The Pipistrel Sinus

David Dixen preflights his Pipistrel Sinus motorglider demonstrator

It was the afternoon of April 27th, 2008. I drove away toward the northeast. I would go to St. Paul to personally check out the Pipistrel Sinus motorglider with dealer David Dixen, and then continue through Chicago to Pittsburgh, where there my friend My Hanh would graduate from college on May 3rd.

I changed plans and would stay overnight in Denver with a good friend, and drive on in the morning. Originally I was going to drive out Highway 50 and leave Sunday morning, but the same friend had just been here and we'd both gotten food poisoning from something! Patty was sick quite soon but didn't feel herself for some days. I felt fine early, but got sick 24 hours later, on Saturday night, so I wasn't ready to leave the next morning. Even the next day I almost turned around. But since I had two missions, I kept on driving.

The Pipistrel Sinus is a two-place, side-by-side, high-wing, motorglider with a 90 hp Rotax four stroke engine that drives a featherable propeller. As a glider, it has a 30:1 glide ratio. As an airplane, a guy flew one around the world several years ago.

I got to St. Paul where I stayed with David and his wife. He's a retired airline pilot and Carol is a physician. In the morning we drove separately to New Richmond, Wisconsin, where David keeps his Sinus (SIN-us). We preflighted it, and pushed it outside.

The flight was a memorable experience. We were off the ground about as soon as the tailwheel came up, and were hundreds of feet high just a few seconds later. I didn't land or take off (plenty of time later for that) but I did make a series of turns and did some stalls. The Sinus flew very nicely through all of this. I got much better at holding altitude, and at keeping the ball in the center (the ball that indicates slipping or skidding in a turn). The stall in a Sinus is a non-event. Reducing the angle of attack just a little brings about recovery with no complications.

I ordered a Virus, which is identical to the Sinus only with shorter wings. It's glide ratio is only 24:1 but it flies faster and is much more easily hangared. I really wanted the Sinus but practicality had to win. So it'll be a Virus (VEER-us). You give a little and you get a little.

Mine will be the "200-hour" kit, as opposed to the "400-hour" one. My kit will be primarily assembly, whereas the other kit has lots of finishing work to do on the molded parts (wings, fuselage, tail).

Starting at two in the afternoon, I drove on toward Chicago, getting there around ten that evening.