The Morgan Motor Glider

[slartibartfast]

Garry has announced the latest project, and what he will personally be flying most this season, the Morgan Aeroworks Touring Motor Glider.

 

The GFA will be doing a pre-closure inspection in a week or so, and it should be finished before long.

 

Yours could also be registered with SAAA or RAAus.

 

 

 

Ignore the dates on the shots, this is how it looked last week.

 

 

 

 

 

[winsor68]

Great idea....

 

30 to 1 projected glide does seems a bit ambitious IMO...

 

 

[Blueadventures]

Garry has announced the latest project, and what he will personally be flying most this season, the Morgan Aeroworks Touring Motor Glider.

 

The GFA will be doing a pre-closure inspection in a week or so, and it should be finished before long.

 

Yours could also be registered with SAAA or RAAus.

 

Ignore the dates on the shots, this is how it looked last week.

 

Hi any more recent details or images?

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

At last GFA inspected the glider yesterday, and now we can start on closing up, the motor is mounted and will be working on it full time to make some quick progress.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Well done Gary, I wish you every success with the new project you certainly deserve it.

 

Alan Marriette.

 

 

[Blueadventures]

At last GFA inspected the glider yesterday, and now we can start on closing up, the motor is mounted and will be working on it full time to make some quick progress.

Looking forward to seeing it and its flight reviews when it occurs.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Barry Hendy]

If it is registered with RAA then you are not allowed to turn the motor off. Technically you can only soar in a GFA operated aircraft.

 

 

[Guernsey]

If it is registered with RAA then you are not allowed to turn the motor off. Technically you can only soar in a GFA operated aircraft.

The engine does not fold up in flight so presumeably the engine could be left on idle????

Alan.

 

 

[winsor68]

The engine does not fold up in flight so presumeably the engine could be left on idle????Alan.

That would defeat the purpose... the noise and vibration I imagine would not make it much fun to soar. If it was practical for mechanical purposes which I don't believe it would be.

Regardless I do think this sort of aircraft even if you don't ever shut the engine down would be very useful. You could "Motor Tour" at low throttle settings with remarkable efficiency... With any luck we won't have to wait forever for a proper recreational gliding set of rules to fly under... I believe there is a lot of potential in this sort of flying and like seeing Garry going back to his roots with this machine... I reckon it will be his dream machine.

 

 

[Barry Hendy]

I absolutely agree. I have been flying a motor glider under GFA rules and it is great to be able to go soaring. You don't need to go anywhere to enjoy just flying - it can be great just spending an hour up in the mountains engine off. Local flights under power get boring, but it is always a challenge to find lift. It is like boat - in a motor boat you need somewhere to go - in a yacht you just go for a sail.

 

I do some soaring with the motor idling - if you are a bit low and are worried about restarting - but engine off is much better. And cheaper. But you can only legally do that in a GFA aircraft.

 

 

[Blueadventures]

If it is registered with RAA then you are not allowed to turn the motor off. Technically you can only soar in a GFA operated aircraft.

As they say GFA is inspecting the build process; so its going to be registered with GFA and i'd expect the engine will be off at times the pilot chooses. It will not therefore never need to be RAA registered. It sounds like its design base was a RAA type altered to fit GFA and perform as a motor gilder. I hope it goes better than they expect and gets good reviews from everyone. I've enjoyed powered flights and soaring flights (engine off) in dimona and motor faulks and this should be a very nice aircraft.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

As a first touring motor glider being built under GFA I am providing the test flight program and info that others already have in place, this will go to GFA to look at while we build, and hope to have it all approved by the time it is finished. I have used some LSA and some SAAA test programes to see hope we go. It will be good to get the most out of gliding and touring, as I live on the coast one needs to just get inland a little to get good soaring. with my SF 27m you have to get airborne before the sea brease kocks out the lift by 11-12 am.

