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First glider Nimbus 2 ?



 
 
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  #11  
Old April 20th 18, 01:06 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west Texas
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Default First glider Nimbus 2 ?

On Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 10:00:25 AM UTC-5, Dan Daly wrote:

At the pre-SSA Convention safety talk, one phrase really hit home. Burt Compton said his Dad told him "In aviation, anything you do for convenience jacks up the risk." (I think I wrote it down correctly).


Yes that's what I said however my next sentence was
"If you are aware of the extra risk and can handle it, then proceed."

Typical "convenience" scenarios may include downwind takeoffs, intersection takeoffs, landing behind the grid of sailplanes lined up to launch on the runway, downwind landings, rolling out very close to your hangar/car/trailer (what if the wheel brake fails?)

Ask me how I know! (51 years in soaring, so I may have successfully accomplished all of the above however downwind takeoffs with a CG tow hook have resulted in a couple of very early releases on the initial roll due to loss of directional control.)

If you can handle the extra risk . . . well, that's your decision.
And just because you did it 99 times before . . .

Burt
Marfa, Texas
  #12  
Old April 20th 18, 02:21 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Senna Van den Bosch
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Posts: 124
Default First glider Nimbus 2 ?

Op donderdag 19 april 2018 16:28:17 UTC+2 schreef Surge:
I decided to update the thread in case anyone else considers purchasing a Nimbus 2 as a first glider.

I've finally managed to fly my Nimbus 2 a couple of times (just over four hours) with the odds stacked up in my favour (good weather, no human performance limitations, etc.) and I love it!
The jump from flying unflapped, nose hook equipped, fixed tail plane sailplanes to a flapped, CG hook equipped, all flying stab sailplane is really not as bad as some people make it out to be. Just fly the plane, keep the airspeed up and don't do anything stupid.
The all flying stabilizer is pitch sensitive but nothing too concerning and it shouldn't cause any PIOs unless one is flying behind the curve. There is a noticeable pitch up moment if one gets some slack in the tow rope but it just takes a couple of jerks to start anticipating and countering with a touch of down elevator as the slack is taken up. Roll rate is a bit slower than most singles but still more than adequate if you're not flying near minimum sink or stall speed. I find her way more nimble than a Twin Astir but then most gliders will feel more nimble than a Twin!
There is plenty of buffeting when stalling in a straight line and she will promptly drop a wing at 70 to 75 kph if one tries to pick up a wing with full aileron. That is what I expected.
Air brakes are adequate for landing in medium to large fields and landing flaps add a very noticeable amount drag. I haven't fitted the tail chute as there are plenty of large fields to land in and I don't need any surprises just yet. She lands fully stalled with full air brake and so far no issues and no bounces.
I found flaps were a cinch to get used to. I'm not sure why everyone raises their eye brows when going from unflapped to flapped but I guess not everyone adapts at the same pace.
Take off with full negative flaps works well with no tendency to drop a wing although I haven't tried with any light tail wind or moderate cross winds yet and I don't plan to try until I've got numerous flights and hours on the type.
It took a few minutes to get used to the way the glider behaves when hitting thermals. The single Astirs and Twin Astirs I trained on get a large bump in airspeed (Yates Effect) when hitting an updraft which normally requires a fair bit of elevator input to maintain a constant airspeed. I found the Nimbus 2 basically retrims itself with very little or no elevator input when hitting updrafts which I found a bit odd during my first flight. Maybe it's because the CG is close to the middle of the limits or more likely the bump upwards is actually moving my hand on the stick slightly backwards without me noticing.

I'd not necessarily recommend a Nimbus 2 for first timers like myself with only about 50 hours of dual and solo flight, but if you're comfortable with flying, can adapt quickly and ensure you stack the odds in your favour for at least the first 50 hours, I don't see anything concerning to write home about.


I was really thinking about buying a Nimbus 2 as my first glider. I ended up buying a DG-101 however, as it is easy to rig, even alone, great view and nice handling. Still got some work to do before my first flight (8.33 radio soldering and logger) but will probably enjoy this beauty.
  #13  
Old April 20th 18, 07:25 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Jonathan St. Cloud
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Default First glider Nimbus 2 ?

Helps to have a 300 hp tug or when that one is down a 220 hp tug. A young wing runner who knows to keep the upwind wing low, and then there have been a few interesting rides. I am always ready to release until I have aileron control. And practice, 5-11 tows a day. After a few Sundays it was normal so when we had a tailwind of only 8 knots that was like a 10 knot headwind! There are pilots out there whom safely fly everyday in very challenging conditions, I admire them. We have pilots who fly 2-33's in conditions I prefer not to fly.


On Friday, April 20, 2018 at 12:15:06 AM UTC-7, Chris Rowland wrote:
At 20:05 19 April 2018, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
I fly from an airport where for many very good reasons we only launch to
th=
e West. Yet in the winter we have many days of Santa Ana (strong East
wind=
s). The operators of this airport have 30 plus years of experience with
do=
wnwind takeoffs. I personally have flown take offs with paying

passengers
=
in a 2-32 or G-103 with quartering tailwinds of up to 26 knots, any

higher
=
than that I let the owners fly. After some number of these launches they
r=
eally become a non-event. I have flown take off's with an ASW-24 or
Ventus=
2c with up to 18 knots of quartering tailwind as do the other private
pilo=
ts.


I'm curious about what techniques you use to take off with a strong
tailwind, do you just let the wing drag until you have forward airspeed,
then pick it up?

Chris

 




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