How about cost per hour? Since I purchased it 4 years ago, I have flown my
$3500 (value) Duo Discus 1 hour. I have flown my XP 4.5 about 80 hours...
Even at $600 that would be $7.50 per hour compared to $3500 per hour. Now,
I can sell my Duo for around $3000 and maybe get $300 for the DLG. So, the
cost per hour on the Duo is about $500 and the cost per hour for the DLG is
more like $3.75.
If you calculate the total cost for a plane based on what you paid, what you
sold it for (or can get for it), you will be surprised how expensive some
planes are. I sold an SBXC that cost me about $1900 flying. Sold it for
$900 with 18 hours on it. $55.55 per hour to fly it.
I'd like to hear from some others on this way of looking at things.
T
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Whitman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <soaring@airage.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 4:32 PM
Subject: Re: [RCSE] DLGs = Bang for the Buck, NO WAY; Benchmarks- Get Real.
I disagree with your analysis. We're not flying fruit so cost per ounce is
irrelevant.
Mike
On Dec 2, 2007, at 11:22 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I have to disagree with Buzz regarding DLG being the best value. I
agree that DLG has made HL more accessible to all pilots due it the
ergonomics of launching them. But value, for that lets
take a step back and look at it from a distance.
When evaluated analytically, DLG is absolutely the worst value in
soaring today. Lets take the recent example of the $1000 Vandal (all up
ready to fly) that was snapped up off of RCSE recently. For simplicity
assume that the plane weighs 10 oz all up. A simple calculation yields
$100/oz.
Now lets take a Supra at $2000 (all up: plane plus radio gear) at 65 oz.
Same simple calculation yields $31/oz.
OK, next up on the list is an SBXC at $2500 (all up, plane plus radio
plus vario) at 176 oz.
Crank, crank, the calculator tells me $14.25/oz.
Getting the drift here? Now lets take Sagitta 900 at $350 (kit plus
gear) weighing 40 oz. Push the little beads on the abacus and what
comes out: $8.75/oz.
Disclaimer- this doesn't assign any value for building, enjoying, etc.
Then again, nobody really makes money out of the hobby, we all do it for
fun, no?
So, what is really more cost effective, soaring gold (DLG), or history
(Sagitta)?
On a kind of related topic, I've been having a great laugh about all
this benchmark garbage. What a bunch of subjective tripe. All I really
see is reminiscing about what gets an individual's attention and
represents progress to them.
I've been in the technology business for 40 years, and if I've learned
anything, true paradigms define themselves without any help. By their
very nature, the direction that technology goes after the paradigm
emerges will change because of the paradigm.
As my buddy Bubba would say, "Y'all have a ball getting yer undies
twisted with this one".
Jim Thomas
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