Flying my Ventus CT from Lasham. Got low so picked a large recently cut corn field. Raised snd started the engine, great, I'm away! 5 seconds later the engine stopped. Lowered the nose and landed without drama. On inspection I had got a kink in the flexible fuel line when I rigged in the morning. Always, always pick a field first before you do anything else.
@@mobilemarshall What you said is very true simplicity=reliability is one of my favorite mantras. On the other hand, most two strokes are working very hard creating a lot of stress. Then factor in they vibrate more. Combine those two factors and you get a lot of failures that more complex but smoother, easier running engines won't have nearly as often. {shrug} It's always a balancing act.
@@davebryant6905 Never done any moto or aviation stuff, but that definitely sounds like my experience of small two stroke engines. She'll run like a wee ripper... right up until she doesn't. I presume in an aviation context, one must be just as diligent regarding maintenance and proper care of a 2-stroke as with any other aero engine.
Hey that's awesome, glad you liked it! I have no idea why, but this video sat quietly without much fanfare for months, but just took off like crazy in the past couple of days! So glad it's going to people who appreciate it. Cheers!
@@PureGlide I may be wrong, but I watch a lot of stuff on Engineering (being a Chef??), which covers boats, hairy-planes and many other forms of transport, as well as other more esoteric stuff. Maybe that is why? For once, I shall raise a wee dram to the YT algorithm!
The Algo doth work in mysterious ways... I watch a lot of military aviation/history/GA content, but not much Glider stuff... close enough for the electronic elves though apparently. :) I'm not complaining in the least of course!
Interesting, I should probably target engineering types. A LOT of glider pilots are engineers, or otherwise technical people. In our club we have farmers (usually good at maintaining machinery), software developers, architects, mechanical engineers, dentists, surveyors, pharmacists etc... Cheers!
Not in the video, but the shutdown procedure is the following: - Turn off the fuel. Wait for the engine to stop. - The blades are still spinning. Lower them for 3 seconds out of the airstream. - Wait for the blades to stop spinning, check with the mirror. - Close it completely. Stay tuned for part 2 to see this in action!
@@johngalloway156 The Ventus CT manual states to shut down engine with fuel shut off valve prior to stowing. Anyway to each his own. He is stating the shutdown procedure correctly via the owners manual.
@@MikelLee I know that. I owned 3 SH turbo gliders over the period 1992- 2014. The earlier turbo manuals did indeed say that but it is not necessary and cutting off the fuel/oil mix cuts off the lubrication while the prop is still wind-milling doesn't seem sensible. NB The comment from Pure Glide: "Wait for the engine to stop. - The blades are still spinning" is not correct as the prop is directly driven and the engine has not stopped turning until the prop has stopped turning.
@@PureGlide always follow the manual as that way your warranty is still valid. But the guy is right. Im a 2 stroke mechanic. You never under any circumstances want to run a 2 stroke out of fuel. Running it out of fuel starves the engine of fuel which is also its oil increasing the temp in the engine as it leans out and with no oil mix youll spin a crank bearing or score then seize your pistons.
That decompression lever is a very clever idea! I’ve ‘windmill’ started my ROTAX powered Challenger Ultralight, and the speed required to get the prop turning was well above 85kts due to the high compression of the 2 stroke engine.
@@PureGlide True. I usually use the electric start to 'air start' the motor because I would need at least 500' of altitude to pitch over and accelerate to windmill speeds before the prop starts turning.
I have an N3 Pup (need to put the wings on...), but...I'm curious, how fast do you think I'd have to go to start a 1/2aVW to wind-start it? The pistons are a bit high on the compression. I really hate starting that thing...It's a tiny motor, but it kicks so darn hard!
@@cluelessbeekeeping1322 That’s a good question. The short answer is: I don’t know because I’m unfamiliar with the 1/2 VW. What I suggest is trying a windmill start under controlled conditions. Set yourself up over a suitable landing area where you can make a power off landing (preferably at a quiet airfield with little or no traffic). Climb up to 3-4000 AGL and leave 1000 feet as a knock it off altitude where you would be in a position to conduct a normal gliding circuit and approach to landing. That’s how I conducted my windmill test. Hope this helps.
