Author: Dave Garwood
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/04
Page Numbers: 124,125,126,128
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Radio Control Slope Soaring - 2008/04

Upcoming Events

1) Western Colorado Slope Challenge — May 3–4

  • Location: "Big Mesa," just east of Delta, Colorado.
  • Focus: Foamie combat. The Montrose Model Aircraft Association will run this event for the fourth time.
  • Highlights: One of the most interesting aspects is dynamic soaring (DS) foamie combat; pilots fly combat on the backside of a hill. The site features rugged and interesting topography — see the event Web site for photos from previous years.
  • Contact: Jim Ferguson, vice president of the sponsoring club.

2) Midwest Slope Challenge (MWSC) — May 15–18

  • Location: Wilson Lake reservoir, Lucas, Kansas.
  • Notes: Celebrating its 15th anniversary at this venue, MWSC is the longest continuously running slope event. It aims for a relaxed, rural-America flying-and-vacation experience.
  • Competition categories: Foamie Combat, Foam Warbird Racing, One-Design 60 Racing (ODR), and Unlimited Class Racing.
  • Additional flying: Several flyable sites around Wilson Lake permit flying in different wind directions, so participants can usually count on plenty of sport flying.
  • Registration: Visit the MWSC Web site or contact the Wings Over Wilson club by e-mail.

3) Cape Blanco Slopefest — June 27–29

  • Location: Cape Blanco State Park, southern Oregon.
  • Organizer: Southern Oregon Slopers club.
  • Notes: A laid-back slope-pilot gathering at a premier coastal flying site. Cape Blanco protrudes into the Pacific and works in both north and south wind directions; its ridge is suitable for dynamic soaring.
  • Activities: The club Web site mentions reserving the entire state-park campsite and having a barbecue. Competitive events are not specifically mentioned.
  • Contact: Todd Davis. More information on the Southern Oregon Slopers Web site.

4) Alpine Soaring Adventure — June 27–July 1

  • Location: Wallowa Lake, Joseph, Oregon.
  • Notes: Although not strictly a slope-soaring event, it’s a family-oriented, vacation-destination gathering sponsored by Kiona Publishing (Quiet Flyer and RC Sport Flyer).
  • Lift and flying: Thermals drift up the canyon walls, creating superb soaring conditions. If wind allows, models can be flown from alternate sites on the opposite side of Memaloose Ridge (presumably slope lift).
  • Contingency for calm wind: Organizers provide aero-towing, floatplane flying, and electric-power flying options, so attendees can still fly even if slope conditions are not ideal.

5) Soar Utah — August 29–September 1

  • Location: Salt Lake City, Utah (several locations around the Great Salt Lake).
  • Notes: Held every other year, Soar Utah attracts slope pilots nationwide, especially those interested in scale models (sailplane prototypes and powered scale sailplanes). The InterMountain Silent Flyers (IMSF) club focuses on a low-key event with flying at multiple locations.
  • Past activities: The IMSF has held judged Scale contests with part of the score from judged flight maneuvers.
  • More info: Visit the club and event Web sites.

Little Mountain in San Bernardino

  • Overview: One of the Southern California slope-flying spots remembered fondly. The hill is covered with tall grass and a few rocks, but few thistles or sticker bushes. The hilltop and the topography out front are airplane- and people-friendly, making the site great for beginners and pilots with moderate flying and landing skills.
  • Winds: On most days, west winds build in the afternoon to 5–15 mph and thermals form and blow through. Winds can reach 30 mph on windy days. The hill is approximately 500 feet high and fairly steep. A dirt road allows driving to the top.
  • Typical models flown: Foam combat wings and light- to medium-weight balsa and fiberglass sailplanes. Little Mountain hosted Weaselfest 2005.
  • Directions: Head north on Little Mountain Drive. Take a right onto a dirt road just after the crest of the hill; that road leads to the top. ASRO provides more detailed driving directions on their site.
  • Flying notes: Fly from south of the towers in the common west wind and from north of the towers in a Santa Ana wind. Reviews about flying at this site in Santa Ana (easterly) winds are mixed.

Slope Scale Kits Back in Production

  • Background: Slope Scale PSS kits produce high-quality scale warbird gliders that fly well. Designers Brian Laird, Paul Masura, Gary Kawamura, Carl Maas, and Robert Cavazos solved many design issues to produce attractive, well-flying PSS models.
  • Personal note: Watching multiple Slope Scale models fly together at events such as Soar Utah creates the distinctive group “half-pipe” pattern, often called a “Slope Scale Party.”
  • Kit details: Master molder Dan Sampson will be molding fiberglass fuselages, CNC-cutting wing cores, and shipping Slope Scale "short kits." Expected models include P-39 Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk, P-51 Mustang, P-80 Shooting Star, BD-5, Me 109, F-20 Tigershark, and an improved Tucano (an ISR club favorite). Dan will also produce his own-design Aermacchi MB 339, the 2007 ISR club-project F-86 Sabre, and the ISR 2006 club-project U-2 spyplane.
  • What a "short kit" contains: Molded fuselage, foam wing cores, drawings, and possibly a page or two of building and setup tips. These are not ARFs; they are for experienced builders. Expect 20–30 hours of construction and finishing time before flying.
  • Typical construction and setup: Kits typically include cores for a 48-inch wingspan; builders can shorten to 44 or 42 inches for a more prototypical look. Fiberglass fuselage layups may be ordered light or heavy depending on expected lift conditions. Most models use two standard-size servos, a standard-size Ni-Cd receiver pack, and nearly any size receiver. Builders sheet wings with balsa or plywood and cover with Solartex or bagged fiberglass depending on lift and landing conditions.
  • Finish: These PSS sailplanes take paint well; builders often produce contest-worthy finishes and robust airframes that withstand landing abuse.
  • Ordering: Contact Dan Sampson to order a kit. Discussions about the kits can be found on RCGroups.

Sources

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.