First time flying a Glider

[WingingIt74]

Pinchflat and I had fun today with his new glider. It's a Bird of Time ARF (http://www.dynaflite.com/airplanes/dyfa0500.html). I know, it's not HH plane. It's got cool lines and a great color scheme. I must have been jinxed at the get go. He did a test glide and went great. He handed me the control and I did a test glide and when it touched down it side slipped and pulled the rudder hinges out. After a quick CA job we got his winch out (made from a 20" bicyle). He went the first 2 times, while we de-bugged the winch. The 3rd time I went and we added more string to the winch. I tell you what, it has one heck of a climb out under winch power. I thought it was a going to nose in as the wind kicked wierd and it was going sideways. I jamed right rudder and the sting guide broke and straight up it went. Well I got about 4 good passes around the field behind my house, untill the the wind caught the wing tip and tiped it the other direction. As I was trying to regain controll, the neibors roof got in the way. Did some wing damage on his chimney. What a way to meet your new neighbor for the 2nd time, huh? :o I do feel like it needs ailerons and spoilers.

[WJCJR1]

Not so sure I would be a glider guy. I need the zoom and at this point do not feel I am patient enough to glide away.

I will look for further updates if you continue this quest.

Wayne

[WingingIt74]

Funny you mention that. I tell you what, it moved, especially going down wind.

[pinchflat]

Well, let me say it was a good time.
The autopsy results are in. 3 new rudder hinges (got sheered off in landing). Wing damage is mostly minor and will be fixxed with a bit of CA, light filler, and new moncoat.
Lessons learned 1). There is no 2nd chance to land a glider. 2.) Don't hand your controler to Clssy (no matter how much he cries.) ;) 3.) Being a bicycle mechanic has its privliges.
I will need to post pics of my winch set up when it gets lines out.
I think I want to build a glider out of a stryker in the future.

[WingingIt74]

I think it went like this... "Do you want to fly it?" and I said "Sure"

I still think it needs ailerons, spoilers and a electric motor up front ;D

[WingingIt74]

I think I want to build a glider out of a stryker in the future.


That's easy, get it up to altitude and cut the throttle ;)

[Rockin Robbins]

Holy cow, a Bird of Time. I built one of those in the late 70's early 80's. THAT'S a plane of unmistakable beauty. Won the World sailplane championships in 1979.

[Rockin Robbins]

You do know that the fastest RC planes are gliders. From a hand launch, the record now stands at 398 mph. A bit faster than a Stryker. Or anything else with wings. But maybe that's not enough zoom for you.

[WingingIt74]

It's for sale now, see the add in classifieds.

[Rockin Robbins]

My next plane will be a Parkzone Radian, a plane that should outfly the Bird of Time. I think you're missing what soaring is all about, not boring holes in the sky but the search for lift.

Sometimes, as in Dynamic Soaring or Slope Soaring finding the lift is easy and the flying is much more technical and unforgiving than any power driven plane. DS planes routinely explode from the forces generated in their radical flights. Augering in a slope soarer is much more common than cratering a pattern or 3D plane. It's simply much more thrilling and challenging.

On the other hand the search for thermal lift is an addictive process impossible to explain until you've been hooked by it. Until your plane gains 1000 feet in a couple of minutes without benefit of a motor, you can't have any idea what a rush that is.

One of the best flying two-meter class sailplanes is the Parkzone Radian, which has the same motor as the Parkzone Trojan and Corsair. It climbs at better than 1000' per minute and is capable of flying for well over an hour (on certain days several hours) after a 20 second motor run. It could be argued that the Radian is the masterpiece in Parkzone's entire fleet.

[WingingIt74]

If I was going to get one it would have to be powered and have ailerons :)

This one isn't mine, it belongs to pinchflat.

[apprentice1]

You do know that the fastest RC planes are gliders. From a hand launch, the record now stands at 398 mph. A bit faster than a Stryker. Or anything else with wings. But maybe that's not enough zoom for you.

I have heard about this, but have not looked into it. How does something with a straight wing keep from failing at such a high speed?!

[WingingIt74]

they have a really rigid wing.

[Rockin Robbins]

Sometimes they don't!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PigvZg8bcE


Here's the record run of 392 mph:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaQB16ZaNI4)

INSANE!!! (and darned expensive)

[apprentice1]

That is the wildest rc thing I have ever seen !

[WingingIt74]

man that's fast

[Rockin Robbins]

And I don't need to tell you what performing 40G maneuvers that close to the ground can result in...:eye pop:

At least they won't have to replace the engine!