@@CLdriver1960 Brother...I've got the ULTIMATE set up...I keep my (need to put the wings on) N3 Pup at a private air strip (bees too), my brother owns it! You offer good advice...treat it like I'm dead sticking! Thanks!
Man having an engine on one of these things just makes so much sense. Just think about it, if you can fly about 8 to 10 hours in one of these gliders. And damn near close to hitting a thousand miles. Just in one glide alone. Having an engine on there could potentially fly you clear across the United States from California to New York, on just one gas tank. Because you don't run the engine the whole way. Hit it for about 5 minutes up to altitude. And you're good for another 8 hours of gliding.
@@PureGlide Well probably not on your engine. But I know there's some people that can get close to a good thousand miles on just one glide. And I've also seen other people instead of a propeller prop, they put these small jet engines on there. I bet that'll do it.
Yeah so my engine has one of the longest ranges. The sawtooth method which is climb, then glide, then climb, then glide etc can get 450km range. Any further and you need some external weather to help. Cheers!
thanks for the video :) i seen a glider take off over my house the other day out of one of the busiest GA airports in the world. i was very confused hahaha.
Very interesting video. I imagined those Engines were there to get you out of trouble at low level. But it seems a fair amount of forward planing is required. Including a dive!!
Oh, "Hi You Tube", I thought you were saying "Hi You Two". That makes more sense - I was the only one watching! Loving your videos, by the way. I have my RA certificate but always interested in other forms of flying (and simulated glides in an LSA is less enjoyable and more stressful!).
Well, in general the sustainer option is a good development, though it is indeed a kind of „cheating“ compared to regular gliders (sailplanes). Therefore they should treated / compete in a class of their own. Why? Though in a competition the use of the engine will be regarded as an outlanding, it in fact is not. You are flying back to your airfield (or another one). The guy without the sustainer is stuck somewhere out on the ground. You have more and different options with the sustainer, even if only on training flights you do have a certain amount of advantage. Do not get me wrong: I am not against the use of engines on gliders, they certainly have advantages. In contrast they are not regular gliders anymore. I would guess that if you are limited to a glider without any engine you need to put in a lot more safety margins than with a (running) engine. Even if it is only on a training flight, the engine is a big plus. Good if you have one, but to let them compete with pure gliders is like comparing apples to oranges.
Well up until the point you get the engine out in theory it's the same. And in some ways a disadvantage, because you have to start your engine early, not at 200 feet above the ground. Where as without an engine you can try and get away in a thermal down low (even though you shouldn't do that either). Also we still have to have a paddock to land in, as it might not start, so you can't go to places you wouldn't otherwise. Probably the main advantage is not being exhausted after a big retrieve for the next day! Cheers
@@PureGlide Everything you wrote is valid of course. Though - when there are sufficient numbers of gliders with sustainers / self launchers around - it would make sense to compete in a class of their own. Nowadays you have different classes anyway, that „usually“ don‘t mix in competition (unless on club or regional level competitions). I am in no way against sustainers (our club recently bought a brand new Arcus T and I voted for it), but they are a different kind of fish compared to regular gliders. And yes, you are right, they are lots of fun and reduce the risk of outlandings by a high margin. Have a lot of fun with your glider, Cheers from Germany, Michael.
Great explanation of the sustainer motor operation! This motor really opens up the territory you can explore! Your prior “Motor to the good stuff” video captures the advantages! Some of your videos show magnificent scenery that appear to have zero options for landing out safely. I am certain having a motor must feel good. Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks very much! And don't worry although you can't always see them on the video, there are ALWAYS options for landing. Often behind me which you won't see. I've only once or twice in my gliding career I've not had somewhere safe (or wet) to put it down. Around NZ in particular, we often don't find lift even when we expect to, so it's critical. I'm up to about 75 out-landings so far...
@@PureGlide That would make for a great video of the best out-landings in NZ in short video clips. Clearly with my 2 out-landings I need to adventure out more.
Great info, I was wondering how they would be able to tell that you “cheated” by Using your engine, other than a straight sustaining climb in your track.
