Glider colour regulations

[ChemicalChaos]

Can someone fill me in please on the guidelines regarding the colour scheme of a glider? I know a fibreglass glider has to be white for heat dissipation reasons - but given the variety of colours of K6/8/13 I've seen, what are the rules for a canvas kite?

When I get around to getting my own bus, I wouldn't mind the traditional entry-step of a K6 - which I have seen In a variety of colours from blue to green to all-over-yellow. I hit on the idea the other night of getting one, and doing it up in the colours of a Jagdstaffeln Albatros - which were, of course, famed for their lurid colours

[ChemicalChaos]

Thanks Ben

NO problems with dark-colour-induced solar heating damage like a composite kite then? (come to think of it, why DO fibreglass gliders appear to be damaged so easily when you dont see black TVRs melting on a hot day?)

[ChemicalChaos]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

Sorry, I should have scrolled up!

My Uncle, John Hulme, was the sole UK Importer of the PIK as far back as 1976 (I think). It was orange not yellow.

I bought an orange PIK from him in the early 80s.

A fun glider to fly albeit the u/c 'wind down' system was rather 'interesting'!

In its time, as a flapped 15m sailplane it was pretty cutting edge.

Sounds quite a nice little glider!

Reminds me, I was talking to a chap at the Mynd (Ben, you'll know who this is - the Brummie accented fellow that owns just about every vintage plane going, and races at Reno). He was regaling me with tales about a Russian air force glider built in the cold war, that was stressed to something like 12g with a plywood monocoque
Apparently they were towed up to FL200 with trainee fighter pilots in them, and the pilots had a dogfight on the way back down again! A few still exist in the old USSR countries apparently, would definitely be an interesting kite to own!





Anyway - taking procrastination to new levels, I've photoshopped a K6 in the liveries of some of best aces Jagdgeschwader 1 - the famous "Flying Circus".
Which do you think would look the best?


Leutnant August Von Raben:





Hauptmann Bruno Loerzer:





Offstv. Adolf Schreder:





and of course, Rittmeister Manfred Von Richtofen:



[/b]



Current works in progress are:


Leutnant Fritz Rumey:




Leutnant Hans Bohning:




and Rittmeister Kurt-Bertram von Döring:

[/b]

[ChemicalChaos]

Big News said:

really love Libelles and they are perfect for typical UK weak days, but I'm not really the right shape.

From what I saw of a certain Libelle trying to land crosswind at Denbeigh, I'd take the hit on scratch performance in return for something a bit heavier and therefore resistant to gusts!

(awaits banter along the lines of Libelle pilot skills or oft-suggested lack thereof )

Edited by ChemicalChaos on Monday 28th April 03:16

[ChemicalChaos]

sanguinary said:

None. Keep it standard and hold the cash back for maintaining the aircraft.

I'd rather be the talk of the club house because of my rock polishing and flying skills. But perhaps I'm boring!?

Why not be for both reasons?

I wouldn't start on a perfectly good aircraft anyway, that would be wasteful. I'd do what a friend of mine has done, which is buy a K6 needing light recomissioning and some refinishing, and go from there so I end up with a mechanically and visually A1 glider. His glider (FTF, if anyone has seen it) looks stunning now its done

[ChemicalChaos]

Big News said:

I'd spend the money on aerotows.

In all my 75 flights and 18 hours of airtime (not a lot, I know, before someone comments), I've never had an aerotow and dont intend to start spunking money on them now! I'm quite happy with the adrenaline-fuelled (and cheaper) world of winching