I saw the single surface version yesterday at the Air Expo in Southern
California. I noted that to break down/assemble the glider to/from the 6
foot length they take the sail off. While that's not a big deal it does
require laying the parts on the ground adn sliding the sail on/off. Hope
you fly in a nice, clean place (with no rocks) if you do that.

That said, they also break down to a 12 foot length in which the sail is
folded over the leading edges. In the states we call that short-packing a
glider. Even then you (I) would want a clean set-up area. I have some pics
I'll try to post to the yahoo group tonite.

regards

-Marc

"Robert W. Cunningham" <rwc_2001@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3C65629B.122076C9@yahoo.com...
> San Francisco Hang Gliding Center wrote:
>
> > I am curious if anyone knows about the Pfinsterwalder gliders which
> > collapse to 6 feet. I've heard they are single surface. How do they
> > handle? Would they be suitable for a beginner to learn on?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Bruce
>
> Well, they're in the US. I just searched Google and found this:
> http://www.fexamerica.com/ BTW, their name is spelled without a "P" in
> front.
>
> As a PG pilot, I'm interested primarily in HGs I can easily hike to my
> favorite launches. The Fex gliders fit that category. And they also
> sell control bars optimized for both the supine (PG) and prone (regular
> HG) flying positions. They even offer rigging adapters for PG
> harnesses! And since my PG pack presently weighs 50 lbs, I'm not
> looking at a huge increase in weight.
>
> After 8 years of flying PG, I've bought 5 wings. Since all but my first
> wing have been DHV2-3 or DHV3, I don't resell them when I'm done with
> them (dialing in to a new wing is hard enough), so my garage is becoming
> a museum...
>
> I'm seriously considering getting a highly portable single-surface HG
> for the following reasons:
>
> 1. I'll have better performance than most PGs. That means longer XCs
> more often.
>
> 2. I can still hike my gear to my favorite PG sites. Since I already
> take forever to set up, this won't change things much.
>
> 3. HGs last many times longer than PGs: I won't have to shell out so
> often for a new wing, and maybe I can spend more on travel and less on
> equipment.
>
> Unfortunately, I am not aware of any Fex gliders in San Diego, so I'm
> also looking for some first-hand info, before I jump in with both feet.
>
> Of course, once I get addicted to HG, then I'll just HAVE to have a
> topless wing! There goes the budget... ;^)
>
> My present plan is to first get a new PG I will want to keep for years
> to come (the Airwave Magic, "barely" a DHV2-3, tops my present list),
> then start taking HG lessons. Before I finish my lessons, I hope to be
> able to afford a Fex.
>
>
> -BobC
>
>
>

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