Nice video, but I teach my student to lower the gear before deploying the engine. The reason is that if the engine will not start (or start properly), then you are in a hurry to land in the paddock and you will likely forget the gear.
I have finally gotten to this zone of RU-vid. I have no interest in flying, let alone gliders, yet I here I am watching this when I should be sleeping. Thank you RU-vid recommendations.
Great video mate, I had no idea that sustainer engines in gliders were even a thing! That seems to be true for quite a few commenters but I see that it has not prevented the Certified RU-vid Experts from telling you everything that's "wrong" with it. :) Noticed a couple of comments regarding jet-assisted gliders which perked my interest, given how far compact jet turbines have come along in the past decade or so. Subbed and hit the bell, looking forward to part two! Cheers from an Aussie born in Ōtāhuhu who is desperate to return to his homeland once this Covid business is over.
Very interesting. I knew that many gliders had auxiliary engines but I never knew they had no starter or throttle. Very basic system. Thanks for sharing this info. Great video!
Something about the preview image just screamed NZ to me. 🤣 Confirmed the moment you started talking. 👍 EDIT: God this country is gorgeous. Need to get my glider license at some point.
Oh, do I miss that hobby! But without money, hence without a private glider, you depend on a club (Germany) and this brings not just lots of human friction and tension, it also eats up lifetime and weekends beyond mercy. When I was active, I always had the desire for jumping in a lake or cycling through that lovely landscape, smelling the forrest etc., sensations from which I was cut off due to flying. As it feels to me now, the grass is always greener on the other side.
Aussie here, I visited Southern Germany/Northern Austria a few years ago and as much as I love our natural landscapes, it certainly feels like the grass is greener over there. :) I hope to get back over there some day and visit the north, German food and hospitality is fantastic! I do hope you are able to go for a glide again some day, it must be an amazing thing to do in such a beautiful country. Cheers from Sydney.
I agree the engine is not an advantage in competitions, even is a disadvantage with more weight, and at least the turbo which needs to dive to start takes more altitude than some people use for landing circuits. But there is one competition advantage, and that is that on those outlanding days, when sometimes other competitors arrive back late at night after long retrieves, the turbo pilots can motor home for a relaxed evening. Saves on fatigue :-) Unless you're the one who have to go retrieve all the other pilots after returning :D
@@PureGlide It started with turbo pilots going to contests without crew, "since I will always get home I don't need a crew". Then it evolved into the pure glider pilots: "I won't need a crew because the turbo pilots can come retrieve me". And now no one has a crew :)
Love all your stuff Tim. Did you say you would do a video on jet powered gliders? That would be very interesting. A bit of background info if I may be so bold, I'm a 67 year old former glider pilot living in the north east of England. I ceased flying in 1997 but continue to fly as a virtual pilot on Microsoft FSX and Condor 2. Always look forward to seeing new stuff from you. Take care and keep up the excellent work.
Thanks John, Stefan made a good video about flying the jet recently, so thought I’d wait a bit before making one. Check out his video I suggest. Thanks for your support! Cheers Tim
Thanks Impure Glide ;) I don't fly sustainers but I guess another big risk is forgetting to mix the oil into the fuel... The engine would run for a few minutes, then you'd be hoping you could get back to the field you had chosen!
If it actually climbs at 1.7 knots on average at 55 knots forward speed it's a piece of cake to get back to the same field even with a straight out climb -- as long as you put the engine away first. You do need to make sure you're not flying in sink though -- 1.7 knots is no match for 10 knot sink. You still have to think like a glider pilot, not a jet fighter pilot.
@@BruceHoult Good points! Hopefully you are also climbing into wind which will also improve the glide ratio back to the field. Haha yes even power pilots get caught out by the sink from mountain wave :)
I would suppose that one must be just as careful when refuelling this sustainer setup as aviator must be when refuelling any kind of aircraft engine. :) All due care and attention required, since you can't get out and walk.
Since it can manage to climb with the engine, I'd expect it could likely take off from a good runway. But this smaller one might be like one of the old wood and canvas airplanes where you need a bunch of helpers to start the engine and give it as much of a running push start as they can to get it up to a speed where it's stable enough to not drag anything on the ground.
