Originally Posted by
cats_five
I can only speak about the Viking gliders. Grob no longer make gliders and there are very few 2-seat training gliders available. The favourite is probably the AS K21, who build only a few every year. It would take 20 years or so to replaces all the Vikings with K21s, or whatever the RAF decided to call them. Lead time for an order is 9 months or more and they only build 20 or so per year. *if* the aircadets managed to buy 3 per year then in 20 years they would have a fleet of 60, less of course any they have terminally bent in the interim.
cats_ five. We could debate production rates of ASK21s but without company comment we would all be speculating. Your point however is well made , there are very few 2 seat training gliders available. I would suggest that:
(1) The current Viking fleet is trickling back into service but will probably not last more than a max of another 20 years (my speculation).
(2) Unless there is a long term replacement strategy (delivery commencing early 2020's at 3 per year complete 2040 for a 60 aircraft fleet,minus terminally bent) then air cadet gliding will inevitably cease.
What the RAFAC need is confirmation from its parent service that funding for replacements will be available. Without that confirmation, the business case for the development of properly equipped residential regional gliding centres must, in my view, be fatality flawed.