[[email protected]]
Radio Control Soaring Darwin Barrie
Also included in this column:
• SVSS Spring Fling
• Hybrid Two-Meter project update
• The perfect Pike Perfect
The 2007 International Hand Launch Glider Festival
The New Zealanders took their own home-brew designs to the IHLGF in Poway,
California. They were excellent performers.
The beautiful SVSS flying field in the Sacramento CA area.
THE 2007 International Hand Launch Glider
Festival (IHLGF) was held the first complete
weekend of June in Poway, California. The
Torrey Pines Gulls hosted the event and Don
Richmond was the CD. It takes a bunch of
people to put on such an event. A significant
committee was involved in making it happen.
The International Hand Launch Altitude
Challenge was added to the event’s Friday
schedule. It involved taping a pod containing
an altitude-recording device to the top of a
sailplane’s wing. Each pilot was given three
throws, and the information was downloaded
to a laptop.
Determining how high the models are
launched has always been a guessing game.
Now we know. The top guy was Oleg
Golovidov, with a high of 208 feet, followed
by Bruce Davidson with 198 feet and Phil
Barnes with 191 feet.
Oleg and Phil used contest airplanes,
while Bruce built a hybrid strictly for the
competition using parts from broken models;
he called it the “Driver.” It was essentially a
cut-down Hand-Launched Glider with no
dihedral. I’m sure Bruce will be refining the
design for next year.
In the main competition, 71 pilots
representing six countries and 13 states
posted scores. The conditions were typical
Poway, with cool mornings and warm
afternoons with light winds. Also typical
were the lift cycles that could create havoc on
even the best pilots.
Phil Barnes was the King Daddy, with
solid flying throughout. He was also the most
consistent in the flyoffs, with solid flights in
all three rounds.
Next time the IHLGF will utilize the FAI
rules for F3K. This should be interesting and
fun. The dates for the 2008 contest are June 7-
8. Check the Web site for complete details.
The Sacramento Valley Soaring Society
(SVSS) Spring Fling was held June 23-24,
2007—not exactly spring because of the need
to change the date from an earlier weekend.
The contest is held at SVSS field in Davis,
California, just west of Sacramento.
This is one of the nicest Soaring sites on
the west side of the country. The field is all
grass, with a sprinkler system powered by
solar panels. The field’s size allows it to be set
up with landing zones in every wind direction
and two primary directions for launching. A
large open-air pole barn provides shade.
Located in a county park, the site exists in
concert with a protected area for Burrowing
Owls. The compatibility should keep SVSS
with a field for a long time.
Dudley Dufort was the Spring Fling CD,
and he put together a great staff of people to
run a smooth and efficient contest. We flew
six rounds Saturday and four Sunday.
Conditions were excellent most of the
time. A couple of bad sink cycles moved
through. I hit a bad one on a five-minute
round. Even with a monster launch with the
Sharon, I couldn’t get out of the sink. A 3:12
pretty much buried me for the event.
All other times were made without issue.
Several people misjudged distances and
landed out. With the openness of the area, it is
easy to think you are closer to the field than
you really are. The landing-zone structure
was tough but fair. This definitely separated
the top people.
In all, 38 pilots posted scores in
Unlimited, 13 scored in Grey Cup, six scored
in 2 Meter, and 16 scored in RES. You can
find the full results on the SVSS Web site.
The “Joe Wurts Farewell Tour 2007” got
underway. He took home top honors in
Unlimited and 2 Meter. Joe and his wife, Jan,
retired and relocated to New Zealand in late
2007.
He promises to reappear at some of the
larger US events. He suspects that he will
conveniently schedule “consulting” trips
around the Visalia contest, the Nats, the
May 2008 137
05sig5.QXD 3/25/08 8:33 AM Page 137
IHLGF, and possibly a couple others.
I had a great time at this event. The
SVSS’s hospitality is great. The lodging is
close by and was extremely nice for a Motel
6.
I was able to attend by flying my RV-7
into nearby Davis University airport. What
would be a minimum 12- to 14-hour drive
was only a three-hour, 45-minute flight from
Chandler, Arizona.
The hybrid Two-Meter has dozens of flights
on it now. The final all-up weight is 32
ounces. I could not be happier with the way
the model is flying. Launches are smooth and
predictable. The towhook location has been
optimized, and launches are higher than I was
expecting.
I first thought the sailplane would have to
be launched as if I were flying a more fragile
type of model. Now I am doing aggressive
launches, much like with an Open-class
glider.
Flying characteristics are interesting.
The hybrid is solid, with handling
characteristics of an Open-class sailplane
yet with the thermal read of a Hand-
Launched Glider. I have the CG set up so
that inverted flight requires only roughly
1/8 inch of down-stick movement. This
seems ideal for the model.
Another positive aspect I didn’t expect is
the hybrid’s ability to range out. I have
worked it out very far and have still had no
trouble getting back. Penetration is much
better than expected. With a little reflex
programmed in, this sailplane really scoots.
I’ve flown this model in a variety of wind
conditions, with excellent results. By the time
this is in print, I will have built two pockets in
the fuselage for ballast for those extreme
conditions.
