After Germany's Aero 2013 event, we traveled to Pipistrel. It was our first visit to Slovenia, a country of four million with a section of the Alps running through it and a lovely route called the Emerald Trail to view the tall mountains. Slovenia proved a beautiful country that we'd love to visit again, but a leading reason to repeat is the presence of Pipistrel. This summer, the LSA and self-launched glider producer is in the news with their exchangeable wingtip Sinus Flex that transforms the long, shapely motorglider wings from a 50-foot span to a more hangar-manageable 40 feet. Using a single bolt, the change is said to take only five minutes and the unused tips can be stored in leather bags; the option price is $5,200. Buyers get both "a long range super-economic cruiser" and a "training aircraft," noted Pipistrel. Sinus offers dual flight controls and a choice of either tailwheel or nosewheel gear, though the latter decision must be made at purchase. When we visited my wife, Randee, and I were able to take a flight in Pipistrel's Taurus. The unusual side-by-side self-launched sailplane is excellent for training. Since we are both soaring enthusiasts, going aloft near Pipistrel's base to explore some light ridge lift gave an excellent chance to view the countryside surrounding the factory. We flew with Nejc Faganelj [Slovenian accent marks not shown]. "Nejc is pronounced 'Nates' and his surname is pronounced 'Fug-a-nell'," explained Taja Boscarol, who manages the company's media and website among other duties. Nates proved to be a superb pilot despite his mid-20s youthfulness. Taurus has a 49 foot wingspan with retractable main gear and a slick finish that allows it to reach a glide ratio of 41:1. That level of performance compares well to non-engined sailplanes with tandem seating, itself a noteworthy achievement. I've flown several sailplanes but never side-by-side and I am a new convert to this configuration; certainly, it is optimal for training or enjoying a flight with a companion. As Nates powered up to the nearby mountains, the engine noise was tolerable from the Rotax 503 but when he retracted engine and propeller into its fuselage locker, the remaining sound was air slipping around the cabin. We could converse at a whisper. When retract is commanded, the prop automatically aligns before completely hiding in the aft fuselage. Nudging Taurus in close to the mountains, we shared the lift with a few paragliders and one other sailplane. For a longtime hang glider pilot like me this was pure delight. Taurus handles like many sailplanes, meaning you use rudder controls liberally. Yet the overall control feel seemed reasonably conventional and I adapted quickly. We found no thermals on the day of our flights and the ridge lift (air blowing up the mountain slope) was light. Taurus exploited the modest conditions to easily deliver a half hour of soaring before it was time to return to base. When we did, Nates had another surprise in store. As we approached at more than 100 knots, Nates converted this energy from a ground-skimming fly-by to pattern altitude in a graceful, banking arc that returned us to final for touchdown on the turf runway after extending the gear (watch video below). All the while, the Rotax and prop remained retracted as Nates expertly delivered us all the way back to Pipistrel's hangar with the skill of someone who has done this a thousand times. Ground operation is far more straightforward than in many sailplanes thanks to the dual main gear (most sailplanes use a single main wheel with wingtip wheels or skids). Taurus offers a 78 knot (90 mph) cruise under power and consumes only 3.1 gallons an hour at 90 knots (104 mph). The motorglider is comfortable for cross country cruising but any soaring fan will find it excellent for thermaling or slope soaring. Not needing a tow aloft is very liberating. Pipistrel bought a number of Rotax 503s when Rotax stopped production; when these are finally used up, the company is ready with an electric option that is available today. Randee and I quickly regain our smiles when recalling our soaring adventure with Nates at Pipistrel in Slovenia. Experience the low pass and precision taxi in this video (make sure your sound is on):

Question: What looks like two motorgliders flying in really tight formation sharing an engine... er, a motor, literally between them? Can this Burt Rutan-looking aircraft (photo) win the big dough? And I mean seriously big money with a purse of $1,650,000! *** Called the Pipistrel Taurus G4, the prize-seeking aircraft rolled out of the Pipistrel factory in Slovenia for the first time recently. After posing briefly for the camera, G4 taxied away quietly under electric power for the start of the flight testing program. *** Pipistrel previously won a big NASA check with their Virus SW but the company has now taken a wholly different approach, based on rules which give seat-mile advantage to four seater models. *** "This aircraft is the first four-place electric aircraft to be flown in the world," stated Pipistrel. Their Taurus Electro claimed to be the first two-place electric aircraft to be flown in the world four years earlier. *** The unique design has come about by grafting two Pipistrel Taurus aircraft together with a center section which is some 15 feet wide and supports a centrally located pylon housing the electric engine and batteries. Some have said the Taurus G4 resembles White Knight Two, the launch carrier of SpaceShipTwo. *** Taurus G4 is powered by a 145 kW (about 195 hp) brushless electric motor which drives a 6 foot two-blade prop. More specs: Wingspan 75 feet. Gear is retractable. Empty weight 2,343 pounds including 1,034 pounds of batteries. Maximum takeoff weight is 3,300 pounds yielding a payload of 957 pounds. *** The 2011 CAFE/NASA Green Flight Challenge is slated for July 11 and July 17, 2011 at the Santa Rosa airport in northern California. Taurus G4 will then compete in the EAA Airventure Electric Flight Challenge held at this year's Oshkosh. *** One of the main development engineers on this project, Pipistrel's Tine Tomazic doubles as test pilot. Tine (pronounced Teen-eh) also works with a talented team handling the electrical design and control systems in this new aircraft. The company has elected not to disclose performance figures and flight capabilities of their new machine until it debuts in the 2011 CAFE/NASA Green Flight Challenge. *** "This is the most powerful electric aircraft currently developed. It has the most battery capacity on-board and it is also the first four-place aircraft to be flown under electric power," Tine maintained. He added that the G4 CAFE Racer is purely a proof-of-concept aircraft which Pipistrel is using as a testbed for many of the same technologies which will be introduced into the recently announced Panthera aircraft. That sleek four seat project will be designed around a normal gasoline engine, a hybrid engine, or an electric-only motor. *** Is Taurus G4 for you? It could be. "After the completion of these competitions we expect to sell the Taurus G4 to somebody wanting a very unique and one-of design for personal use or to a company wanting to further investigate future propulsion technologies. *** The Pipistrel Taurus G4 is expected to arrive in the USA in the first week of June for registration, certification, and ongoing testing before the start of the CAFE Challenge in July.