Radio Control Slope Soaring-2011/12

100 MODEL AVIATION
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
Highlights of Slope Soaring event
GUEST WRITER Joe Chovan contributed
this report covering the 2011 Island Slope
Rebels (ISR) Spring Power Scale Soaring
(PSS) Festival at Cajon Summit.
Once again, Slope Soaring aficionados
converged in southern California on
Memorial Day weekend to participate in the
biennial ISR Spring PSS Festival, sponsored
by the Inland Slope Rebels.
In Power Scale Soaring (PSS), hobbyists
model and fly aircraft that have full-scale
powered airplane counterparts, but are flown
in Slope lift as RC model gliders. PSS is
popular with Slope Soaring pilots for several
reasons including the variety, appearance,
and performance available from these
models.
In recent years, interest for this event was
built primarily in the online forum
RCGroups, which has several
threads devoted to it.
The main topic thread
often sees action in the
months prior to the event date,
with hopeful participants
airing details, pictures, and
videos of their models and
associated construction
techniques. This online
community has grown to a worldwide forum
and this year’s event drew participants from
as far as New York, Hawaii, and New
Zealand.
In previous years there have been club
projects in which a particular airplane is
chosen to be modeled by several participants.
This year we enjoyed “Project Spitfire” with
more than 20 Supermarine Spitfires being
built from identical short kits.
The Spitfire project was spearheaded by
RC hobbyists in the San Diego area. Master
modelers, Brian Laird and Joe Cormier,
aided builders with supplies and knowledge.
At one point during the event, 13 or more
Spitfires flew in formation—an incredible
sight to behold and thrilling to perform.
The unofficial start of the event was on
Thursday and early arrivals met at the famed
Point Fermin in Palos Verdes, California.
The atmosphere at the sea cliff overlooking
the Pacific Ocean provided a venue to swap
stories of Slope Soaring adventures and
previous festivals, while experienced fliers
enjoyed the good lift.
Point Fermin is one of those magic places
that seem impossible to fly with heavy
airplanes, until you actually witness your first
demonstration. I have many magical
memories of previous visits to Point Fermin,
but I’ll never forget Ian Gittins’ 100-ounce
Rodent smoking up the half-pipes for all to
see—proving the lift was good.
On Friday the action moved to the prime
location—the Cajon Summit near Hesperia,
California, where excellent lift is often found.
It’s not possible to encounter crosswind
conditions in this giant mountain bowl
overlooking Interstate 15. If the air is moving,
it is either traveling up or down the slope.
Right: Project Spitfire was spearheaded
by a group of San Diego-area fliers.
Participants built and flew more than a
dozen Spitfires at the PSS festival.
The maiden flight of Phil Herrington’s P-38
went off without a hitch. The airplane
epitomizes amazing craftsmanship and
dedication in PSS Slope Soaring.
Below: Ian Gittins launches
Phil Herrington’s 108-inch
wingspan, 19-pound Lockheed
P-38 Lightning originaldesign
PSS Slope Sailplane.
December 2011 101
Because the Mojave Desert is behind the
hill, daily solar heating yields strong
convection currents rising over the desert,
causing surface air currents to “suck” through
the surrounding mountain passes, including
Cajon. So, most sunny days give excellent lift
and “big sky” flying may be enjoyed.
The ISR provided a hilltop parking area
as well as several places to display models.
The flying took place between two sites
roughly 1/8-mile apart—the upper and lower
hills. The upper hill is best suited for slower
airplanes, while the lower hill allows easier
landings for the heavier, faster aircraft.
Fliers read the air by seeing what was
being flown and assessing the conditions at
each hill. Those unsure of the best course
consulted local experts, Carl Maas and Brian
Laird. One request often heard was, “Brian,
can you land my plane?”
I flew often and early on Friday, and in
one instance collided with Dan Cummings,
who cheerfully remarked, “There is a way
we can guarantee we won’t have any
midairs: We go sit in our cars and don’t
fly. But that isn’t why we’re here!” I
agreed and we immediately resumed.
Airplanes such as ours are built stoutly
enough to survive contact and a little paintswapping
is simply the price of admission for
a weekend of fun.
This type of Slope flying requires
advanced awareness, and to the casual
observer it is amazing how fliers keep track of
their own airplanes amidst all the action. It
offers the “off-the-scale cool factor,”
illustrated each year when motocross riders
traversing the trail near the flying site stop to
watch the spectacle.
