The latest glider covers?

I have a set of aging Jaxeda covers for my 1998 classic Duo Discus that will be ready to replace soon. Can anyone advise me about any developments in the glider cover market? This ship is based in Minden, NV--hot, dry, windy.

Thanks!

I purchased a set of Kerry Covers (from China) late last year for my Pegasus. The "Outdoor" set cost $700 including shipping. Delivery took about three weeks. (Dust covers are $450). Overall, I am pleased with the quality and workmanship, but the wing covers are a little tight. Another Pegasus owner at Moriarty also has a set and they seem to have a looser fit, but mine work OK. The rest of the set (elevator, rudder, fuselage and nose) all fit well, velcro together nicely,. have zippers where needed and plenty of loops sewn in for bungee hooks. The bungee cord is provided, although the hooks don't hold the cord well. I purchased some other hooks that allow for knots instead of the tension grip on the cord. Storage bags are included, along with straps that run through the wing covers when they are removed and bundled to keep them from getting tangled or twisted. The fabric appears to be plenty durable, has soft padding inside and the lower wing and elevator surfaces have breathable fabric. Port (red, left) and starboard (green, right) wing covers have colored indicator flags sewn on the lower surface. Kerry apparently has patterns for many gliders.

Since my glider primarily resides in my hangar and the covers are not exposed to the elements (also hot, dry and windy at Moriarty), I can't vouch for their longevity in those conditions. The dust covers would probably have worked for me, but the difference in price wasn't enough to make me go the cheap route. Surely there are other owners who use these outdoors and can give more info on their suitability and life expectancy. http://www.kerry-cover.com/

On Monday, March 22, 2021 at 12:52:40 PM UTC-7, Mark Mocho wrote:
I purchased a set of Kerry Covers (from China) late last year for my Pegasus. The "Outdoor" set cost $700 including shipping. Delivery took about three weeks. (Dust covers are $450). Overall, I am pleased with the quality and workmanship, but the wing covers are a little tight. Another Pegasus owner at Moriarty also has a set and they seem to have a looser fit, but mine work OK. The rest of the set (elevator, rudder, fuselage and nose) all fit well, velcro together nicely,. have zippers where needed and plenty of loops sewn in for bungee hooks. The bungee cord is provided, although the hooks don't hold the cord well. I purchased some other hooks that allow for knots instead of the tension grip on the cord. Storage bags are included, along with straps that run through the wing covers when they are removed and bundled to keep them from getting tangled or twisted. The fabric appears to be plenty durable, has soft padding inside and the lower wing and elevator surfaces have breathable fabric. Port (red, left) and starboard (green, right) wing covers have colored indicator flags sewn on the lower surface. Kerry apparently has patterns for many gliders.

Since my glider primarily resides in my hangar and the covers are not exposed to the elements (also hot, dry and windy at Moriarty), I can't vouch for their longevity in those conditions. The dust covers would probably have worked for me, but the difference in price wasn't enough to make me go the cheap route. Surely there are other owners who use these outdoors and can give more info on their suitability and life expectancy. http://www.kerry-cover.com/

The best glider covers available today, IMO, are Cloud Dancers:
https://clouddancers.de/en/overview-covers/
They are definitely not the cheapest, but the material and construction is first rate. I have had mine for 3 seasons now, and the glider is covered about 3 months each season. The fit is great because they have actual gliders to fit them to.

Tom

On Mon, 22 Mar 2021 22:43:14 -0700, 2G wrote:

The best glider covers available today, IMO, are Cloud Dancers:
https://clouddancers.de/en/overview-covers/
They are definitely not the cheapest, but the material and construction
is first rate. I have had mine for 3 seasons now, and the glider is
covered about 3 months each season. The fit is great because they have
actual gliders to fit them to.

Also Clouddancers are very nice, helpful folk to deal with.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

On Monday, 22 March 2021 at 21:52:40 UTC+2, Mark Mocho wrote:
The dust covers would probably have worked for me, but the difference in price wasn't enough to make me go the cheap route.

Dust covers have totally different use than outdoor ones, it's apples and oranges. Outdoor covers in hangared glider is just awful idea for everyday use (first hand experience). If I would replace my dust covers, I would happily pay MORE for them than for a set of outdoor covers.

.. Outdoor covers in hangared glider is just awful idea for everyday use

True, but I only put the full cover set on if I don't plan on flying for an extended period. Definitely too much trouble for everyday use, but it's easy to just slip on the wing and tail covers for a quick overnighter if the wind is blowing a lot of dust around.

On Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 3:43:43 AM UTC-4, krasw wrote:
Outdoor covers in hangared glider is just awful idea for everyday use (first hand experience).

You haven't seen the hangar our gliders are in. It sometimes rains harder inside of it than outside! We keep the outdoor covers on at all times!

Uli
'AS'

krasw wrote on 3/23/2021 12:43 AM:
On Monday, 22 March 2021 at 21:52:40 UTC+2, Mark Mocho wrote:
The dust covers would probably have worked for me, but the difference in price wasn't enough to make me go the cheap route.

Dust covers have totally different use than outdoor ones, it's apples and oranges. Outdoor covers in hangared glider is just awful idea for everyday use (first hand experience). If I would replace my dust covers, I would happily pay MORE for them than for a set of outdoor covers.

What, specifically is "just awful" about using outdoor covers in a hangar? Will harm come to
the glider?

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

What, specifically is "just awful" about using outdoor covers in a hangar? Will harm come to
the glider?

The "awful" part is, as usual, disagreeing with certain opinions on RAS.

On Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 6:12:41 AM UTC-7, Mark Mocho wrote:
What, specifically is "just awful" about using outdoor covers in a hangar? Will harm come to
the glider?
The "awful" part is, as usual, disagreeing with certain opinions on RAS.

I have a set of what I think are Kerry Covers on my ship. They came with the glider when I bought it. I think they were first bought about 5-6 years ago and have been used on the glider everyday ever since (The glider is tied out all year). Conditions are Mojave Desert so lots of sunlight, heat, cold, wind, you name it. They are still in great shape! However, the little plastic tabs used for bungie attachment points are getting brittle and starting to crack. Every time I touch the covers I get covered in white dust so they are starting to deteriorate a little. They are also a little tight of a fit. Other than that they are great and still in great overall shape and could probably still be used for a few more years. That said, I have a order placed for some clouddancers to replace them.