Having been quite productive during my last few visits to the field, I managed to snap some more photos of some of our rare gliders – including a gem I’ve missed before, having only seen it under cover and dismissing it as “just another” Pirat. All of these are the previously mentioned “eastern” and “local” varieties, which I think are more interesting than the ubiquitous Blanik… 🙂
GJA enjoying a day out in the traffic circuit. A very hot and sunny day with calm winds meant that everything with wings and no engine was out and about. At one time I've seen four gliders in the circuit. Being a SZD-41A Jantar Standard, GJA is one of the most "advanced" gliders at Lučko, incorporating water ballast in addition to the usual Standard class goodiesA real beaut I couldn't believe I had overlooked - a very rare VTC-Vršac Vuk-T, Made in Ex-Yu. This 15 meter glider is one of only a few on the Cro register and wears a very interesting registration ("vuk" in Serbian/Croatian means "wolf", and since 9A-DOG was taken and gliders are on the G register - presto, 9A-GOD 🙂 )Looking very similar to other 15 meter gliders, the Vuk-T can often pass undetected in the glider crowdWaiting for its turn to be put to bed after a busy day of flying :). Unlike most other gliders at the field, GOD spends its time outside the hangar under protective coversThe very clean and tidy cockpit of GOD. Actually this is one of the cleanest cockpits of any sort I've seen in a long time. In addition to the standard analogue variometer, GOD is equipped with a digital one as well, which appears to have an additional function or two. And despite the yaw string you may have seen on the canopy, this Vuk-T is equipped with an electrical turn coordinator in the bottom right of the panelI'm just waiting for someone to ask where's the Meteor, so I can answer "Right next to the radiator" 🙂Not really a dignified storage location, but given the Meteor 57's rarity - only two built, only GSO flying - it's better to be safe than sorry with the cramped conditions in the hangarLike with most (all?) metal gliders, the Meteor's wings can be detached for transport relatively easily and simply. No electrics, no fuel tanks and not much mechanics mean that the wingroot is clean and unclutteredAnother shot of our now famous Pirat, back under cover and sodium light 🙂
Achtung, Skyhawk! 