two 600-lb 15m gliders, and I've never used more than
4 cylinders to tow them.

Perhaps you forgot to release the parking brake?

LOL. I bet you live somewhere a bit flat? Good for you...

(John) wrote in message . com...
Availability of used aircraft for sale seems a good indicator of how
well owners like living with a particular airplane...

Not really. The statistical fluctuations are too high due to the
small number of aircraft built. Right now there are no Russias for
sale in the US, a little while back there were a whole bunch. Not
long ago there were a bunch of ASW20s on the market, I don't think
that's an indication that ASW20 owners are dissatisfied.

I think a better indicator is the number of hours on the ones that do
go up for sale. If they are racking up a high average number of hours
per year, their owners are probably quite happy with them. If you see
them going for sale with like 5 or 10 hours per year on them, then
maybe not so.

8 cylinders vs 4 cylinders
Tahoe vs Golf
USA vs the World
Diesel vs Gasoline

Does it seem like a longer than usual winter?

Liam Finley wrote:
(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:4035b4c5$1@darkstar...

A trailer+glider that requires a V8 truck to tow is different
from one I can tow with a 6 cylinder SUV. The weight is there,
and has other implications than just rigging...



WTF? I've owned two 600-lb 15m gliders, and I've never used more than
4 cylinders to tow them.

Perhaps you forgot to release the parking brake?

Maybe each poster should list his parameters at the start of a posting:

Typical towing speeds
Distance towed each year
Elevations towed over
Peak air temperatures while towing
Length of trip during towing (days, not distance)
Number of passengers and their luggage
Weight of trailer
Weight of tow vehicle

It'll bring some reality to the discussion when you realize one poster
tows his glider 50 miles to the gliderport at the start of the season
and back home at the end, while another is traveling 10,000 miles a
year, with his family and luggage for 3 weeks at a time, several times a
year.

I know, it won't be as much fun! It might let us figure out why there is
such a discrepancy in what is needed for an "adequate" tow vehicle.
--
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change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

If I can tow a horse trailer with two 1200 lb horses up Seven Mountains
(322 just west of Mifflin Co. Airport in PA) at 55mph with a 6-cylinder
Explorer, I don't know what glider you could be hauling that would
require a V8.

Cheers.

Liam Finley wrote:
(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:...

A trailer+glider that requires a V8 truck to tow is different
from one I can tow with a 6 cylinder SUV. The weight is there,
and has other implications than just rigging...


WTF? I've owned two 600-lb 15m gliders, and I've never used more than
4 cylinders to tow them.

Perhaps you forgot to release the parking brake?

LOL. I bet you live somewhere a bit flat? Good for you...


------------------------------------------------------------

(Liam Finley) wrote in message . com...
(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:4035b4c5$1@darkstar...
LOL. I bet you live somewhere a bit flat? Good for you...

Not exactly.

As much as I'd like to support yours and Greenwell's illusions, my
4-cylinder trailering experience includes trips of up to 1500 miles
covering mountainous terrain in the eastern Sierras and Nevada Great
Basin.

It's true, I've never towed my trailer to Lake Tahoe in the snow, but
given that the only soaring operation there closes in September, I
don't see the need.

Try towing something heavy uphill, both ways, in the snow. 3 percent
or
better grade. Sure sure, on the flat roads and beaches of Santa
Cruz I'd tow a catamaran, but a heavy trailer of ski gear up
to Tahoe with four people seemed to like a nice big engine...

The lengths people will go to to rationalize the purchase of these
expensive underperforming little gliders!

Liam Finley wrote:
(Liam Finley) wrote in message . com...

(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:4035b4c5$1@darkstar...
LOL. I bet you live somewhere a bit flat? Good for you...


Not exactly.

As much as I'd like to support yours and Greenwell's illusions, my
4-cylinder trailering experience includes trips of up to 1500 miles
covering mountainous terrain in the eastern Sierras and Nevada Great
Basin.

I have no illusions, just an interest in what people are towing, what
they're towing it with, and - what's often missing from the discussion -
the conditions under which they are doing it.

For example, I don't know these things about your towing:

Typical towing speeds
Distance towed each year
Elevations towed over
Peak air temperatures while towing
Length of trip during towing (days, not distance)
Number of passengers and their luggage
Weight of trailer
Weight of tow vehicle

And the number of cylinders isn't too useful: my six cylinder mini van
has less horsepower than my 4 cylinder sedan, and weighs more than the
sedan. I think the sedan would do a better job towing, but I haven't
tried it. It certainly would be more comfortable!

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

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

(Liam Finley) wrote in message . com...
(Liam Finley) wrote in message . com...
(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:4035b4c5$1@darkstar...
LOL. I bet you live somewhere a bit flat? Good for you...

Not exactly.

As much as I'd like to support yours and Greenwell's illusions, my
4-cylinder trailering experience includes trips of up to 1500 miles
covering mountainous terrain in the eastern Sierras and Nevada Great
Basin.

Try reading your owner's manual, especially the part about towing weight limits.