Motor gliders

[Huggyu2]

For those of you with experience in these, it seems that many of them are more "powered airplane" than motor glider, like the long-wing Diamond Xtreme. If you've flown a few of these aircraft, please comment on the
one(s) that you know of.

 

[Gorilla]

Cool, a glider forum! I was a CFIG long ago at the AFA, and in many ways, soaring was some of the the finest flying experiences I've ever done. When you're working a thermal, and using solar power to get 700-1500 fpm, it's a thrill.

The real rush is in x-country, and I've often thought that motorgliders would be ideal. Shut her down, soar as far as you can, and at pattern altitude, admit defeat and crank her back up. Motor home.

I think for family and friend use, a 2-seater would be ideal, but like you've noticed, you'll give up a lot of performance vs a true motorized sailplane. I too would be very interested to hear of any experiences with these.

 

[SPilot]

I've flown L13 vivat for a short trip... felt more like a cessna 172 with slow aileron resonse. About the same glide ratio, proper airplane instrumentation, engine gauges, flaps, speedbrakes, landing gear...even had a constant speed propeller with digital governor control! As long as the propeller dont retract into the fuselage, I'd consider them simple powered airplanes rather than true gliders

 

[Gorilla]

But will they soar? There's no point in a motorglider unless you can shut down and actually do some decent thermalling, or work some ridge lift.

 

[DC-3TP]

I flew a Tifun 17E in Morgan, UT. Yes, it soared well and sported a L/D of 23, I think. Not sure if I spelled it correctly, Tifun. The departure was like a C-150 and the landing was like a sailplane. I understand that parts are expensive and hard to find, for example, the prop. I wonder if that is true with all the motor gliders? I agree it is the way to go. A person could haul it to any airport and go soaring.

Every time I land at an airport I,ve not been to before, I always look around and evaluate the soaring potential. I hope the sport becomes more popular as I am a CFIG. My dream is to operate a commercial soaring operation in Moab, UT. I used to give rides at the Moab airport in the mid 1990,s in a 2-33. Every flight was a hop to 14000 ft, faster than most single engine airplanes could climb. The view is awesome and very little air traffic to compete with.

 

[Huggyu2]

There's no point in a motorglider unless you can shut down and actually do some decent thermalling,...

Well, one advantage is that, if you've got kids, they can solo a "motorglider" at age 14 vice 16 in an "airplane".
I'm curious if insurance costs are lower for motorgliders compared to "normal" single engine fixed gear airplanes.

 

[Gorilla]

With the motorgliders like the Tifun, despite the expensive parts, it seems you get the best of two worlds... you get a reasonably fast and comfortable powered x-country machine, due to the very low drag. It seems most of them will comfortably cruise at 100-130 knots on a Limbach or other dinky motor.

No medical required, true?

Then you get the glider side of the equation. The majority of my soaring was done in a 2-33 or a 1-26, both of them fun but definitely piggy as far as sailplane performance goes. If you have fun in a low-performance sailplane like these, I can't imagine the newer motorgliders to perform worse.

 

[graseby]

The Diamond Xtreme is a lot of fun to fly. Especially in places where finding a thermal is always a challenge. When/If I have enough money, I will definitely get one with the turbo.

 

[WateryGrave]

I've got some time in a Stemme S10VT. It performs pretty well, published at something like 50:1, but its hard to really throw it over in those tight thermals.

 

[Lead Sled]

I flew a Tifun 17E in Morgan, UT. Yes, it soared well and sported a L/D of 23, I think. Not sure if I spelled it correctly, Tifun. The departure was like a C-150 and the landing was like a sailplane. I understand that parts are expensive and hard to find, for example, the prop. I wonder if that is true with all the motor gliders? I agree it is the way to go. A person could haul it to any airport and go soaring.

Every time I land at an airport I,ve not been to before, I always look around and evaluate the soaring potential. I hope the sport becomes more popular as I am a CFIG. My dream is to operate a commercial soaring operation in Moab, UT. I used to give rides at the Moab airport in the mid 1990,s in a 2-33. Every flight was a hop to 14000 ft, faster than most single engine airplanes could climb. The view is awesome and very little air traffic to compete with.

I've flown Dewey's Tifun as well. Nice machine.

'Sled

 

[Beaker]

I did a google search and found some images for "Taifun" motorgliders.

I've also browsed to the Stemme website and there is a fantastic video (12' or so; pretty good size) of a guy pushing his VT-10 out of the hangar in Belgium, flying to Switzerland for some grub, then soaring in the alps and flying home. That aircraft looks amazing. It's high on the list for after the powerball numbers roll my way tonight.

That's the extent of my soaring experience.

 

[Lead Sled]

Personally, I think the all-time best motorglider is the awesome, high performance (200 knot), fully IFR capable, turbojet-powered Caproni A-21SJ. Absolutely incredable.

'Sled

 

[Goose Egg]

The only motorglider that I have experience in is the Grob G109B (or der autoflug as I like to call it The best way to describe it's handling characteristics is "tricky"--it's pretty quirky, especially in the landing. For one thing, it's a tailwheel, and then it's tandem--you definitely have to use your feet. My students struggle with it.

As far as actually soaring it goes, it's also tough because for a glider, it's a pig. The book says 28:1, but in reality it's more like 23:1, and it's so heavy that you need some pretty decent lift to actually gain any altitude. I've had some ok days in it though. I definitely wouldn't call it the "best of both worlds..." More like a really, really good gliding powered airplane or marginal at best sailplane.

Could be that this is the "family" motorglider, except that it takes a crew of three or four guys (with some muscles) to put the thing together, which if you don't mind me saying is a royal pain in hind parts.

Those self-launching glass ships with the fold up electric engines... those look cool. Maybe they would be good!

-Goose

 

[Goose Egg]

No medical required, true?

True. No medical required for anything in the glider category, powered or un.

-Goose

 

[Huggyu2]

I flew an old motorglider back in '99 in Cyprus. I think it was a Slingsby, but it was probably built in the 1950's, had a VW engine, side-by-side seating, and outrigger wheels on the wings. Barely any power, but I really enjoyed it. I gotta think you could pick one of those up for cheap.

 

[Razor_B]

Huggy, you already fly the best motorglider at work, ain't that enough for ya'? Hey, I hear you've got a checkride coming up. Good luck

 

[Huggyu2]

Hah! My wife was looking (i.e. spying) over my shoulder, and wants to know my someone on the internet knows that I have a checkride, but she doesn't. I told her to go back and finish the dishes. Guess I'll be sleeping in the back of my pickup.
I hear my checkpilot is a harda##! Cheers!!
BTW: at this point, depending on what the docs say, I treat every flight as a fini.

Hey, I just noticed that was your first post!! I'm honored!!!

 

[MJG]

One of our club members has a Stemme as well as another regular glider, must be nice. He mostly flies the Stemme though. I think it soars pretty well. I spent about 10 minutes sharing a thermal today with his Stemme just off my wing the whole time. He had no problem staying up with me in the Blanik that I was in. Nothing like chasing another glider round and round seeing who can get the most out of mother nature.

 

[Prof. ATP]

For those of you with experience in these, it seems that many of them are more "powered airplane" than motor glider, like the long-wing Diamond Xtreme. If you've flown a few of these aircraft, please comment on the
one(s) that you know of.

Alexander Schleicher makes some truly high performance motorgliders. Check out <http://www.alexander-schleicher.de/produkte/asg29/e_asg29_main.htm>. People regularly take these into the flight levels during strong wave conditions.

 

[dav8or]

Van has been working on a kit M/G, The RV-11
http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/rv-11int.htm