Testing times

Mag article:

Testing times

Planning the reviewing of new gliders in the UK is never a straightforward affair, especially during the wet and windy winter months. Add Foot and Mouth disease to the mix and it becomes almost impossible. For free fliers living in this wonderful green and septic isle it suddenly became akin to living in an open prison for pyromaniacs. Getting the Sportster into a Burger King scented thermal from a hill looked impossible so in the end I resorted to attaching my Mosquito unit and utilizing the airstrip of a local arable farmer friend. This isn't an ideal way to test a glider (for a start you have to chop the end of the keel off, which may offend the dealer) as the Mossie can effect the perceived handling characteristics of a wing. Nevertheless, the Sportster handled so easily that it proved no real handicap.