Aerobatic Glider

Can anyone give me any advice I'm looking to purchase an aerobatic glider to use in Air Shows. Can anyone recommend certain makes and models and possibly if anyone knows any forsale? I'm an Air Show Pilot and looking to add a glider act to my Show.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks very much
Dave

wrote, On 1/9/2014 5:37 PM:
Can anyone give me any advice I'm looking to purchase an aerobatic
glider to use in Air Shows. Can anyone recommend certain makes and
models and possibly if anyone knows any forsale? I'm an Air Show
Pilot and looking to add a glider act to my Show. Any help would be
greatly appreciated Thanks very much Dave

You might want to talk to Bob Carlton, who does many air shows with his
gliders.

http://www.desertaerospace.com/

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

Bob Carlton flies a modified Glasflugel H101 Salto... he put a jet engine on it.

Manfred Radius, another well-known airshow pilot -- and got Bob his start -- also flies a Salto, but as pure glider.

Manfred's website is http://radiusairshows.com/

I think the other major aerobatic single-seat glider is the Swift, but I don't know much about it.

-John

Originally Posted by

Can anyone give me any advice I'm looking to purchase an aerobatic glider to use in Air Shows. Can anyone recommend certain makes and models and possibly if anyone knows any forsale? I'm an Air Show Pilot and looking to add a glider act to my Show.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks very much
Dave

Manfred Radius does airshows in a Salto. You could also go with a Pilatus B4 PC11AF, but the Salto is slightly better aerobatic performance. Outside of going for a pure acro sailplane like a Fox or Swift, there's the SZD 59. One of those is available on Wings and Wheels.

On Thursday, January 9, 2014 8:37:08 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Can anyone give me any advice I'm looking to purchase an aerobatic glider to use in Air Shows. Can anyone recommend certain makes and models and possibly if anyone knows any forsale? I'm an Air Show Pilot and looking to add a glider act to my Show.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks very much

Dave

Davemathiesonmx2 at gmail dot com

I suggest you get advice from Jason Stephens who operates Estrella south of Phoenix. I believe he will tell you that the Swift can be as mean as the proverbial junkyard dog and very prone to bite you. It's happier with the shiny side down!

It would be a good investment to go fly with Jason in his Swift before contemplating purchasing one for yourself.

Not that I'm suggesting it as a realistic option, but the late Oskar Bosch performed in an ASW 15 and put on a great show. Our club towed for him at a local show and I got a chance to meet him. I had recently purchased my own ASW 15 and it was neat to see what one could do in the hands of an excellent pilot.

On 01/09/2014 8:37 PM, wrote:
Can anyone give me any advice I'm looking to purchase an aerobatic glider to use in Air Shows. Can anyone recommend certain makes and models and possibly if anyone knows any forsale? I'm an Air Show Pilot and looking to add a glider act to my Show.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks very much
Dave



Here are the results from the 2013 World Gliding Aerobatic
Championships. The "aeroplane" column may help you decide.

Unlimited -
http://www.civa-results.com/2013/WGA...3s01s02s03.htm

Advanced -
http://www.civa-results.com/2013/WAG...3s01s02s03.htm



Cheers,
Luke

On Friday, January 10, 2014 7:34:26 AM UTC-6, Charlie Papa wrote:

I suggest you get advice from Jason Stephens who operates Estrella south of Phoenix. I believe he will tell you that the Swift can be as mean as the proverbial junkyard dog and very prone to bite you. It's happier with the shiny side down!

I've got a few hours doing acro in a Swift and it is one of the nicest flying aircraft I've ever flown - but it flies like a little fighter plane, not a glider. Stalls remind me of a T-6; when it breaks - off you go on Mr Toads wild ride! Which is what makes it so good for acro. But yeah, I'd be uncomfortable thermalling under a Swift - they will spin if stalled.

But--Vne 9G pulls to 1 1/2 vertical rolls with enough energy to fly out of the top - wow what a plane! And the ailerons - you immediately want to do rolls on tow, they are so light and powerful! Sweet, honest airplane.

It would be a good investment to go fly with Jason in his Swift before contemplating purchasing one for yourself.

Good advice - they have a two-seat Fox (bigger brother of the Swift) and do an excellent job of teaching glider acro (personal experience).

Good luck and have fun!

Kirk
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