Glowfly is a cool project to be sure, and its combination of an electric-motor driven dual-wheel monogear-yes, many sailplanes have a monogear-and a jet engine for the remainder of the takeoff and climb is the only one we've ever heard of to entertain such an arrangement. But it will not be the first jet-powered glider; they've been around for awhile in very limited numbers. For a number of reasons, there probably won't be a groundswell of them either. After all, the whole idea of a glider or sailplane is to not have an engine. It's true that motor gliders are somewhat popular because they free the pilot of need for launch assistance, and jet engines are an intriguing solution because they're small, light, low in vibration and powerful for their weight and they eliminate a few big problems associated with other propulsion systems. There's no prop or the vibration associated with one or, more importantly, the need to stow a prop. But jet engines are relatively expensive, they run white hot, burn through fuel in a hurry and require special care and handling, even more than piston aviation engines, which are no picnic themselves.
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