ASW-15 Impressions

Thanks guys n thanks Roy. I enjoyed Reichmans book and did remember his use of the 15 as a standard for illustrating his points, thats part of my interest in the bird, all the numbers have been worked out lol.

Question: libelle vs 15, does either have a climb advantage? And in the run how does the 15 compare to the libelle below 70 and above 70k , anyone have knowledge? I can compare polars but thats not always real life.
Dan

On Sun, 05 Apr 2020 15:01:24 -0700, uneekcowgirl wrote:

Question: libelle vs 15, does either have a climb advantage?

Pass - I've never flown my 201 with an ASW-15.

And in the
run how does the 15 compare to the libelle below 70 and above 70k ,
anyone have knowledge? I can compare polars but thats not always real
life.
Dan

My (early, balsa winged) 201 is happy and not obviously throwing height
away at 80 kts indicated, but its wings have full-span under surface
zigzag turbulator strip fitted and that's supposed to improve high speed
cruise performance. It was on the glider when I got her, so I have no
unturbulated experience to compare it with.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

At 22:01 05 April 2020, wrote:
Thanks guys n thanks Roy. I enjoyed Reichmans book and did
remember his use
of the 15 as a standard for illustrating his points, thats part of my
interest in the bird, all the numbers have been worked out lol.

Question: libelle vs 15, does either have a climb advantage? And in
the run
how does the 15 compare to the libelle below 70 and above 70k ,
anyone have
knowledge? I can compare polars but thats not always real life.
Dan


I had the chance to fly a couple of ASW-15's back in the 1970's.
Eric Mozer generously allowed me to fly his 7T for a year and
a half when I was in AZ going through USAF pilot training and
A-7D schools. I have nothing but good memories about the
handling characteristics, though I did not get to race one against
other contemporary gliders.

One thing which has so far escaped this thread is that the -15 has
top and bottom dive brakes, so it definitely has an advantage in
a short field landing situation compared to a STD Cirrus (at least
one before the 2 stage dive brake mod) and maybe even the
H 201 Libelle. If you are out West with big fields and mostly clear
approaches, it may not matter. In the North-East USA where we
have smaller fields with sometimes high trees blocking the
approaches, it might become a determining factor in the choice.

I think that condition and trailer will wind up being the main driving
factors if you are considering a glider from that generation.

Good luck...

RO

I had an ASW-15b for a few years when I was younger. Here are some things that I remember:

1) It rigged very easily. My trailer wasn't great, but the glider was still a joy to put together.

2) Pitch forces are light because of the all-flying tail, but you get used to it.

3) It seemed to do well in weak conditions.

I don't think you can really go wrong with a Cirrus, Libelle, or ASW-15. Pick the Libelle if you really love how it looks. Avoid the Libelle if you have wide shoulders. Other than that, I'd recommend looking at all three and picking the one with the best trailer, gel coat, and instruments.

Hi,

the 15 does well in weak conditions. In a faster glide, the Standard Cirrus is slightly better. ASW19 and LS1-f are significantly better at 150kph and above. The 15 easier gets damaged at outlandings due to the low elevator and the airbrakes below the wings.

If you have the choice, go for a B. It has a larger rudder, simplifying aerotows on the CG hook, also improving the agility and control balance. The B has a larger main wheel and a higher MTOW. Many 15s have a rather low payload below 90kg.

Christoph

I have a 15 (s/n 15151) and a Pegasus with very little time in the Peg and 300 hours or so in the 15. I'm not into racing so can't really comment on how it compares to other gliders of that vintage performance-wise. I know at one time both it and the Cirrus had a 1.0 handicap.

It is very easy to rig. It has manual connections. If equipped with safety sleeves, they are simple to hook up and easy to test. Using safety pins was a bit harder. The all flying tail is a non-issue.The top and bottom air brakes are very effective. Some have an off-center CG release that can, apparently, be an issue in cross wind take-offs. Mine has what some call a "chin" release so no problems there.

There is an AD concerning fungus on the balsa that, once completed, requires only a visual check at each annual. I can't imagine that there any that still have not had the initial AD completed. Other than the original glider that crashed that created the need for the AD, I've never heard of any other 15 having the problem. I'm not saying its never happened, just that I'm unaware of it.

I bought the Pegasus because I wanted to step up in performance. It is also a great glider and is certainly in a different class than the 15. I intended to sell my 15 but could find no takers, presumably due to its low max pilot weight (185 lbs). (I'm also 6'1" and, with the seat back removed and a chute on, my head is probably about an inch from the canopy.) As I can't afford two gliders, the Peg is back on the market. Its on W&W for anyone interested.

In my biased opinion, the ASW 15 is a great glider for the price. Easy to fly and rig. Excellent handling.