How many gliders have engines?

Just seen this on the BBC news site, a AAIB accident report states, pilot was overcome with carbon monoxide from the engine bay during the flight.

BBC news report

Les

I'm sure some of the pilots on here can give a better answer, but I remember seeing one with a kind of fold-away engine and prop located behind the cockpit. I was quite impressed by the idea, but I suspect the crashed glider would not have been that type as the engine would be well outside the fuselage whilst running so no fumes could build up.

Rob

Quite a lot

Motor Glider - Wikipedia

Scheibe SF-25 Falke - Touring motor glider

Known as an SLMG Self Launching Motor Glider . It requires a licence rating PPLSLMG to fly it . They have been around for over 50 years now. Retractable motors can be of the self launching type or sustainers that will not allow a take off but have enough power to avoid an outlanding. Outlandings can be hairy with 30m of wings and glide ratio better than 50 : 1 so sustainers have gained popularity. Self launching 2 seaters are popular for circuit bashing allowing many more launches in a day.

Clue is in the name.

How many gliders have motors - None

How many motor gliders have motors - all

Some have a fold away motor on a pylon for reduced drag, some look like a normal plane apart from the longer, narrower wings.

I've just read the AAIB report; as Peter says the aircraft was a touring motor glider. So more akin to a powered aircraft than a sailplane. I think current licencing distinguishes between self-launching sailplanes and touring motor gliders. I flew a Falke while doing my instructor training - not much to write home about.

Sailplanes and motors are now rather messy. Most self-sustainer engines are retractable. At one time the engine moved out on a pylon with direct drive to a propeller and is normally air start, as is my Nimbus 3DT. Some self-launchers extend the propeller but the engine stays in the fuselage, driving via a belt. This simplifies the pylon design, but is primarily for noise reasons. There are sailplanes that have a motor in the nose and a small propeller at the front where the blades fold back into recesses when not being used.

Tradtionally motors were 2-stroke petrol. But there are now also small jets and of course electric. The jets are impressive, but have the problem of inefficiency inherent in small gas turbines. Electric is a mixed bag. It promises much but so far doesn't quite seem to deliver. And of course battery fires are an ever present problem. There have been a number on the ground but I haven't heard of one in the air, as yet.

Andrew