Motor Gliding

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

I have been looking for a nice motorglider payware, not having much luck so far, but came across this site and discovered a few freeware decent quality gliders and motorgliders.

 

The one I'm using below is the Scheibe SF 28 A 'Tandem-Falke'. I had a problem with the textures not displaying for the single seat "KOBN" model, but the tandem displayed just fine and works like a charm.

 

Link to the Motorglider page...you can follow the side links to other gliders if you are so inclined:  http://www.fsglider.de/p_e.htm

 

 

I started my first flight from my favorite Home Base, Angwin Parrett California (2o3).

 

The VC is not Payware quality, but very good Freeware quality...it is decent to sit in.

 

And it takes of rather spritely with it's high lift wings, despite it's low thrust 100hp rotax motor. Those little wing wheels do not retract, but don't detract much from performace it seems.

 

With prop feathered and just the rush of wind accompanying, it seems to perform rather well as a glider. It is listed at 29:1 glide ratio...not up to modern glider standards, but definitely not a rock. I was able to keep it trimmed to 100kts or so, and found several Lifts on the way across the Napa and Sonoma valleys on my way to Santa Rosa KSTS, and gained a couple thousand feet while gliding along the way to SR.

 

On final...i had to pop the spoilers several times to get my speed down...evidence that it is slippery thing despite the constant "Gear Down" drag from the wing wheels.

 

Thanks for riding Back Seat...I should have included a pic of the rear VC too, it's got it's own instruments and trim spoiler levers...so perfectly flyable from the back seat...maybe next flight I'll let you take the stick.

 

Wonder if I can get a paying passenger in AH2 with this thing...

Maybe I can run a Glider Experience Company out of the Calistoga Glider center that I passed along the way....

 

Edited August 7, 2016 by Captain Coffee

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

How funny...right after posting this I searched again for FSX motorglider and this time I found Aerosoft's ASK21 and ASK21Mi (motorized version). Poor little freeware may just end up in the dustbin

 

Thanks for the flight little red freeware!

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

And a Payware Motor Glider...Aerosoft's ASK21Mi.

 

Much better climb rate, VC, sounds, textures. It will launch upwards in a good thermal with the motor off.

 

From my first AH2 haul in it...carried an excited passenger from Angwin over to Yuba City.

 

We motored for altitude to 6000 feet...just about past Lake Berryessa, then went silent the rest of the trip...a very different AirHauling experience.

It actually made some money with one passenger since we landed at a very cheep place, or gliders get a huge landing discount...Direct Operating costs were only 70 dollars or so for the flight (based on motoring the whole way...we glided most of the way so it was probably closer to 60 bucks costs)...and the pax paid 284 dollars for the Glider Ride.

 

 

Loading up my Passenger, Milton Payswell, for his Glider Adventure.

 

We climb quickly under power despite the full load.

 

Motor retracted once past Berryessa.

 

A shot of the VCs from Milton's perspective in the rear seat. Jeez I had to crouch waaaay down to get out of the view.

 

Over KYMV - Yuba Marysville. I was fighting lift the whole way in...had to pop spoilers often.

 

Final...looking great, feeling confident.

 

Milton is a very happy Passenger.

 

Cheers,

Coff.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Captain Coffee

[wain 879]

nice one Matt, gliding is a thing I have never tried but the idea of a motor glider sounds good, I read about the Aerosoft ones before, I may have to take a look, great shots too....

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

I went motorglider because i could never get enough altitude on a tow launch, and...I'm impatient by nature...heh...I always screw up and detach from the tow way too early.

These are super easy to get to altitude, the problem is getting back down. So long as I keep my speed up (feels weird putting in down trim when I want to go up...but it works, the faster you go the faster it goes up in any lift, and in the boomers...jebuz, watching this things altimeter spin up in a booming thermal is pretty impressive.

 

It's kind of hard to core out a thermal with an AH2 pax in the back...bank limits and all, so I only thermaled in really strong or very wide ones...and still gained 5,000 feet over an 80 mile trip last night.

 

Exterior views are weird...absolutely silent with the motor off and stowed. Wish it still had some wind noise in exterior shots.

 

I added an autopilot for when I am motoring...it doesn't work with the motor off at all for some reason...just wallows and falls out of the sky. But it trims out nicely and I was able to hands off glide it for a few minutes at a time.

Edited August 8, 2016 by Captain Coffee

[brett 2,316]

Great posting Matt, I can feel that "Oh, new toy" vibe going on.

 

I like the bulky yet cool lines of the Tandem Falke which was actually newer than I had first thought (1970-80's). I had a few motorgliders in my hangar over the years but they never got much use, still better than getting towed though, just fire it up and go. Great for a quick fly around the mountains for a change of pace. 

 

 

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Brett...yeah, that Falke is quite a good glider. I was pretty surprised how slippy it is despite the "vintage" appearance and perma-dangled legs.

For a free "Test the waters" bird, it's a great one to try out motor-gliding it was so fun I had no qualms kicking down the 27bucks for a payware...regrettably the aerosoft one is going to force the Falke out of the hanger, it doesn't compete at all with the AST21.

 

p.s. prices for the AST21 varied considerably from store to store...I got it at Aerosoft for 10 bucks less than several of the other stores...possibly due to EU conversion? IDK...but it was a pretty good deal.

