Originally Posted by
WB627
So I wonder if a new build Mk 3 is the way to go. It ticked all the boxes then, there are some still flying and I canot imagine they would not tick all the boxes now. It was simple uncomplicated, easy to maintain and easy to fly.
I've said the same in the past in this thread; POBJOY seems to agree.
There was no 'need' to go to a glider with a glide ratio of some 36:1 (Viking) in order to train as many cadets as possible to solo standard; the 18.5:1 of the Mk3 was perfectly adequate for that and lets face it, the main aim of Air Cadet gliding WAS to train as many 16 year old cadets as possible to fly to solo standard as safely and efficiently as possible whilst developing excellent teamworking skills.
The use of higher performance single seat vehicles such as Prefect and Swallow allowed a more advanced level of training should the cadets' ability merit it but there's plenty of types available for that type of gliding nowadays, it's just at the bottom end that something else is needed that is simpler to operate and maintain
I can only echo POB's remarks ('
tit top order!')about the abilites of MGSP personnel; they would come in on a monday and do all necessary servicing on the 'fleet' so that you had a full quota of aircraft for next weekend without having to send the airframe away to a contractor unless major work was required, that contractor usually being Slingsby anyway.