Member Jim Freeman sent us the following email this week:

Vern,

I have news. I have ordered a Stemme motorglider – it will be built this fall, and I should have it by December. I went to the factory in Berlin last week and got to spend some time with Dr. Stemme – very impressive engineer/businessman.

I went up in a new S10 with one of his pilots.  That’s the original 23 meter ship (he’s built and sold 180 of those since 1988). Mine will be an S6T, an 18 meter version with fixed tricycle gear, constant speed prop, and tubocharged Rotax 115 hp engine.

It is going through the strength tests now and should be certificated in Europe by late fall. He hopes to get the FAA cert. at about the same time. Seating for two is side-by-side, and it will go 144 knots in powered cruise.  Has 33 to 1 best glide ratio.  I’ll bring it out to Chandler.

See you in the fall.

Jim Freeman

Details of the motorgliders: S6 Motorglider Stemme S10-VT Panorama

Note: Jim is an aviation enthusiast who owned a new Beech A-36 and currently owns a Cirrus SR-22