Cheers Erik!
Despite the colourful language when I get whacked by thermals (apologies - I edited most of it out!), the glider was always very responsive to my control inputs and recovered quickly... unlike when I fly in that area in the hang glider, when I often have to quit struggling to stay in a thermal, resign myself to getting spat out and then attack it again from a different angle!
I was very nervous of every creak, bonk, crack and rattle that came out of the glider during the first thermal flight, but I quickly got used to that once I realised the glider wasn't going to fall apart! Towing up behind the C35 was quite a different experience to towing up behind a trike at 70-75kmh. All my farings (front and back) rattled outrageously in the higher airspeeds required to stop the C35 from stalling out of the air - it was a relief to ping off and return to almost silence!
I didn't use the air brakes during landing as the pull-cord that opens them was not well located. Pulling it fully open required wrapping the cord around my hand several times, making fine control a bit of a faff. I did open them 50% and 100% during the test flights, and my sink rate went up to about -1,5m/s and -3m/s respectively - so pretty darn good! I have the pilot pod back in the workshop at the moment and have re-worked the air brake cord system. It is now attached to a pivoted lever and can be partially or fully opened with very easily now.
I also added a pair of bicycle brakes to the main wheel which are actuated using the same lever once the air brakes are about 90-100% open. Thanks again for the wheel! I'll post up some photos once I've got it all working perfectly and tidied up a little. I had to remove the old wheel box and make a new one to accommodate the bicycle brakes.
All the best,
Phil.
PS - I posted a small package of goodies to you today - hope they arrive in one piece and are useful!