Still Germany (Brett)

I spent an very interesting 3 or 4 days at the M&D factory in Friedeberg. Not only do they manufacture jet turbines but they make components for wind generator blades and have a large sailplane maintenance facility. They use more than one tonne of resin per day.
They have an elaborate test bench for the turbines in a closed glass sided wind tunnel inside a soundproof room. They gave me an interesting display running up a turbine with a glass panel in the casing showing the start sequence and fuel burn patterns.
I had a flight in VR while there - towed up by a Samburo motor glider (also manufactured by M&D) which surprisingly made a very effective tug. I was chased back to the field quite quickly by a thunderstorm which are common in the afternoons here.
VR has the distinction of having flown on three continents now which is a good effort for a 2.5 year old sailplane.
Tomorrow will be a visit to the Cobra trailer factory in Edermunde, then it's time to strike out east for Leszno, where I should arrive on Sunday.