afontana14
Newbie
Has anyone actually built/flown a Bensen B-6 glider? Or even seen one fly? Would it be a viable option for a homebuild project?
Thanks Marten and wolfy - I have a long way to go and not that much time left to get it done but hey, whats life without a plan?Gyro gliders appear attractive because of their simplicity and low cost.
No engine to worry about , no throttle management to worry about etc.
However it is not quite that simple .... the tow car is your power supply and whoever is driving it is your throttle manager.
Even worse the driver is looking forward and cannot see you on the end of the long rope. Talk about flying blind !!!!
It can be done , and has been done safely , and is pure fun ..... but you need some basic training and several experienced tow people
All of a sudden a small Rotax engine and an instructor appears simpler
Good luck and have fun.
Do you mean these guys? - http://www.vortechonline.com/gyro/The PRA may have the Bensen plans and manuals available on line for download or someone here might direct you to them. Although not a B-6 the plans and books include building a glider Bensen and training to fly it. This info may still be available from Vorteconline.com
They make comment that their plans are "not for build purposes" - what do you think that is all about?yeah that the one
Thank you - sage advice if I lived where you live - there are opportunities here but few and far between and hard to find.Earthbound, if you don’t have much time go buy a used one, get some training and have some fun. Barnstormer even lists some new ultralight ones if that is of interest.
Thought that might be the case - thanks for the warning Doug although I am well aware of the vagaries of AGE!"Not for build purposes" is likely an attempt at a legal disclaimer. IOW, "use at your own risk."
When facing an "age related" time factor, stay VERY aware that older folk require many more repetitions of a motor-skill task to learn it than do teenagers. The psych people talk about "brain plasiticity" -- a fancy way of saying that, in middle age and beyond, your body is not in an efficient learning mode. Adjust your expectations, understanding that this phenomenon WILL slow your progress. Be patient and brutally honest with yourself.