Edited August 8, 2016 by Captain Coffee

[wain 879]

do you need to adjust anything in sim to fly the gliders?....might get one as it seem like it might be great fun, I dont understand gliders in the sim though so are there areas I can do it or with the motor version do you just get up to a level and glide back?.....dont have anything in P3D however on looking through I have a sub and a Neptune submersible...dont know how they work....

looks like it could be fun.....

Anyway any motor gliders out there being used in p3dv3 I would love to know about....thank you...

[mutley 4,498]

Love the look  of  the paraglider Matt, great PIREP!

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Thanks for the comments guys! Wayne, you don't have to adjust anything... Although there are thermal visualisations that can be activated, I haven't done so... I think that would look weird. It isn't necessary in the new glider, it has a visual indicator lift. The variometer can be turned off. I agree the incessant beeping gets on my nerves too. It also isn't really necessary because you can watch the altimeter start creeping up and start circling in that area. It's also very obvious when you leave a thermal as the glider sort of shudders and noses down a little bit.

[wain 879]

Ok thanks Matt...just purchased Aerosoft version had lots of points on JF so got money off.. will download when I get home....

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

BTW...couldn't see it too well on my phone today at work...that little submersible looks very cool. I just can't imagine there is much scenery under the water to enjoy unless it came with some Coral Reef scenery to poke around in...that would be kinda cool flying underwater.

Cheers.

 

And...looks like the AST21/Mi should have a P3D installer as well. You're all set Sir! Happy Thermaling.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Captain Coffee

[wain 879]

yeah I haveinstalled the 21 and you are correct sir that sound is annoying, all looks very nice, couldnt initially start motor, didnt realise it folds down, guess I need a quick scan of the manual....really weird once you turn motor off and just glide, seems a very peaceful experiance.....

 

couldnt do anything with the sub so I just left it alone....

[wain 879]

hope you dont mind me posting a few shots here, only ground ones, I was not very smooth gliding and couldnt take any airbornne shots, more practice needed I feel, anyway it was good fun.....all at KORS.....landing was on taxiway I was swaying left to right like a drunken sailor on shore leave....

 

 

 

imside the red circle was a whale...

Matt please dont post any more new stuff, I want to save some money, my next purchases are to be Aerosoft CRJ & A350....I must hide my bank card & close paypal ...wont happen though will it....

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

haha. Sorry man, just blame your new purchase on Too much Coffee.

 

I never read the manual on the AST21...just hopped in an flipped switches as is my Modus Operandi.

It also took me a while to figure out how to deploy the motor.

Take offs are a squirelly fun ride back and forth across the runway the first 1/2 dozen times. I think I have the rudder dance figured out on it now and have been able to keep it on the runway.

I flew it outside of AH last night, and got into some hella booming thermals around the Calistoga/Healdsburg area over the the surrounding hills. I left the Vario on and when it started SHRIEKING I was able to put it into a tight turn keeping the speed in the green and it SHOT up several thousand feet, like 500 feet per turn...was amazing.

And I did a return Pax trip from KOAR/Watsonville/Monterey bay area back up to Lodi...I adjusted the "cruise speed" in AH2 down to 70kts and we arrived on time.

 

Tip to make your life a bit easier in it. Look around your aircraft panels for one that has a pop up Altimeter and VSI...the metric ones in the VC hurt my head. I found a decent set of pop ups in Carenado's c185 panel.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Captain Coffee

[Gunner 69]

Interesting idea using it in AH . I guess, the "Taxi and park" message after landing makes you grin .

[dolf8857 640]

Fantastic shots Matt, I should give this gliders a try myself once, never took the time!

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Thanks dolf...def try that freeware first folks, its a great flying model and good first sip to see if gliding is your cup of tea. I got hooked in less than 20 miles...YMMV.

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

23 hours ago, Gunner said:

Interesting idea using it in AH . I guess, the "Taxi and park" message after landing makes you grin .

 

Its a nice reminder to pop the motor back out.

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

Hey that's great guys, nice to see something different on here. One of my friends has a real one and often uses it to fly into Bognor Regis air strip as opposed to his usual base of Parham Park where he is in charge of the South Down Gliding Club!.

 

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

 

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Nice RL views Alan!

It sure would be nice if Aerosoft's model came with an AI ground crew to hold the wing up on take offs. Or at least a small scooter wheel built into the wing tips...my wingtips would be scraped well clean of paint by now.

Enjoying the heck out of this thing. I take it for a "Spin" before bedtime after my normal Airhauler session...a nice relaxing way to end the session. I hit a screaming thermal last night that had me gain 5,000 feet in about 3 minutes...whoooosh.

 

I am making an airhauler company around this plane (Four of them) and the A2A Cherokee (2 of them). One base is in Lodi, Ca...another is in Angwin, CA...and the third is up in Cloverdale. Passengers can choose to take a flight to either Angwin or Cloverdale (1 or 2 hour excursion flights). The flight to Angwin is fairly straightforward trip with a few thermaling opportunities along the way as they present themselves...while the Cloverdale flight is a more Thermaling intensive flight where we try to get as much altitude as possible, hence the extra hour for only a Half-again as long flight. After the glider lands, customers can then either take a break/day up north and later on fly back in either one of the gliders  up untill late afternoon for a dusk light flight home, or shuttle back in one of the many scheduled A2A Cherokee shuttles back to Lodi anytime they like...the 2 Cherokees runs scheduled shuttle flights from Lodi>Angwin>Cloverdale>Angwin>Lodi all day long.