Yeah that is exactly right, people have started it on the ground and launched with it I hear, a bit of a help to get it started can make it easier. One day I might try it! Cheers
Wouldn't this make more sense as a pusher motor? From the way the prop blades fold, it appears the only thing actually holding them deployed when the engine is running, is centrifugal force. I would imagine a great deal of thrust is lost from the system to blade flex. By having it a pusher motor that folded forward, I would think you'd get greater efficiency from the engine
I was wondering if part of the prep to fly the glider was to test the engine to make sure it will start in flight. former usaf jet mech here,beautiful glider there thanks for this video. You answer my question later in the video.
Hi yeah bit tricky on the ground to start it. The good news is we can fly without it quite happily for a LONG way... Here's part 2 that answers lots of questions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZRTkHh7n55Y.html
In the uk a glider like yours is still a glider, but if it can self launch it requires a motor glider licence PPL SLMG. Which is more costly than learning to glide.
@@daszieher they are very much a thing! The FES system is already pretty common (seen on most larger gliderports). I would think that adding a generator with fuel is just more heavy and complex than another battery for the same amount of energy and power.
Are you seeing many electric motogliders yet? That's kinda my dream, fly solely on lift, and the sun, and lift is also from the sun when you get right down to it.
I like that type of glider with the two tubes under its long flapy side parts - It has no engine (no spinny thing in front), but is really fast and car carry people - its like magic. I think its called Boink 007 or something like that.
Very interesting! do electric options exist? that would eliminate the need for a dive, sure batteries would probably last 10-20 minutes to keep weight down, but maintenance would be much lower!
They sure do, unfortunately I can only afford 35 year old gliders :) If you buy a new one though you can get electric sustainer or self launch these days. Subscribe for future videos where I show them!
@@PureGlide cool! Seeing how much brushless DC motors have improved for RC planes, I would have expected it :) And don't worry, your "35 year old glider" looks killer to all of us who can only dream of something similar! Cheers from Italy and thanks for the reply
another good one PG - look forward to hearing more about these in the future. how much fuel and what's the endurance roughly. also does it increase your ias?
Thanks 4 another great video, mate! I *never* understood why the glider companies decided to use the name turbo to mean *less* power. Highly confusing: turbo means you can't take off
Good question! Never thought about it properly :) It's probably a german word that starts with T anyway, and not actually Turbo... like L for the flap is actually the German word for "Slow", not english "Landing". Or maybe simply it's more turbo than nothing?! Who knows. Not me, that would require research...
L for the flap is most probably short for Landeklappen = landing flaps, although it really might be Langsam = slow, but I think that would be weird. In cars turbo is a mode where more fuel is injected for a power boost, so I would say it means power boost compared to gliding.
Not exactly cheating in a contest, but having the power option is an advantage for those equipped. Not because one couldn't land out in some unknown and not inspected field, but because one would not, in many cases, opt for an outlanding, but instead, be much more conservative to avoid the inconvenience and possible unseen problems inherent in landing out.
Great vid Tim! Taking off with a Turbo will invalidate the insurance of course plus the climb rate would be awful thus making it almost certain you would need to make a claim.
@@alexanderSydneyOz well your answer is in the original statement. A sustainer engine is not powerful enough to take of safely, they are not designed to take off. What insurer worth his salt would in his right mind cover such an act!
About the folding blades: How do they stay straight when using the engine? Is the centrifugal force enough? Or do the blades need some counterbalance to keep them unfolded? Maybe they have like a centrifugal lock in the hub?
Hey I love this Idea. Especially in a glider. All that redundancy... Personally I think it should be a pusher motor/prop mainly because of the flipping blades. The reason I say that, the propeller would not act as drag only as a pusher if you have a tail wind. If course it would need a starter.. Just an opinion🙂 Stay awesome brother! Amazing content btw brother!
