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#400351
I did my second flight on Saturday, Sept 9 after tightening up all the battens which were pretty loose on the previous flight.
The glider was stiffer than before but handled very well and performed well. If I decide to keep this glider I'll probably modify the sail to accept my raked tip design. Wills Wing does not offer a raked tip for the Sport 2. I flew my 2010 Sport 2 a few days later with it's 200 hour sail and raked tips. It's a damned fine glider. The new one seems able to fly faster. Unless I flew side-by-side with a similar pilot I really couldn't make a meaningful comparison. Anyhow this video shows the practical limits of pushing the reach of the new glider and it quite well. It also gives a tour of the Crestline area from some interesting perspectives.
Enjoy !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAeHg-57WTA
#400360
Dude, great flight. I didn't think there was any way you were going to make it back.

You rose from the dead more times than Dracula. Nailing the landing put a nice cherry on it.

I'd say the wing was a keeper. Your definitely showing that you don't need a super high performance wing to do some epic XC flying.

Thanks for posting,

Dan
#400362
Lucky_Chevy wrote: Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:29 am Dude, great flight. I didn't think there was any way you were going to make it back.
You rose from the dead more times than Dracula. Nailing the landing put a nice cherry on it.
I'd say the wing was a keeper. Your definitely showing that you don't need a super high performance wing to do some epic XC flying.
Thanks for posting,
Dan
Thanks Dan. I was pretty sure I was sunk several times on that run but I've been into these nooks and crannies many times over 9 years and it's familiar territory to me but I respect the hazards as if it was the first time. As long as the edit doesn't make any of that look too easy I won't have to track down missing pilots as many of us have done in the past. Icarus Syndrome will strike no matter what we do and that's the risk associated with freedom of choice.

Unsolicited plug: The Sport 2 155 is a great X/C teacher glider with very forgiving landing qualities and just so darned much fun to fly. Of course I love flying the Gecko too but I need the lightest HG I can get to do these flights otherwise it's time to start kiting that PG Dizzy gave me and go 'bi'.
#400727
Jon, I've heard from some pilots that the Gecko is an awesome thermalling machine and it's extra mass doesn't degrade it's thermalling performance as some would expect. From your comments, do you believe otherwise when compared to the Sport 2?
#400731
DMarley wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:29 am Jon, I've heard from some pilots that the Gecko is an awesome thermalling machine and it's extra mass doesn't degrade it's thermalling performance as some would expect. From your comments, do you believe otherwise when compared to the Sport 2?
Doug,
It's been so long since I demo flew a Gecko 155 that I barely remember it. It's a great glider that I'm confident would have given me many amazing flights had I been on one. I can't own one of everything and I make the best out of whatever I'm flying. Sadly, far too many Geckos have been locally reported to have fluttering sails that require pilot intervention to fix. I also dislike the way the control bar is rigged so far back in addition to the Y-shaped rear wires, the too-fast VG pull and sharp-edged aluminum speedbar. The demo I flew was rigged with the compensator rope too tight which hurt the handling response rate. I have flown plenty of other gliders that were out of tune and I did not enjoy. In the bag it's about 10# heavier than a Sport 2 155 which is a major issue for me due to poor health. It's still a great performing and great handling glider but like so many pieces of sporting equipment, requires tolerance or customization. I'd love to do a follow-up demo flight on a Gecko 155 that doesn't flutter and doesn't have the compensator rope rigged far too tight. If anyone local wants to loan me theirs for a demo....
Cheers, JD
#400732
NMERider wrote: Sun Sep 17, 2017 12:17 pm ...Of course I love flying the Gecko too but I need the lightest HG I can get to do these flights otherwise it's time to start kiting that PG Dizzy gave me and go 'bi'.
Ah. The wording almost implied that you also own a Gecko.
I wasn't aware of the other not-so-positive aspects of the Gecko. Everyone RAVES about that model, so there's not much else being shared that I've seen. Interesting.
Glad to read your opinion on the unit you flew as a demo. You'd think that as a demo glider, the thing would be rigged to at least near-perfection.