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Note:
Since information about gliders and especially about motor glider is difficult to find, I have decided to make a site on the Duo Discus Turbo. The goal of this web site is therefore to give information on the Duo Discus Turbo. It is not to say that the Duo Discus is superior or inferior to the DG1000.
For some comparison of various details on the Duo and the DG1000 go to:
www.dgvsduo.8m.com
Both of these gliders are fabulous and at some point it is a matter of personal taste. Some pilot will prefer some characteristics of the DG 1000 and other will prefer the ones of the Duo Discus. I do have a preference (for the moment) but this is only a reflection of my personal taste and may not apply to someone else’s taste.
Therefore don’t expect me to say that one is better then the other. One of the reasons being that I have very little flying time in the DG1000.
Ultimately the best way to see which one you prefer is to try both of them. This can be done in St Auban (France), where they have a DG1000 and a few Duo Discus’s. There is also a Duo Discus turbo at “Ridge Soaring” in Pennsylvania (USA). It is possible to fly the DG 1000 at Seminole Lake FL (USA). There may be other places to fly these 2 fabulous gliders. I believe that Tropic bird soaring in Minden offers X country training in a Duo Discus.
One must also take into account that it is easier for me to do a web site on the Duo as I have a lot of pictures of the Duo and I fly it frequently. If I had as many pictures and as many flying hours on the DG1000 I would be in a better position to do a web site dedicated to the DG1000, which hopefully I will be able to do in the future.
Yet one must know that there is now a newer version of the Duo, the “Duo Discus X” with the following improvements:
- The ability to operate the landing gear from the back seat
- Improved spoilers
- Higher wheel base
- Winglets, (retrofit able to standard Duo Discus)
- Higher gross weigh
One should also know that DG (as well as SH) is always trying to improve there ships too!
This site has pictures only of the Duo Discus Turbo, not the Duo Discus X
Have a look to my other web sites:
Discus cs: www.aerosport.8m.com
Discus 2 T: www.d2t.8m.com
Ridge Soaring: www.rdg.8m.com
Motor gliders: www.trb.8m.com
DG 1000 vs Duo Discus: www.dgvsduo.8m.com
St. Auban: www.stauban.8m.com
Lake Placid: www.lkp.8m.com
First flight in the Duo:
I first got into a Duo Discus around 1996. I was in the Swiss Alps in Kran Montana visiting my brother on vacation. While I was there, I saw that there was a gliding club in the valey. I decided that I was going to have a look.
So the next day I did just that and asked if it was possible to have a glider ride. They accepted and I got to go in the rear seat of there Duo Discus. The scenery was fabulous and the glider was a real marvel compare to the older generation two seaters that were available in my home club in Canada.
I was pretty surprise by the manoeuvrability and how light the controls where. In fact, apart from the scenery, manoeuvrability was the most striking characteristic of the Duo that I remembered from that flight.
Years later I got to go in St Auban where there work horse is the Duo Discus. There I had the chance to fly the Duo Discus over and over again. I was able to compare it’s manoeuvrability to the Janus B & C, the Nimbus 4 D and the ASH 25. The Duo ended up being an excellent compromise between size and manoeuvrability in the mountain. Out of all these it was the prefered glider for mountain flying.
Pros and Cons of the Duo (according to my personale taste):
Pros:
- It is a very safe glider.
- No bad habit.
- It is easy to fly and respond very well.
- Can be rigged alone with a one man rigging system. I did it more than once.
- The front wheel is useful if one brakes a little too hard, as it prevents one from scraping the nose.
- Take off, towing, and thermaling are easy.
- Big boys can fit easy in the front and in the back; I am 6 feet and have no problem.
- Performances are excellent.
- As oppose to older type of gliders, one dose not get tire of handling the stick after hours of flying.
- Can be a excellent club ship or private glider
- Engine noise is less than for the Discus 2 T
- One piece canoopy gives an exelent and unobstructed vue
Cons:
- The paint inside the engine bay on the muffler side tends to overheat. Thus in order to cool the muffler I now keep the engine bay doors open for a minute before closing them.
- I whish that the control movement for full deflection was ¼ shorter, because I have to force the stick in my leg when I need full deflection to roll on the right or the left side.
- The front cockpit has far too little storage space
- Comfort is not optimum in the front seat. In this area of flying (cockpit comfort) the best was the ASW27 and 28 that I flew in France.
- Trying to pee from the back seat appears to be relatively feasible (according to my co pilot). But from the front seat it is a real challenge that I have yet to master in this and in all othere gliders!
- Wheel base is to short and the trap doors would possibly be lost in a rough out landing
- The the airbrakes are a little weak, thus an out landing must be a littel challenge that needs some time to master. I now have no problem with this as I got use to it.
Cons that have bin improve on the Duo Discus X:
- There is now a new spoiler system that works in conjonction with landing flap, and this is all actuated with only the Spoiler lever! no additional work load.
- Wheel base is now much higher.
- The wheel retraction can now be operated from the front and back seat.
- Winglets.
Neutral characteristics:
- The speed is a bit difficult to master at first, but once use to it this is absolutly no problem. I fact I now enjoy very much the capability of the Duo to accelerate quickly and wopuld whant anything less. In fact I really think that this is a big plus!
- Like all big gliders It need a god deal of ruder, but once use to it, this is not a problem.
- Engine extraction takes more time then the smaller Discus 2 turbo.
- The hand brake is reasonable.
More information:
I currently fly a Duo Discus Turbo. It is an excellent glider and one of the best 2 seater that I got the chance to fly. One of the draws back of operating a 2 seater is rigging and de rigging because of the weigh of the parts, and manoeuvring the glider on the ground. But compared to older generation 2 seaters, the Duo Discus it is real easy to rig and I rig it sometime alone! If I don't use the single man rigging 2 persones can do it. It is incredible to be able to rig a 2 seater alone for a comparison we need to be 5 to rig our older club 2 seater.
Just like all 2 seaters I need a good deal of power from the tow plane to take off. I understand that in the new Duo X, with the higher wheel and thus higher angle of attack, the take off roll will be shorter.
Engine system:
I previously owned a Discus 2 turbo and here is the difference: The engine takes more time to extend and retract. It starts in the exact same way but make much less noise. The engine is almost identical but bigger and the engine bay is similar.
My opinion on engine systems:
As I once wrote in an article, I believe that a lot of thinking and workmanship went in the design of the Turbo. I presently think that it is the best of both worlds.
The main qualities of the turbo:
- Cheaper then the full engine
- Lighter then full engine
- Much less complicated
- Safer than full engine
- It bring you back home, which is what you really need
This being said I also believe that the present engine systems will improve in the future. The main drawback of extendable systems, no mater who manufactures them, is the fact that the aerodynamics is change until the engine starts. Hopefully with the evolution of technologies we will see more appropriate systems in gliders that will not need or need very little extraction and consequently induce drag.
Summery:
The Duo Discus is a very satisfying glider with top performance. I am very please to fly one regularly, and I am having great flights. It is safe, predictable, fast and manoeuvrable.
The newer version “The Duo Discus X” has apparently 2 point more in L/D and no deterioration of the fast speed performances. The Duo Discus climbs very well and its performances are surpassing many standard and 15m racer class single seaters. The visibility is excellent from both seats. It has bin and still is a success story. Most likely the X version will prolong its good reputation!
