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SOLITAIRE NEWS
SSA Convention - The SSA held it's annual convention in San Diego last month. This convention serves as an annual membership meeting and a chance for the various suppliers to the industry to show off their wares. Bob Matheny brought his nearly complete Solitaire to the convention hall to display. This is a tremendous effort and shows a great deal of concern for the sport of Soaring and the SSA membership.

Our hats are off to Bob and our thanks. Bob's Solitaire displayed the kind of craftsmanship he can be proud of. Bob by the way looks like he may be the first homebuilt Solitaire to fly.

Don Wemple and Bob Matheny also organized a Solitaire discussion group during the convention to discuss Solitaire news building progress and an alternate engine retraction system being developed by one of the Solitaire builders, Herb Abrams. This was a very informative meeting and although the number of Solitaire builders is not large the enthusiasm they have shown certainly is. On the final day of the convention the Soaring Society had lined up with the Torrey Pines Glider club to check out pilots with winch ratings on the winch launch at Torrey Pines. Torrey Pines glider port is located on top of the cliffs overlooking the Pacific ocean and is a truly unique location for slope soaring. While the gliders were being launched a motor glider came soaring by, no wait in line, no worry about the complexities of winch launch. It was hard not seeing a Solitaire take off under its own power and work that lift. The San Diego builders should have a great time when their projects become airborne.

Herb Abrams, a Solitaire builder from Ohio was recently out to California to attend the SSA convention and before returning home stopped by Mojave and went for a check out in the prototype Solitaire. His report on how the flight went and what its like to fly the Solitaire follows.

"SOLITAIRE FLIGHT REPORT FROM A BUILDERS VIEWPOINT
I will admit what macho airmen will not, that is, building my own Solitaire is sort of like building a dream. The dream is of a sleek, professional looking sailplane which will provide:

1. Convenience and ease of handling.
2. Self launching and reasonable cruising ability for independence
of operation and cross country return.
3. Safety of operation, spin resistant.
4. Reasonable performance.
5. Reasonable cost.
6. Latest material and construction technology.

Now Solitaire builders, I have flown the Solitaire. It is more than I expected. It was great. The only question I had in my mind was would the ride in rough air be sea-sickness inducing. The answer to that one and others regarding forward visibility, pitch sensitivity, and ease of spiralling is a resounding "not evident".

Solitaire is easy to fly, self launching, is immensely less stressful and more satisfying than airplane tow, glide path, and speed control and landing is easy and precise with the spoilflaps, taxiing and ground handling is a breeze and the engine operation is flawless. I was even able to extend and start the engine during the landing rollout! Yes, the prototype Solitaire I flew had rather marginal rate of climb but the new KFM engines produce more power, the just issued engine installation plans provide a few more inches of propeller and a longer prop engine installation I am developing, all promise to improve the climb rate. In addition, I am sure our Solitaire builders' airplanes with the improvements already incorporated in the plans, and perhaps some of their own, will perform even better than the prototype. In a word Solitaire does all it is intended to do and in an easy way to make soaring safer and more convenient for us sport soaring enthusiasts.

Mike Dilley provided briefing on switch operations, those for the engine operation and fuel level and showed me how to position the propeller for retract. All uncomplicated. Mike described runway locations and suggested practice areas. My biggest problem was shivering from cold and probably anticipation. Taxiing is normal and easy if one lets the wing stay on the ground while traveling downwind. Into the wind holding the wing level with aileron was no problem. I got carried away with trying to turn into the low wing like riding a bicycle to make it come up. This only caused much flopping around and diverted my attention from obstructions like landing lights.

The takeoff was uneventful. I pointed the nose down the runway and opened the throttle. Remember this is at my choice, not the tow-pilot's. There was no problem with engine or canard obstructing vision. The airplane gained speed in reasonable time and eased off with slight back pressure. The climb to 250 feet engine out rope break turn back altitude is less stressful than an airplane tow! This is what I was looking for. Rate of climb was low and therefore back pressure on the stick had to be carefully modulated to obtain the best rate of climb, sink occurs if too slow. This is normal pilotage. Pitch control is light and quick but not out of the ordinary and presented no problems.

