Former hang-glider pilot, i fly sailplanes
since 91, firstly in Grenoble and then in Romans (both in French
Alps).
Private gliders hangar of Grenoble airfield feature the biggest
concentration of ASK14 self launching
gliders of France and probably of Europe. The fancy was lead by
a local well known pilot. This machine is a Schleicher
of the 70's. Its wing is from the K6, shortened a bit, fuselage
is specific. Engine is 2 stroke, flat 4 cylinder by Hirth. Its
lightweight is around 250 kg and it claim an L/D of 27, but a
sink rate of a good glider (can't remember the exact figures,
no data book at hand).
When i started learning cross-country flying, i found valuable
help and many to learn from some former hang-gliding fellows,
having shifted to soaring before and now flying those ASK-14.
Alfhought i flied in good recent plastic sailplanes it was really
difficult and sometimes impossible to me to follow these so called
outdated machines. We already knew that pilot skill is making
the difference more than the glider. And i saw that a well driven
good climber can defend his aging handicap in the often
tricky conditions of the Alps.
Moreover autonomy et quick operation of a light self launching
glider are amazing. To see my friends flying away 15 or 20 minutes
after they arrived at the airfield began to make me think :
Logically, technical progress of the last thirty years should
give means to do better than the ASK-14, without trying to reach
the ultimate high end performances. In counterpart ultralight
class could give yet more freedom of use.
That is the Graal target.