As I mentioned, the thermal read is
excellent. This glider handles weak, low
thermals with ease. As I obtained more time
with the model, I became comfortable flying
“hand launch” altitude thermals. I have the
rudder/aileron mix as ideal as possible. The
hybrid locks into turns while thermaling better
than any other Two-Meter I’ve had. Once
cored, little control is needed to stay there.
I set up a preset for camber but found that
it isn’t necessary. I’ll be experimenting with
this as I get more time on the airplane.
Mark Browning prepares to launch his Danny at the SVSS Spring Fling.
I’m using a six-point curve for flap/
elevator compensation (on a Futaba 14MZ
transmitter). The flaps are extraordinarily
effective. It took some work, but I got the
compensation so that full travel of the flap
stick only slows the model, with virtually no
attitude change.
I also programmed reverse differential
into the ailerons. The result is a solid-landing
sailplane with excellent glide path and speed
control and no yawing tendencies.
I have two skegs on the glider: one on the
nose and one behind the towhook. I’d
normally use only a nose skeg, but the rear
skeg keeps the lightweight tail and subfin and
rudder off the ground.
Spot landings have been easy. I’ve tried
landing in crosswinds only a few times. Even
with the winglets, the glide path is solid. I’ll
be working on this as well. I’ll relate more as
I get more time and experience with the
hybrid.
Another new model I’ve been flying is
the Pike Perfect. This is the best Unlimited
model I’ve ever flown. It was well worth
the year wait. I understand that Samba has
added molds to increase production to
meet the demand.
I set up the glider to the exact
recommendations on the F3J site. At a
local club contest I decided to maiden the
model before the contest. I didn’t do hand
tosses or anything; I put the Perfect on the
winch and launched.
The first launch was excellent, with
only a little up needed. I flew it for 10
minutes and found everything to be nearly
perfect. I tested the elevator/flap
compensation and found it to be nearly
dead on. It was so close that I felt
confident flying it in the contest.
I managed two 50-point landings (the
highest possible) and a 40. On the fourth
landing the model clipped a small desert
bush with a wingtip and landed
approximately 5 feet short. All times were
made, and I managed a win.
The Pike Perfect is available through
Skip Miller Models or SoaringUSA. MA
Sources:
IHLGF
www.torreypinesgulls.org/IHLGF.htm
Skip Miller Models
(720) 231-4400
www.skipmillermodels.com
SoaringUSA
(626) 967-6660
www.soaringusa.com
SVSS
www.svss.org
138 MODEL AVIATION
05sig5.QXD 3/25/08 8:33 AM Page 138
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/05
Page Numbers: 137,138
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/05
Page Numbers: 137,138
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Soaring Darwin Barrie
Also included in this column:
• SVSS Spring Fling
• Hybrid Two-Meter project update
• The perfect Pike Perfect
The 2007 International Hand Launch Glider Festival
The New Zealanders took their own home-brew designs to the IHLGF in Poway,
California. They were excellent performers.
The beautiful SVSS flying field in the Sacramento CA area.
THE 2007 International Hand Launch Glider
Festival (IHLGF) was held the first complete
weekend of June in Poway, California. The
Torrey Pines Gulls hosted the event and Don
Richmond was the CD. It takes a bunch of
people to put on such an event. A significant
committee was involved in making it happen.
The International Hand Launch Altitude
Challenge was added to the event’s Friday
schedule. It involved taping a pod containing
an altitude-recording device to the top of a
sailplane’s wing. Each pilot was given three
throws, and the information was downloaded
to a laptop.
Determining how high the models are
launched has always been a guessing game.
Now we know. The top guy was Oleg
Golovidov, with a high of 208 feet, followed
by Bruce Davidson with 198 feet and Phil
Barnes with 191 feet.
Oleg and Phil used contest airplanes,
while Bruce built a hybrid strictly for the
competition using parts from broken models;
he called it the “Driver.” It was essentially a
cut-down Hand-Launched Glider with no
dihedral. I’m sure Bruce will be refining the
design for next year.
In the main competition, 71 pilots
representing six countries and 13 states
posted scores. The conditions were typical
Poway, with cool mornings and warm
afternoons with light winds. Also typical
were the lift cycles that could create havoc on
even the best pilots.
Phil Barnes was the King Daddy, with
solid flying throughout. He was also the most
consistent in the flyoffs, with solid flights in
all three rounds.
Next time the IHLGF will utilize the FAI
rules for F3K. This should be interesting and
fun. The dates for the 2008 contest are June 7-
8. Check the Web site for complete details.
The Sacramento Valley Soaring Society
(SVSS) Spring Fling was held June 23-24,
2007—not exactly spring because of the need
to change the date from an earlier weekend.
The contest is held at SVSS field in Davis,
California, just west of Sacramento.
This is one of the nicest Soaring sites on
the west side of the country. The field is all
grass, with a sprinkler system powered by
solar panels. The field’s size allows it to be set
up with landing zones in every wind direction
and two primary directions for launching. A
large open-air pole barn provides shade.
Located in a county park, the site exists in
concert with a protected area for Burrowing
Owls. The compatibility should keep SVSS
with a field for a long time.
