MY LS8-18
By Michael O'Brien
I am a pilot from Queensland, Australia, and am fairly well known to those who attend competitions there.
The author's old LS1-f
My old glider, an LS1-f, is more widely known. It registration is (G)WR, and for reasons lost in the mists of history, it has attracted the rather unfortunate nickname "Wanker Rabbit". This seems to particularly infuriate my co-owner, the infamous Errol (Sly Dog) Spletter. When he loudly requests that people use the correct registration, the standard reply is "Sorry Errol. GOLF Wanker Rabbit!" All the jokes have been done before. Many times, when Errol and myself have been together, someone will come up and say "And which one of you guys is the Rabbit?". While the unstated question here makes Errol fume, I am far more laid back. I have always liked the glider, and I have grown fond of the registration.
But we all have dreams, and I guess one of mine would have to be to own the ultimate glider, and in my humble opinion that has to be an LS8.
Why an LS8?
Well I don't like to boast, or to sound too blunt, but I consider I am an adequate man, so I would not want to own a large car or an open class glider. Real men must fly standard class! (And girls, beware of those PW5 pilots!)
Another part of the reason is just how much I like the LS1. In performance it neither climbs as well or glides as well as a Cirrus, or perhaps even a Hornet. But it much more than holds its own against these machines for a simple reason: LS built in handling from day 1. The glider knows where the thermals are, and it tells the pilot. When I bought the glider, I had not even done a 500 km flight. I have done a 750 km flight in WR, and I am not the only one to do so. I have done 400 km+ tasks in WR at better than 120 kph, and I am not the only one to do so. I have won my class in State Comps in WR, and I am not the only one to do so. There is nothing I have done in this glider where one of my mates has not achieved the same or better, so the only conclusion is that it is the glider that is good!
I know that for some, the appeal of the LS8 could be what a friend of mine calls "Little Sister Syndrome": She looks almost the same, the same things that attracted you to the original are seen in the younger model, but none of the wrinkles in the gelcoat.... Well, I don't think like that, but I still think the LS8 is a very sexy glider.
This is the first time I have purchased a brand new aircraft, as opposed to buying into an existing syndicate. This brought a few surprises, some pleasant, some that seemed weird. The purpose of this article is to share some of these.
Some of the things you might have heard are not true. I heard there was a big waiting list for purchases. However I placed my order on the internet, and got an acknowledgment email within a few days. I was really pleased that they just accepted a financial transaction over the Internet too, very simple and straightforward.
When the glider arrived, I was very impressed with the extras that came along with it, things I never expected. Not only did it come with a set of bug wipers thrown in, but there was a spare set too. With the safety harness, there was not just a spare set, but two spare sets in two different colours! The glider came in pure white, but brightly coloured stickers were provided, all those nice little "LS8-18" logos in fancy print. The glider also came with a choice of fluorescent orange conspicuity markings.
When I have bought a new car, it has always come with a registration plate, and I have always just taken what I got. I guess I never thought it would work that way with a glider. But I was surprised when it arrived with a set of assorted registration letters, and WR was a possible choice. So I chose it!
Not all surprises were pleasant: It arrived with both 15m and 18m tips of course. I thought these would have some type of pin arrangement, so you could easily swap between them. I was very surprised to find that they need to be GLUED in place! Once you have decided, that is what you are stuck with. I surprised myself, and went with the 18 m option.
The wings and fuselage I have refinished in a gloss white water-based paint. This is not quite ideal, but I was impatient. Anyway, look at the photo, it does not look too bad.