 Diana-2 VH-VHZ, stranded in Australia (pic links only)
arlier, richardkal...@ wrote:
> Chris, what you say is mean spirited, one sided, overblown and
> sickening.
> Who is your cover up sponsor? Segelflugzugenwundermachine
> accountant ?
Reading all available accounts (not there are that many), I'm inclined
to believe that there is more than just a grain of truth to Mr.
Hostettler's accounting of the situation.
Developing a front-running competition sailplane of 15m span is an
incredibly difficult task. I find it very easy to believe that an
early production or pre-production unit would be behind schedule, over
budget, poorly trimmed, and in general not completely sorted-out to
the promised degree. I find it especially easy to believe that such
would be the product of a company with limited (that is, not Schempp-
Hirth or Schleicher class) development and production resources.
The important thing to understand is that sailplanes are specialty
products, not commodities. The are all hand-made. But some sailplanes
are more special than others. The Diana and Diana 2 sailplanes are
based on some very innovative design features, developed solely to
improve performance. These are lightweight, high-aspect-ratio (low
wing area) ships that push the envelope of what you can do and what
you can get away with. Doing that is expensive and risky - the kind of
venture shunned by the more conservative established firms and
embraced by the bold and the foolhardy. The real trick with getting
involved in such risky business is finding the measure of the boldness
and foolhardiness in yourself and in your partners.
Here's the key question in my mind: How is Mr. Hostettler's Internet
activity affecting the situation at hand? Is it helping or hurting Ms.
Zejdova's probability of achieving satisfaction from Design Office
Bogumil Beres? On the one hand, you could say that it is raising
awareness of unsavory business practices and prodding the company to
action. On the other hand, you can say that it is supressing demand
for Diana sailplanes, placing the manufacturer in such financial
straits as to make it unlikely that they could ever meet Ms. Zejdova's
legitimate demands. The answer to that question determines what kind
of friend Mr. Hostettler is to Ms. Zejdova.
Thanks, Bob K.
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