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

Another design is being worked on is a 13.5m self launch ( there is a new 13.5m class) The problem with the SF27m we have is that for us with bad backs the tail end is far to heavy to lift, and it is a pull start, I have started in the air, but the Hirth motor has a starting process to get it going, and it takes time . I have the fuse moulds from one I made a few years ago some small changes will be made, the main new design to the fuse is a steel frame fitted inside the glass shell for the wing /retract wheels and motor. It will have the main wheel just art of the wing spar with a nose wheel so it will almost balance on the main wheel, like a K7 . The main problem is designing a wing that will perform ,and making it so it is simple for a home builder. Wing loading must be around 30kg m The wing will be a glass spar, foam ribs , the skin can be layed up on a sheet of metal and then just bonded . the ribs can be made like a model aircraft 12mm foam cut and bolted to a templet each end, and cut to shape , much like a sapphire wing. By the time we get the motor glided finished I hope to have the new design alsost complete , It will be finished this winter, in about a month we will catch on work at hand and have a few guys full time on it . I am hoping GFA will accept my paper work on design , They have a better out look on safety and design then RAA and SAAA For $4.00 I can do a hole days flying puts a lot more fun into it .

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

I received a glider design book and after reading it, to get a performance on par with other modern gliders of its class (which are all factory built. ) As a home built is possible but will have to re think a few construction methods for the wing. Most gliders are a 6mm foam core vacfume moulded, into a mould and no ribs, as a home built to get a wing within 2-4 thou the foam core is needed, and it can be done as a home built, with out a mould. Gliding is dying partly because of the very high cost of gliders but for about 12-15k you could have your own self launch, performance glider.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Garry is testing the new motor glider design with a new airfoil thickness and using no washout in the wing design - in line with the modern sailplane trend.

 

Because he runs a professional company (albeit with crape [sic] but unrelated spelling), he is doing the initial testing via a 34% scale model.

 

The airfoil thickness is continued to the wingtip.

 

Pictures:

 

 

 

Professional enough for ya?

 

Don't you wish you were one of those little people in the cockpit?

 

Yes - that's powered by a Jabiru 748.

 

When his completely unprofessional but brilliant webmaster gets the work done, there'll be more info on the website.

 

 

[winsor68]

Crikey mate!!! If he kits the model I want one of them!!!

 

 

[rankamateur]

When his completely unprofessional but brilliant webmaster gets the work done, there'll be more info on the website.

Self critical and so modest all in one package, that must be almost unique in Canberra Slarti.

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Garry seems like an amazing chap! I like what he does!

 

Scotty

 

 

[paulh]

Lovely looking aircraft, surely there is a market for single and two seat motor gliders that are not as expensive as the imported craft

 

 

[Guernsey]

Crikey mate!!! If he kits the model I want one of them!!!

Hey Gary if you're reading this, will you be taking the model to Natfly???

 

Alan.

 

 

[Guernsey]

An aircraft like this could see even more people leaving Raaus and enjoying cheaper ownership and flying.

 

Alan.

 

 

[facthunter]

How do you land a thing like that without spoilers? Nev

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Hey Gary if you're reading this, will you be taking the model to Natfly???Alan.

Looks like Garry isn't checking the site tonight, so I'll inform.

Garry won't be at Natfly this year (for the first time in a decade).

 

The way RAAus have been treating him, he thought it prudent to stay away.

 

Also, last year was a waste of time for most exhibitors, and this year may be no better - with all the groundings and bad blood the attendance may be poor. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

Landing the glider, we use the flap that comes down to 85 deg. also it can go to - 8% for cruise this is electric. there will be a flap indicator on top or the panel for easy reading. The model has an electric motor.

 

There is a new 13.5m class glider and I am working on a design for this ,and it will be a self launch, with a 28hp hirth motor. This can be home build, with a good wing using a foam sandwich skin to hold the shape, as the others do but with out using a mould.I have a mould for the fuse ,but the top front 1/2 will need to be remade.

 

 

[Garry Morgan]

We are now full time again on the glider as other work has slowed up, wings (18m) are being fitted and control cables will be fitted, them close then up.It will de rig nicly with the outer wings lay along the fuse for storage. this will be offered as a planes and parts as required, to make it cheap. plans also for a single seat 13m self launch with good performance work is under way ,a glider is a lot of work in design unlike a power aircraft, we are working a wing that can be built as a homebuilt but have good performance like the factory ones. this can be done in a simple way.we are still working on two methods of doing this.