New release from Kartonowa Kolekcja

[YankeeBoy]

Pawel Mistewicz' latest design is now available at Kartonowa Kolekcja - the PW-5 Smyk (little rascal) in two versions. A change of pace for this superb designer and an interesting subject.

[Don Boose]

Thanks for this info, YB.

Hope we will soon see the new build you are pondering.

Don

[Leif Ohlsson]

Thank you YB, 2.6% N.! This is most interesting, and I learned a lot from searching for more about the original. Let's make some propaganda for glider/sailplane flying, what do you say?

Here's a good video of the first flight of the season in a PW-5 for this Polish (I presume) pilot - winch launch, release at ca 1,000 m (watch the altimeter - 300m), some warming up turns, then a standard traffic pattern, downwing leg with field well in sight, turning base, and then final with Schemp-Hirth airbrakes judiciously applied. Very instructive to watch in full-screen mode if you can:



After having warmed up a bit, how's for a real ride, first hang soaring, then wave soaring at considerable altitude, among scattered clouds and occassional rain showers in the distance:



Did you notice the audio variometer almost screaming out the lift encountered! Takes me back, although I certainly never encountered anything like that.

Got your appetite wetted? Then, let's have a closer look at the model itself:



There are more pictures at the KK site.

So, what's so special about the PW-5? Nothing, really, and that's what's special about it - it was designed to be a one-type world-class sailplane, making gliding affordable, and competition easier, avoiding the very high-tech trap of trying to outclass others by owning very exclusive and expensive aircraft.

The L/D ration is a good 33, with 0.65 m/s minimum sink. Stall characteristics good, simple handling (fixed landing gear & effective airbrakes, no flaps or extended wings or anything too fancy). Wikipedia has got the story.

In spite of this, it seems this Polish glider did not get produced in an overly large number, although some 200 of them ended up in the US. The Wayback machine provides an old site with a lot of material, among it a good evaluation of the glider's performance, strengths & weaknesses (not overly many).

The two versions modeled really boil down to liveries. The B1-PW-5 seems to an updated version with options for more instruments, and even more fool-proof handling characteristics. Interestingly, there has also been a two-seater development, with a possible auxiliary engine projected (pictures here).

Airliners.net does have a whole array of PW-5 photos.

Thanks again, YB for this heads-up!

-L.

[Leif Ohlsson]

Correction: Ca 200 produced, 70 of them ended up in the US ("where there is a keen following" - Wikipedia). And the airbrakes are named "Schempp-Hirth", and nothing else.

Also, while on the downwind leg in the first video, keep an eye out for the other glider landing in front of you. You will choose to land to the right of it. And before that, watch out for the glider waiting its turn to land behind you.

Very good little film clip!

- L.

[Leif Ohlsson]

It seems I can't leave this alone. Here's a list of Youtube videos featuring flights with the PW-5, almost all of them English-narrated.

This one is recommended, "Gliding at Mangrove Mountain in PW5":



It will take you all the way, from winch-start take-off, through hunting for termals, finally centering one and outclimbing another glider, and then on to landing again.

Listen to the audio variometer while the Aussie pilot tries to center the thermal. Captures the unrulyness of hunting for thermals quite well. Notice the degree of bank at times...

- L.

[Longbow]

Thanks Leif,
Very good clips.
Hearing the highest beeps from the variometer allways has a positive effect on my mood
Gaining, gaining altitude