Hi thanks mate! PS there is never a tail wind, the wind is always coming from the front as the glider is always moving forwards through the air. Unless I'm doing something extra impressive :)
based on my past experience owning a self launching ventus. it actually makes it slightly better. for the same glide ratio you can go about 5 knots faster. similar principle to water ballasts
Yeah it makes it harder to climb (because the glider is heavier) but doesn’t change the aerodynamics so the max glide ratio is the same, just at a faster speed. Subscribe for Future videos will cover how ballast on a glider works!
how much efficiency do you lose by flying a 2-seat glider with no one in the empty seat? How much efficiency do you lose by flying a glider with a passenger on aboard? How much efficiency does a Cessna 172 lose when you actually use it to carry payload? Stupid questions
@@SoloRenegade all 3 questions have the same answer. You can fly faster for the same glide ratio. But it is harder to climb due to the extra weight Also at my gliding club the only stupid question is the one you don't ask so dw
Yeah funnily enough buying a new glider these days you can buy electric ones. But the range isn't quite the same. 150km vs 450km. That and my glider is 25 years old, so didn't quite have that option when it was purchased :)
I was thinking the blades would start to close forward from the wind generated once the engine was started. I guess the force is great enough to keep the blades in position. Interesting the same.
How is it the last 20 comments have all wondered the same?! And I’m not sure why it is, but it seems to work just fine. I imagine the centrifugal force would keep them out?
Since it works like push-starting a manual transmission car, couldn't you have the glider sitting on the ground and run through the start-up procedures and instead of needing the dive to start the engine, go super oldschool and try spinning the propeller by hand?
Yeah you certainly can! Just tricky to be in the glider and do it so you need a helper. I’ve heard of people making a cordless drill attachment to help too but haven’t tried it myself yet!
Definitely I agree engine on the competition is not cheating but... it gives mental advantage that more risky option (potential outfield landing) is easier to choose.
Yeah agreed. Also the pressure to to not land out for inconvenience is not as great, so you tend to push further, or later into the day. I almost put that in the video too, but was getting too long...
Yeah, problem is my glider is 35 years old, they didn't make them back then. But yes you can buy a brand new glider with electric propulsion. Subscribe for future videos that cover that! And google: FES glider
Nerd here.. Interested in long range flight for personal transportation. what's the fuel capacity? How long will it run for on that amount of fuel? How far do you think you could glide using it? What's you average speed? Would an electric motor with battery and solar on the wings be awesome?
Hey DjClarky78, great questions: some of which I answered in part two: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZRTkHh7n55Y.html As for electric, yes they exist now as you can imagine! And yes even experimental gliders running only with solar on the wings (Google" Solar Impulse). But electric gliders are now common, and I'll have videos on them in the future. For personal transportation, check out the touring glider range from Pipestrel like the www.pipistrel-aircraft.com/aircraft/electric-flight/taurus-electro/ Cheers!
The centrifugal forces (aka inertia) are enough to keep the prop from folding. Perhaps this is another reason for the lack of a throttle. At some torques and RPM, maybe the blades would begin to fold?
I don't think it takes much, they normally are fully folded out before I start the dive, before the engine even starts working. Keep in mind the wind on them too when flying...
@@PureGlide The wind would open them and spin them for starting. I was thinking about after the engine was started. The prop is a spinning wing, and the aerodynamic force is forward (trying to close the blades). The only thing keeping them open is centrifugal forces, which are a function of mass and rpm. The forward-folding blades seems somewhat bazar and counter-intuitive, but obviously stay open and work.
@@PureGlide When you cover about others types of glider with retractable engines. Please explain how the system those who has two blade propeller make the propeller stay in the right way to retrac. Thanks.
No stupid questions - yes if we mis-judge the weather, or simply make a mistake we can use it to get home, or get higher. We still have to have a potential field to land in because it might not start. And if we land in a field it means we have to have someone collect us, which can take hours. So it makes life a lot easier and less stressful :)
Imagine if you could extend the engines props out, as if you're preparing to turn on the engine, but instead you just let it be and the blades begin to rotate. The rotating shaft is connected to a mini generator which will charge the in-plane battery. Is such a thing feasible? Or say, some sort of "air brake" which is really just some props/blades that rotate, and thus provide some drag, slowing down the glider, but their rotation is changing a battery. Kind of like on bikes back in the day, you would put these tiny forward facing lights which were connected to a mini generator that would be touching the front tire, and powering the light.