The airplane flies like you would expect a self-powered sailplane to fly. The engine makes noise but 60-70 knot cruise was easily attained. Turns, both shallow and steep, with power on, are exactly like any sailplane except less adverse yaw was evident. The canard makes a good angle of bank with the horizon reference. The controls are all light and well coordinated. Rough air surprise. The airplane bumps but does not produce any disagreeable air-sickness inducing motions that I had feared because of the flexible wing. The airplane rode like a short wheelbase car, sort of short-coupled. Pitch was no problem. It was not any more sensitive than the Pegusus I have been flying. In a word, I was delighted.

I climbed to the cloud base using every ump and with careful trying of recommended climb speeds. The airplane type rate-of-climb, not compensated or sensitive, combined with equal number of very strong down drafts, made any climb rate observations meaningless. But climb performance was not a factor to me because I had spent the past four months engineering a long prop (46 inch) engine installation to provide the thrust required for a comfortable climb rate.

Sailplane flight was very enjoyable, but shutting down the engine and stowing it the first time really is interesting and exciting. The engine stopped smoothly with the prop close to vertical. I started retracting the engine and saw the prop touch the side, so reversed the switch, the engine came back up, a touch on the starter switch centered the prop, and then the engine retracted. The motion is one that is almost anti-climatic. The silence was deafening. But then what. I was just flying in a beautiful sailplane. Well, just as I dreamed, here was soaring flight - - just as planned and that is what the Solitaire is all about. Turns, slow flight, stalls, all easy, gently and pleasant. Steep turns required some aileron to hold it from rolling in, but very little rudder was required. It tried cruising at speeds up to 100 knots. Solitaire flys like a 32.1 sailplane as advertised.

Power off flight started about 2500 feet agl so with zero sink for awhile, approximately 15 minutes before I had to enter the pattern, I was able to try stalls and turns as much as I desired. The winds were 20 knots gusting to 30. Recommended air speed was about 60-65 knots. When I am in a new sailplane and uptight, I tend to fly faster, so approach was about 70 knots with no trouble maintaining constant speed. I opened the spoilflaps about halfway opposite the numbers after having opened them full while at higher altitude and flew a normal base leg a final. The spoilflaps are a real joy. The nose pitches down slightly and the lift/slowing sensation can really be felt. As instructed, I maintained the glide path nose down attitude to flair altitude then slight back pressure to level out and sink onto the runway. Opening the spoilflaps full at the same time and glueing it on. Easier than landing an ASW 19 or a Pegusus. Then to show how much I was in control during the rollout, I extended the engine, started it and continued the roll. Fantastic. This is what the dream and the promise is. What more can I ask for. I flew through another but shorter flight, but because the fuel level started to blink, I had to cut it short. All of my impressions were reinforced however.

I was asked if I was happy I bought the kit and my answer was most certainly. I know the prototype aircraft I flew will not be as good as mine! My doors will close with engine up and will fit better with the engine stowed. How could I not be excited as I had flown the airplane and it had done all it was planned to do and with none of the problems I had worried about, such as funny rough air ride, difficult pitch control etc. All of the negative observations I had heard had not manifested themselves.

I am more excited and anxious to finish my Solitaire and start enjoying it. After all, this sailplane is the first of the line and improvements are sure to emerge.

I cannot thank the Rutan and Solitaire staff and engineers enough for the opportunity to fly the Solitaire. They have been most cooperative, patient and helpful to me. Mike Melvill and Mike Dilley are terrific people. We Solitaire builders and other Rutan builders as well, owe them a debt of gratitude. Designing, testing and producing plans for innovative aircraft take a lot of talent and resources. They deserve all the support we in the soaring sport can give them.

Herb Abrams"