PPRuNe Forums - Self-build gliders: a question for the glider pilots

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- - Self-build gliders: a question for the glider pilots (https://www.pprune.org/private-flying/484700-self-build-gliders-question-glider-pilots.html)

Astir8, wonder how well that Scud 3 performed with its engine if they removed it! if it worked well can't imagine that the scorn of some pedants would shame them into taking it off.....

Reminds me of Brian Badger's adaptation of the venerable T21 glider; he fastened an engine with fixed propellor on top of that enormous wing; and took a winch launch with the engine fired up and running flat out......after they released from the wire, the rest of the flight was a steady return to earth, so much for the sustaining engine in that particular combination. It was quietly returned to the original configuration. The floating Zedburg.....I believe that more successful adaptations have been undertaken....

The T21, until it made an unfortunate arrival last summer, was an excellent chariot for a summer's day floating round the sky. It was fitted with a squeezey bulb tooter, to warn onlookers of its approach. Now that was style!

A good write up on the Scud gliders here: Scale Soaring UK - The Scud Sailplanes

At least one Scud 3 was still flying, minus engine, until quite recently at Dunstable.

This must be the Condor that Astir 8 mentioned:

Davis-Costin Condor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://j2mcl-planeurs.net/dbj2mcl/pl..._Condor_3v.jpg

Mary, the bulb horn sounds like an excellent idea! I rather fancy one, otherwise a it will have to be a row of speakers along the front of the airbrakes, playing 'Ride of the Valkeries' :E

Quote:

Originally Posted by astir 8

Mr Mechta's link to the Chapman museum says that Mike* Costin's glider design was called the "Condor"

Further down that link it also mentions that Frank Costin designed another glider called the "Dragonfly".

*I think that should read Frank, and not his brother Mike.

There are also quite a lot of foot-launch designs such as the Mitchell wing that people do build from time to time... Perhaps less now that rigid hang gliders are more an off-the-shelf sort of thing.

Mechta

The Challock (Kent) T21 is fitted with a tape deck and speakers which is used to play ......you guessed it!

(and it has a bomb rack, strictly for jettisoning water ballast you understand)

Spekesoftly - sorry, got my Costins in a twist there!

Mary - The other year at the International Vintage Rally at Tibenham, Ken Wallis turned up with a very neat 2 stroke engine (formerly a ME 262 starter engine) and propellor mounted on a pylon. Apparently it had been fitted to one of the Petrels at Redhill early post war. The CFI (Lorne Welch) immediately said "You're not flying that 'ere" or words to that effect - but they did, a couple of times before the Petrel reverted to being a glider. Again because of the risk of gliding being "contaminated" by engines.

I think that self sustainers and self launchers are now reasonably well accepted in gliding (except when they get home and I don't!)

The feature I liked best about the engined Scud 3 was that it apparently had a hand throttle fitted to the wingtip so that the wing walker could "taxi" it out to the launch point. Now that's what I call advanced thinking!

astir8, I may well be mistaken in thinking that he called it the Scud 2, after all it was about 30 years ago. It does, for some reason stick in my mind.

Seen it recently at Shuttleworth?

Osprey photos (taken at Rivar Hill/Shalbourne)

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...er/Osprey1.jpg

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...er/Osprey2.jpg

And some background info from D

Quote:

My understanding of the Osprey's heritage is that:

- the original Osprey was based on a Dart 15 fuselage with new wings designed and built by Keith Chard;
- the aircraft was subsequently modified by Colin Street (I think) to become the Osprey II;

- I based it at Old Sarum (Dorset GC) and then Rivar Hill (Shalbourne) but visited many other gliding clubs (sometimes planned visits, sometimes not...);
- The glider had similar performance and handling to the Dart 15 - including the stalling characteristics;
- I liked it a lot - it got me my Gold badge and Diamond goal;

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