Standard Cirrus Restauration

The Standard Cirrus arrived at Gransden Lodge airfield on the 18th of June, where it was received by our committee members. From left to right: Koji (ex President), Nick Laux, Caleb and Thibaut (Flying Coordinators).
The Standard Cirrus arrived at Gransden Lodge airfield on the 18th of June, where it was received by our committee members. From left to right: Koji (ex President), Nick Laux, Caleb and Thibaut (Flying Coordinators).
The Standard Cirrus arrived at Gransden Lodge airfield on the 18th of June, where it was received by our committee members. From left to right: Koji (ex President), Nick Laux, Caleb and Thibaut (Flying Coordinators).

A few months ago, CUGC took up the challenge of restoring a Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus glider. This wonderful sailplane is the property of one Nick Laux, an alumnus of CUGC.

Initially, Nick offered to donate the glider to us, hoping he could see it fly again. However, as CUGC already owns an ASW19-b, ‘CU’, and considering it is making a small loss after accounting for annual fixed expenses of £2000, we decided that another single seater wouldn’t have made sense financially for the club.

Nick’s Standard Cirrus back in 2012, at the French airfield of Sisteron by the Southern French Alps.
Nick’s Standard Cirrus back in 2012, at the French airfield of Sisteron by the Southern French Alps.
Nick’s Standard Cirrus back in 2012, at the French airfield of Sisteron by the Southern French Alps.

At the same time, CUGC is in need a 2-seater. This would increase training capacity, allow us to organize more trial flights (the largest source of revenue for us), more expeditions and lots of XC coaching. For 2 years now, we been collecting donations with this purpose in mind. So far, we have raised £15,000, thanks mainly to Nick and a few other generous alumni. Considering CUGC can currently contribute a further £8,000; this would require £45,000 of donations (accounting for 25% gift aid). If you are considering donating to CUGC, or maybe even a loan, please contact us or visit our philantropy page. We are happy to share our business plan for a two-seater and estimated returns per year.

Because of the reasons listed above, we decided that the best course of action would be for CUGC to refurbish the Standard Cirrus and then sell it. At that point, some of the proceedings could be donated to the club, which would be put aside to eventually buy a 2-seater.

The Standard Cirrus arrived at Gransden Lodge airfield on the 18th of June where it was received by our committee members – Koji, Caleb and Thibaut. The glider’s overall state and connections were briefly inspected by Chris Lewis, one of chief inspectors at Gransden.

On the 4th of July, during one of quieter evenings of Interunis, we decided to bring the Standard Cirrus into the workshop, taking advantage of the peak soaring season, when most gliders have already done their annual and the workshop is mostly empty.

Standard Cirrus being brought into the workshop, under the supervision of instructor James Shaw (CUGC Alumnus). The fuselage was lifted using an electric hoist, so that the the underside could be easily accessed and cleaned.
Standard Cirrus being brought into the workshop, under the supervision of instructor James Shaw (CUGC Alumnus). The fuselage was lifted using an electric hoist, so that the the underside could be easily accessed and cleaned.
Standard Cirrus being brought into the workshop, under the supervision of instructor James Shaw (CUGC Alumnus). The fuselage was lifted using an electric hoist, so that the the underside could be easily accessed and cleaned.

The main objective was to clean the glider thoroughly to get a better idea of the state of the gel coating on the wings and the fuselage. This way, inspectors David Collins and Chris Lewis could then better assess the conditions of the glider.

After a bit of a struggle, the glider’s fuselage and wings made their way into the workshop, where they were placed safely onto the trestles. We were immediately struck by the beautiful red conspicuity markings which were placed on the wings by the owner before flying the glider in France. These markings make the glider more visible against a uniform background and are a requirement in some European countries. This glider has a long history of being flown in the Italian Alps, France and Germany.

Standard Cirrus port wing making its way into the workshop.
Standard Cirrus port wing making its way into the workshop.
Standard Cirrus port wing making its way into the workshop.

Each one of us grabbed a bucket of warm water and a sponge and after a few minutes of scrubbing away the dirt, the glider looked completely different. It became evident that the gelcoat covering the wings and fuselage was in a much better state that it was previously assumed. Some cracking was found on the leading edge of one of the wings and around the airbrakes.

The wings where shining again after some cleaning! The gel coat appeared to be mostly in a very good shape.
The wings where shining again after some cleaning! The gel coat appeared to be mostly in a very good shape.
The wings where shining again after some cleaning! The gel coat appeared to be mostly in a very good shape.

Meanwhile, Flavio and James removed the canopy and had a look inside the cockpit. The seat was covered with a build up of gunk which had accumulated over 8 years and had to be partially replaced due to staining. The instrument panel was in good conditions, and included an artificial horizon, allowing for cloud flying (something which CU doesn’t have), and a red-box FLARM. The radio, however, required a replacement.

At this point, we were joined by a few students from Southampton University who very kindly helped us with cleaning the wings. As we were putting the glider away, it became apparent that the trailer required some serious maintenance, especially the trailer’s hitch and the wing securing mechanism.

Chris Lewis and David Collins, who normally help us with CU’s annual, were not able to commit their time to this bigger project. Nonetheless, they thoroughly helped us inspect the glider and passed on their findings to David Mason, a CGC member who specialises in glider refurbishments and has experience working with this type of sailplanes.

David very kindly agreed to help us with this project. He will be taking the Standard Cirrus to his workshop near Spalding in August. We have offered our help and will be joining him in his workshop to observe the process and to learn more about restoring gliders. Further updates will be published on our Instagram, so if you’re interested give us a follow!

Jane Bryl

2023-24 CUGC President

Flavio Salvati

2023-24 CUGC President and Equipment Officer