Dartmoor Glding News - Wednesday 16 April 2026

Our readers probably didn't need a forecast to tell them that Wednesday was wet, with hail and heavy rain showers, and a strong southerly cross wind.  Despite it brightening up later, the adverse weather prevented us from flying.

So a day of work in the hangar and clubhouse which included spring-cleaning and tidying.  But that's not the theme of the blog today.  We are going to look forward.

Readers and members know that we bought a Twin Astir 1, DSL this winter, from the resident syndicate at Brentor, and now its is being put to use.  This is but just one part of the DGS Strategic Plan to "move into glass".  In the future the plan's title might change to match a Debbie Harry (Blondie) song?

Twin Astir 1, DSL, in action

After much research, investigation and information to-ing and fro-ing between Cornwall and North Yorkshire we made a decision.  Actually the decision was taken before we bought DSL. The DCFI and I travelled to Burn Gliding Club, Nr. Selby in North Yorkshire on 9 October to view a two-seat glider.  Owned by a private syndicate it had spent much of its life sharing the hangar with the club aircraft.  But the arrival of a new tug in the club meant that the Twin Astir Trainer (which means fixed, sprung undercarriage, a hydraulic wheel brake, and no complicated water ballast system) had to live in its trailer.

Twin Astir Trainer, HBK, in the hangar at Burn GC

The glider with low hours was in good condition; originally a German club glider, bought by the RAF and used in Germany for the BAOR, and then found a home in Yorkshire.  Over the years the syndicate size had dwindled to just two owners, and with no hangar space, the reality of rigging a two-seater from the trailer each time one wanted to fly struck home. 

G-CHBK rigged and ready to fly

After rigging it with four of us, poring over the glider, checking the trailer, and then scrutinising the paperwork, we retired to the pleasant clubhouse for a cup of tea and the deal.  Peter had left his copy of President's Trump's "Art of the Deal" in Plymouth, but he remembered the essentials.  After a price was agreed, hands were shaken, the Burn DCFI produced the beers to mark the occasion.

I see a long journey in your future...

Before we left for the hotel that evening we positioned the trailer for easy access the next morning.

The twin-axle trailer towed very well the next day

There was fun to be had driving around the one way system in historic Selby at dusk trying to find the entrance to the George Inn that was barricaded behind a pedestrianised area.  After driving around the block three times trying to find the entrance to the car park while Peter talked to very nice Indian lady from Barclays Bank who grilled him on why he had travelled to Yorkshire to spend a lot of money.  Was this normal business?  Couldn't he buy the glider on Dartmoor?  Eventually I stopped in the pedestrian bit and went and asked the barman of the George for directions who said  "Oh yes, just drive through the coach house entrance to the car park at the back".  In the dark with all four proximity sensors alarming away saw Peter counting down, 3, 2, 1 inches until the wing mirrors almost touched the walls.  Thank goodness we have left the trailer at Burn GC!

A Jaguar estate car will fit through this, just.

The "Eagle has landed" at Brentor.

Ohh, let's see what we've got.

The Chairman takes ownership

Granny's 1970s swirly light brown and beige velour seating (standard GROB decor).  Tasteful!  "Mr Chairman.  Take a good look.  It's not going to get better than this unless we do something".

Even more beige velour in the back, and sides, and headrests and...

Let's start stripping it down and see what we have got.  Let's make a plan.

Let's take the instruments out and clean the instrument panels.  Mmm, they are going to need more than just a wipe down as we started to remove extraneous fittings and wondering at the purpose of various holes

Laid bare!

The harnesses and battery shelf coming out.

Colin starts a full inspection

DB strips off handles and fittings

The fuselage needed some paintwork done.  A hand-painted and badly-faded heraldic crest of the original German club needed polishing off, a patch on the starboard side of the tail boom needed repainting, and the high visibility patches on the nose had seen better days.  So off to Les Clark (LTB Glider Services) and his workshop at Ogbourne St, George (just off Junction 15 of the M5 and close to the Vale of the White Horse GC).  He also attended to a minor imperfection by on one of the air brake boxes and then cleaned and machine-polished the whole glider.

The nose before some tlc, looking a little weather-beaten.

The front canopy edges receive some cleaning and paint.

Back from Les Clark, the paintwork looks much better and the new registration letters set it off nicely.

German Heraldic crest gone.  Nose patches repainted.

The seats come back from Ruth Dance, upholsterer in Harrowbarrow.  New safety foam is installed under the hard wearing fabric (No! Zack was not allowed to choose pink).  She also made new side panels, pockets, and beautifully covered the head rests.  They look spectacular.

DB recommissions the hydraulic brake system

John Osment took the instrument panels away and mocked up an improved layout in hardboard for approval by the pundits before making the actual panels.  They were sprayed in black and the instruments were fitted with identical hex countersunk fasteners.  Quite a challenge as the instruments have a range of threads; Imperial, Metric, and unified (USA).

New front panel.  Labels to be applied.  The flight computer and vario are an LX 7007 IGC.

From the rear.  Busy with bus bars and fuses. The radio is at the bottom.

The rear panel is slimmer but all the essentials are there.

The rear of the rear panel. Compass is at the bottom.

The panels were then handed over from John Osment to John Allan for installation and wiring up.

The glare shields which will take the Flarm LED displays. Multiple electrical pieces and connectors are in the boxes, even a new stick grip for the rear pilot.

Offering up the front panel

The Funke panel-mounted 8.33 khz transceiver

The rear panel in place with the new LX Avionics panel-mounted microphone attached.

The majority of the wiring is complete.  The batteries were offered up with their new wiring harness and battery boxes. Power was switched on. No smoke!  (An old Lucas car electrics joke). Everything worked.  Glide and Seek could see the Flarm signal being transmitted.  The Flarm ID was subsequently entered in the Open Glider Network database to show that the glider is a Twin Astir Trainer, G-CHBK and not an RAFSA Discus 2CT, G-SAOC which is where the flight computer and Flarm originated!

When the wiring and labelling of the panels are complete.  Colin will conduct a final inspection, as part of issuing a new ARC and then the seat side panels and the newly upholstered seats can go back it.

The canopy surrounds on the fuselage and the canopy edges themselves need that tidy coat of paint....then the glider can be rigged.  Placed in the hangar ready for its test flight and subsequent release to service.

So the DGS Strategic Plan comes together. In the winter two K-13s, a Twin Astir, the Astir CS77, and a K-8 will be in the hangar. In the summer a single K-13, two Twin Astirs, the Astir CS77, and a K-8 will be in the hangar.  A K-13 and K-8 are easier operate when the field is damp and when the pitch dries it can support the weight of the Twin Astirs which are typically 90kg heavier than the K-13s.  From the maintenance side it will allow us to rotate the gliders for maintenance and the T-hangar at the east end eases the demand for storage space.

Coming soon will be a follow-up blog with pictures of the whole glider in all its glory.  A glider that the club members can be very proud of.  DGS 's first GRP two-seater.  Welcome G-CHBK.

Gavin Short