Dudley Dufort was the Spring Fling CD,
and he put together a great staff of people to
run a smooth and efficient contest. We flew
six rounds Saturday and four Sunday.
Conditions were excellent most of the
time. A couple of bad sink cycles moved
through. I hit a bad one on a five-minute
round. Even with a monster launch with the
Sharon, I couldn’t get out of the sink. A 3:12
pretty much buried me for the event.
All other times were made without issue.
Several people misjudged distances and
landed out. With the openness of the area, it is
easy to think you are closer to the field than
you really are. The landing-zone structure
was tough but fair. This definitely separated
the top people.
In all, 38 pilots posted scores in
Unlimited, 13 scored in Grey Cup, six scored
in 2 Meter, and 16 scored in RES. You can
find the full results on the SVSS Web site.
The “Joe Wurts Farewell Tour 2007” got
underway. He took home top honors in
Unlimited and 2 Meter. Joe and his wife, Jan,
retired and relocated to New Zealand in late
2007.
He promises to reappear at some of the
larger US events. He suspects that he will
conveniently schedule “consulting” trips
around the Visalia contest, the Nats, the
May 2008 137
05sig5.QXD 3/25/08 8:33 AM Page 137
IHLGF, and possibly a couple others.
I had a great time at this event. The
SVSS’s hospitality is great. The lodging is
close by and was extremely nice for a Motel
6.
I was able to attend by flying my RV-7
into nearby Davis University airport. What
would be a minimum 12- to 14-hour drive
was only a three-hour, 45-minute flight from
Chandler, Arizona.
The hybrid Two-Meter has dozens of flights
on it now. The final all-up weight is 32
ounces. I could not be happier with the way
the model is flying. Launches are smooth and
predictable. The towhook location has been
optimized, and launches are higher than I was
expecting.
I first thought the sailplane would have to
be launched as if I were flying a more fragile
type of model. Now I am doing aggressive
launches, much like with an Open-class
glider.
Flying characteristics are interesting.
The hybrid is solid, with handling
characteristics of an Open-class sailplane
yet with the thermal read of a Hand-
Launched Glider. I have the CG set up so
that inverted flight requires only roughly
1/8 inch of down-stick movement. This
seems ideal for the model.
Another positive aspect I didn’t expect is
the hybrid’s ability to range out. I have
worked it out very far and have still had no
trouble getting back. Penetration is much
better than expected. With a little reflex
programmed in, this sailplane really scoots.
I’ve flown this model in a variety of wind
conditions, with excellent results. By the time
this is in print, I will have built two pockets in
the fuselage for ballast for those extreme
conditions.
As I mentioned, the thermal read is
excellent. This glider handles weak, low
thermals with ease. As I obtained more time
with the model, I became comfortable flying
“hand launch” altitude thermals. I have the
rudder/aileron mix as ideal as possible. The
hybrid locks into turns while thermaling better
than any other Two-Meter I’ve had. Once
cored, little control is needed to stay there.
I set up a preset for camber but found that
it isn’t necessary. I’ll be experimenting with
this as I get more time on the airplane.
Mark Browning prepares to launch his Danny at the SVSS Spring Fling.
I’m using a six-point curve for flap/
elevator compensation (on a Futaba 14MZ
transmitter). The flaps are extraordinarily
effective. It took some work, but I got the
compensation so that full travel of the flap
stick only slows the model, with virtually no
attitude change.
I also programmed reverse differential
into the ailerons. The result is a solid-landing
sailplane with excellent glide path and speed
control and no yawing tendencies.
I have two skegs on the glider: one on the
nose and one behind the towhook. I’d
normally use only a nose skeg, but the rear
skeg keeps the lightweight tail and subfin and
rudder off the ground.
Spot landings have been easy. I’ve tried
landing in crosswinds only a few times. Even
with the winglets, the glide path is solid. I’ll
be working on this as well. I’ll relate more as
I get more time and experience with the
hybrid.
Another new model I’ve been flying is
the Pike Perfect. This is the best Unlimited
model I’ve ever flown. It was well worth
the year wait. I understand that Samba has
added molds to increase production to
meet the demand.
I set up the glider to the exact
recommendations on the F3J site. At a
local club contest I decided to maiden the
model before the contest. I didn’t do hand
tosses or anything; I put the Perfect on the
winch and launched.
The first launch was excellent, with
only a little up needed. I flew it for 10
minutes and found everything to be nearly
perfect. I tested the elevator/flap
compensation and found it to be nearly
dead on. It was so close that I felt
confident flying it in the contest.
I managed two 50-point landings (the
highest possible) and a 40. On the fourth
landing the model clipped a small desert
bush with a wingtip and landed
approximately 5 feet short. All times were
made, and I managed a win.
The Pike Perfect is available through
Skip Miller Models or SoaringUSA. MA
Sources:
IHLGF
www.torreypinesgulls.org/IHLGF.htm
Skip Miller Models
(720) 231-4400
www.skipmillermodels.com
SoaringUSA
(626) 967-6660
www.soaringusa.com
SVSS
www.svss.org
138 MODEL AVIATION
05sig5.QXD 3/25/08 8:33 AM Page 138