Motor gliders

[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