Schempp-Hirth Discus 2a Owner Comments and Photos
Comments | Photos

Owner:           Sam Giltner (2000 US Standard Class National Champion - Littlefield, Texas)
Location:        Chester, SC

The D2 is a fine example of the long tradition of standard class gliders from Schempp-Hirth. In my soaring career Schempp-Hirth has dominated the standard class starting with the Standard Cirrus, Discus, Discus CS, and now the Discus 2.

Quality of construction, fit and finish certainly set the standard for all to envy. My D2 is 4 years old and looks as good as it did when new.  The D2, like the Discus, continues to give you that "fly by feel" ability that I enjoy so much. The feed back that you receive from the stick and rudder make me feel that I am a part of every movement of the glider. Handling is excellent with improved roll and pitch response. The harmony of the controls is outstanding. Water ballast is a dream. Fill from the top and dump from the bottom. I can dump 26 gallons (9lb. water ballast) in one minute and 20 seconds.

Let's talk performance. The D2 has excellent low speed performance as compared with other standard class gliders of today. After 4 years of flying the D2 I feel that the high speed performance is unmatched. The speeds that you find yourself flying in the real world of competition. 75 kts. and above is where the D2 begins to really shine. The D2 also seems to transition speeds with less effort and loss of energy.
 

I’ve flown my Discus-2a for four years now and have been extremely pleased. It runs with the best. The handling characteristics are great. It’s a great climber and very stable in thermals. I don’t understand the aerodynamic nuances of the “kinky” wings, but this glider is definitely one of the prettiest ever built … and as Klaus Holighaus used to say “If it is looking good, it is going good”. The Schempp-Hirth water ballast system is wonderfully simple. If you’re not built like Klaus or Tilo, you might want to consider the 2b rather than the 2a for some extra cockpit room. That also  allows you to order the optional larger tire and a real wheel brake. The folks at Schempp-Hirth have always been extremely interested in the U.S. market and have repeatedly and enthusiastically provided critical support to U.S. pilots both at home and when competing in distant lands. My thanks to Schempp-Hirth for their support and for a great glider.
 

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