Which sustainer system would you chose for your sailplane?

On Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 8:45:05 AM UTC-5, Dave Walsh wrote:
At 01:24 07 January 2016, Casey wrote:
For the cost I would get a self launcher vice a sustainer. I
know the Lak
=
17 FES can launch but I think they were originally and
maybe still calling
=
it a sustainer. For that kind of money I would want the
glider
manufacture=
to endorse launch. I think the Mini Lak and the Silent
endorse launch.
I=
would hate to have over 100k in a glider and self launch
and something go
=
wrong and insurance not pay off because I was launching a
sustainer.
Pleas=
e correct me if I'm wrong.

I do like the ease of use of the FES and think its great


It's quite simple: it's either a self launch sailplane or not:
look at the specifications.
Additionally you are mixing Ultralights (the Silent) with
conventional sailplanes (the LAK17B FES). My understanding
is that is NOT legal, in Europe, to self launch the LAK17BFES
(or indeed any other true "sustainer" sailplane). It's been
done of course but it makes no sense with an electric power
plant, what little battery power you started with has now
gone so you have no useful sustainer performance left. Why
would you even think that's a good idea?

The Silent Electro is a different (lighter) animal, designed as
a self launch. You could launch to a modest height and have
some sensible retrieve capability but you're sitting in a
fragile (compared to a modern sailplane) structu lower Va,
lower Vne etc. It's very nicely built and a joy to rig. It's not
much cheaper than a LAK17BFES......choices.

That's kinda my point.

But if I was a manufacture of anything. I would not come out with my best to begin with. I would come out with a sustainer and let the high rollers buy. Then come out with a more powerful self launcher. The high rollers will sell their sustainers for the self launchers. I bet auto manufactures do this as well as other companies.

I realize the specs of the Lak and Silent 2 Electro. Same system in 15m gliders. I would not call the Silent a ultralight with an empty wt of 452 lbs and VNe 137 mph. I would call it a 13.5m conventional. Just like I would not classify a 15m with an 18m or 20m. All are different. Now the Sparrow Hawk I would classify as Ultralight.

And for the sake of discussion I can substitute the GP 14 VELO for the Silent 2. Same VNe as and empty wt as Lak 17. http://www.gpgliders.com/gp-14-e-velo

13.5m class= Alisport Silent, GP 14 Velo, Mini Lak, Albastar AS 13.5,

And you are right...Its a sustainer or self launcher. Just like its a 13.5m or 15m or 18m or 20m, flapped or not.

I'm just saying I would not spend the money on a sustainer if I could get a self launcher. Someone that lives closer to a tow would choose differently.