DG 202

[Sean]

Our soaring centre is adding a DG 202 to our small fleet.
We're quite excited about this.
Experience to date has been either Blanik L-13's or the L-33 Solo.
Can anyone offer any tips for first-time DG 202 pilots? Anything specific
to look for ?
I don't know yet if this model will have the winglets or if it is the 15m
configuration.
It's polar is quite different from the L-33. I don't know if it will climb
as well though the LD is quite a bit better.
What are the g-limits ?
Any wing dropping characteristics ?
Anything special to look out for on the pre-flight check, takeoff, tow or
approach ?

Thanks for your input,

Sean
--
se...@direct.ca

[Mike Lindsay]

In article <01be8445$bf8002c0$ae53f4cc@default>, Sean <se...@direct.ca>
writes

We have one of these, we like it very much. So far I've only flown it
with the tips on, (17m) and without water. No it doesn't drop a wing.
The book recommends full forward trim for take off, and zero flap. Make
sure you don't get a PIO on take off: this is more likely on a rough
surface.
It is much easier to rig the tail if you trim fully forward.
If you set landing flap #1 and trim for 48kts plus half surface wind it
lands very nicely.
If you go into -ve flap the speed builds up quickly.
G loading. At Vne +4 and -1.5. At manoeuvring speed Va +5.3 and -2.65.
All in all a delight but (a) there's not a lot of room in there. (b)
rigging the controls is a fiddle but no worse than a lot of other glass
ships.
For many years I had a Skylark 4, the control connections on that were
very easy and there was room for a bag of overnight gear if you needed
it. Our DG climbs nearly as well as the Skylark, if you go to +4 flap.
Another snag for an old bod like me is that you sit very "deep", that
is, your legs are about level with your shoulders and its hard to climb
out when you land. There is not a lot of room for instruments.

Hope this helps, ask if you need any more info.

--
Mike Lindsay

[Sean]

Thanks very much for your insights Mike.
I received a private reply from another pilot with, primarily, 17m
configuration experience, that indicated the DG 202 was a handful for
relatively low-time pilots, especially in a rental fleet situation.
...scary spin characteristics, rudder oddities on side slips, yawing
tendencies with water ballast and the need for careful maintanance of a
number of areas.
He too had high praise for the ship itself but recommended extreme caution
when in the hands of low-time pilots.
He also recommended setting the flaps to +4° for takeoff.
As one of the aforementioned relatively low-time pilots I don't want to be
the one who prangs this bird. Though I took to soaring like a duck to water
it may have been due, in some part, to the simplicity of the ships I've
piloted. Blanik L-13's and the L-33 Solo.
I've only flown metal gliders and appreciate all the input I can get before
taking a high-performance fibreglass sailplane up. There are no 2-seat
plastic ships up here so the option of fibreglass training is unavailable.
Thanks again for your input.

Sean

--
se...@direct.ca

Mike Lindsay <Mi...@sailplane.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<lynPNMAS...@sailplane.demon.co.uk>...