The Centrair Pegase 101B

The Scottish Gliding Centre's Pegase 101B, callsign '591', is the club's advanced single-seater and solo pilots graduate to it after gaining substantial experience flying the Junior. The Pegase (affectionately known around the club as the 'Peg') is a moderately high-performance aircraft of competition standard and whilst still an easy machine to fly requires more careful speed control and a higher standard of flying especially for pilots who are towards the lower end of the weight limitations. For SGC members the minimum qualifications to fly the Pegase are bronze badge and the permission of an instructor. Normally a check flight in the DG-505 will be required to become accustomed to managing a retractable undercarriage. For visiting pilots the minimum qualification is silver badge and permission of an SGC instructor.

The Pegase is a single seat, high performance sailplane of the standard class. It has a 15m un-flapped wingspan and is an all glassfibre construction with water ballast and retractable undercarriage. Apparently based on the Schleicher ASW-19 / ASW-20 machines, the Pegase is built by Centrair in France at Le Blanc, and is generally considered to be slightly better than the '19'. Centrair originally manufactured the Schleicher ASW-20 15-metre class glider under licence and there are obvious similarities between this and the Pegase. The wing has a different section with a profile developed by French airfoil experts, and the fuselage has a larger diameter tail boom to better resist breakage in groundloops, and considerable modifications in the wing-to-fuselage fairing. The Pegase reputedly carries water ballast much better than the ASW machines. Centrair produced three models - the original glassfibre A version, the B version with a carbon-fibre main spar (later superceded by the D model) and the non-retractable, unballasted Club version. There has been some sniping about the Pegase particularly by German Schleicher afficionados but the general opinion for club use seems to be that the Pegase is more robust and flies more nicely. Best glide is about 41:1 at 57 knots.

Compared to the Junior, the Pegase has less elevator authority and some care needs to be taken during winch launching to avoid overspeeding (maximum winch launch speed is only 65 knots). Read the flight manual and ask for a briefing on type before first flying the aircraft. Spinning is not recommended and since the sideslipping characteristics can have an abrupt nose drop with full rudder it is best practised first at height. The Pegase has a more reclined seating position than the Junior and it is worth taking some time with the adjustable backrest to find the most comfortable position whilst checking for clearance between head and canopy. The seat position catches can be fiddly to secure. Remember that the Pegase has a retractable undercarriage and flies better with it up but lands better with it down!

Centrair Pegase 101 stock photograph

Centrair Pegase 101 black&white photograph

591 at the launch-point

591 at the launch-point

591 at the launch-point

591 at the launch-point

STILL TO FIX THIS POLAR DIAGRAM - it's the Junior!

Centrair Pegase 101 Polar Curves

Pegase Specifications: (e&oe, read the handbook and placards!!)

Centrair Pegase Isometric Views

See the BGA abbreviated data sheet here.

page last updated on 12th November 2002 (c)2002 and the

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