http://www.glidersport.net/


Howell, Daniel <>
writes:

We are currently constructing multiple microlift sailplanes (we
have started number four) and should be making our next delivery (number two)
early this fall. In addition, we have been working very hard to produce a new
sixty fpm minimum sink rate production microlift sailplane, that still posses
excellent handling capability. The glide ratio for this new microlift sailplane
will be approximately 46:1 and the turn radius will still be at approximately
100 ft as per our current model. See our current specifications here:
http://www.glidersport.net/about1.html


The longer we have worked on developing this microlift sailplane the more we
realized why a production quality minimum 60 fpm minimum sink rate sailplane is
not yet flying today.





Click on above to see a higher resolution version.


We are actually a lot further along than this photo taken in January shows. Our
goal has been to focus on designing and fabricating a small quantity of the
"High End" or best (Lord willing) microlift sailplanes in the world.


We currently have six pending orders. We really are not interested in getting
too big of a backlog. Our goal or market niche will remain as it is, which is to
build a small quantity of the most technologically advance microlift sailplanes
every year, rather than a larger number of the less advanced sailplanes.


The new model is based on the existing version pictured above. Based on the
success of the prototype (our number 1 model shown above) we saw that it was
actually possible for us to design and fabricate a successful 60 fpm microlift
sailplane, so we decided to pursue the dream of meeting the 60 fpm challenge. It
is kind of like breaking the four minute mile.


Paul Mc Cready , Bruce Charmichael , and Dick Johnson have all been encouraging
us in the background to make this happen.


This detour has cost us as much, if not twice, the effort it took to produce the
original fifteen meter machine, but we all believe it will be worth it in the
end. We will continue to produce the fifteen meter sailplane until we are
finished with the new wing. Existing fifteen meter versions of the LightHawk
will be upgradeable starting in 2008, with a kit that can be sent to the owners,
to the new version.


The new version has a 40% change in the wing.