Hi yeah basically like the regenerative braking my skateboard has! Funnily enough big planes have such a system en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_air_turbine I don’t think gliders need it, if the electrical power goes out the glider still flies happily. We don’t need our instruments that badly. And if you had an electric glider, I don’t think it would create any useful amount of power to warrant the cost and complexity. Also anything like that would create a lot of drag, and would sink the glider faster. Interesting idea though!
If the blades pivot forward and are designed to propel the aircraft forward how do the blades not try pivoting forward from the "lift" they create? Does the centrifugal force overcome the thrust produced? I really hope that made sense.
seen this before, though i find it cute that some also use jet engines. PBS TJ-100 is a common little jet used, though some owners have managed to get their hands on Williams F107 WR19's, though it is not unheard of for some to use RC Aircraft engines... mounted in pairs. either 2 on a single popup pylon, or 1 per side on separate popups. while it might seem strange to use "RC Aircraft engines" many of them can get up to and above 89 lbs of thrust per engine.. For example a Jetcat 500 is about 110 pounds of thrust each, 2 of them, 220 pounds.. for a smaller lighter glider that's good for a sustainer engine or even takeoff in some cases. Jetcat 1000 RC motor, is about 1100n thrust or 247 lbs of thrust A pair of those will match the Williams F107 WR19. more then enough thrust to take off though they guzzle fuel much less efficient because of their design, then more purpose built sepecailized engines, each jetcat burns 2.9l per min, so a just for take off at max power, the pair will chew through almost 60 l of fuel, just for a take off and climb. the Williams f107 though even though its twice the thrust is a far more efficiant engine burning about 3.08l/min a max flow rate. but again, those are like hens teeth to get, i'v eonly seen like 2-3 gliders powered with them.
@@PureGlide as i said, the one that use the RC motors are more common. if you see a pink air intake. Its a jetcat. That's pretty much their trademark. Lavander/purple is... ugg i think its AMT? out of the netherlands, and blue is PBS out of Czech.
Yeah I'm using them to charge my batteries. The panel mounts I've got for them aren't great, so will be switching them out soon to XLR plugs which is what a lot of gliders use.
@@PureGlide Audio technician here. I've often seen XLRs used for all kinds of non-standard DC power connections, but it's worth bearing in mind that as a balanced audio signal connector they really weren't designed to carry any significant current. I'm sure it probably wouldn't be an issue if used only for trickle-charging a smallish battery at a few hundred milliamps, but may I suggest using Neutrik Powercon panel-mount connectors and plugs or their generic equivalents. They have a very positive twist-lock action with a sliding tab on the plug so they will never come loose accidentally, they're extremely robust (designed for use in live audio situations where such connectors are often subject to a lot of careless handling and abuse), and they're very easy to terminate as they use captive-screw terminals, you don't even have to break out the soldering iron! A drop of loctite on the panel mount terminal screws would prevent any issue caused by connections working loose due to vibration. Just my two cents, cheers mate.
Hi yes we have our own training system and glider pilot license, which can be converted to a PPL-G if we need an official CAA qualification for overseas use.
Probably better than an electric sustainer but not as good as a jet engine. I don’t doubt the 2 stroke is more fuel efficient yet it lacks the James Bond kudos you would get with the Jet and that’s worth a lot of mileage.. 😎
@@PureGlide I used to tow glider pilots in California years ago. I’m thinking now that I’m old I just might try it myself. I’m thinking about putting it on my bucket list. I’ll pray on it. Thanks for your video.
Do you know anybody in NZ who uses Jet engine on sailplane? In Europe some companies fit jet engine on gliders. As I know it doesnt give enough trust to takeoff.
On the other hand, you have to be very careful, if the motor does not start working while you are flying at a very low level. (the drag amount is huge). Just recently a tragedy, or almost a tragedy happened (hopefully, the pilot will fully recover). But yeah, it was a competition where people are risking more..
Yeah it’s important to give up early and make a safe retrieve and potentially outlanding. Did you see in this video how I tested landing with the engine out? It’s not as bad as you might think, but still like having the air brakes out!