Left: David “Nauga” Hyde’s original
scratch-built S-3 Viking was finished for
the 2009 festival, but did not fly until
this year.
Left: Carl Maas and Brian Laird fly their 54-inch span Me-262s in
formation. Getting the airplanes this close when the lift is good is
challenging.
Below: Brian Laird routinely sits while
he flies. Here, he demonstrates his new
creation while onlookers marvel at his
prowess.
2011 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
PSS FESTIVAL AWARDS
Farthest Traveler Award:
Jordan “Hamburglar” Smith Australia
Foamie:
1. Phil “Slopeboulder” Herrington Lockheed P2V Neptune
2. David “Nauga” Hyde Beechcraft T-34C Mentor
3. Fabio “Slopeaddict” Marin Supermarine Spitfire
4. Dale “He4gott” Gottdank Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
5. Tony “Skiiibear” Jaworowski North American P-51 Mustang
Civilian Aircraft:
1. David “Nauga” Hyde Piaggio Avanti
2. Rick “Schwemmer” Schwemmer Bede BD-5 “Coors Light” Jet
3. Sean “I’m Rick James” Galt Gloster Meteor
4. Carl “Carlski” Maas Jr. Cirrus Vision
5. Scott “Sarmoby” Rogers Cirrus Vision
Jet Military Aircraft:
1. Carl “Carlski” Maas Jr. Messerschmitt Me 262 Swallow
2. Russ “Slopeiron” Thompson Focke-Wulf Fw P.I
3. David “Nauga” Hyde Hawker Sea Hawk
4. Ken “Kenracer” Long McDonnel/Douglas F-18 Hornet
5. Dave “Tick Point” Munson Northrop X-4 Bantam
Propeller Military Aircraft:
1. Bill “MicroRotors” Kenny Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless
2. Phil “Slopeboulder” Herrington Lockheed P-38 Lightning
3. Brian “TFLG” Laird Grumman F8F Bearcat
4. Joe “Joemach1” Cormier Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
5. Bill DelHagen Supermarine Spitfire Mk 19
Outstanding Craftsmanship:
Bill “MicroRotors” Kenny Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless
Phil “Slopeboulder” Herrington Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Best of Show:
Bill “MicroRotors” Kenny Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless
Sponsors:
Inland Slope Rebels
Leading Edge Gliders
House of Balsa Inc.
Cermark
Hobby People
Hitec
Reese Productions
MSM Industries
Jart Designs
Soaring USA
Tower Hobbies
R/C Flyer
Model Airplane News
Bob Smith Industries
Joe Cormier
Lars Berg
Marty Hill
Great Planes Model
Manufacturing
The highlight for many is the mandatory
Slope Scale party in which five to 10 or more
pilots perform half-pipe formation flights,
turning in unison with stall turns on each edge
of the flight window between dives
approaching 100 mph or more. Nearly
everyone who could fly Friday did, and I recall
leaving the hill reluctantly, although craving a
meal and shower.
The lift was excellent again on Saturday.
We had hoped Bill Kenny would fly his 100-
inch span, 55-pound Douglas SBD-3
Dauntless, but technical difficulties kept him
grounded. Bill’s airplane was one of the most
astounding creations ever made for a PSS Fest.
The level of detail is high and craftsmanship is
simply top-notch. When viewing the airplane
for the first time, one can only think, “And you
say you’re going to throw this off a cliff?” See
the Web link listed in the “Sources” for a
chronicle on Bill’s 2½-year build process.
Phil Herrington grabbed the limelight with
his giant Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Phil built
the airplane for Soar Utah the previous year,
but was unable to fly. The maiden flight
proved worth the wait as he flew for more than
30 minutes to the delight of all who saw his
accomplishment. Phil’s 108-inch span P-38
weighs 19 pounds with a wing area of 1,310
square inches, giving a wing loading of 33.4
ounces per square foot.
Also noteworthy were David “Nauga”
Hyde’s Sea Hawk and original scratchbuilt
S-3 Viking. The 60-inch span, 100-
ounce Viking features exact scale
dimensions—nothing is stretched (to
perhaps give better flight performance),
and has homemade decals and paint masks,
Sharpie panel lines, airbrush, and artists’
charcoal weathering. It uses two channels,
three-servo flaperons, and elevator.
His Sea Hawk started as a Russ Thompson
Meteor fuselage molded in polyester, glass,
and carbon fiber. It has a 60-inch span, weighs
4 pounds, 13 ounces, for a 28-ounce-persquare-
foot wing loading. “It’s a rocket,” says
Dave, who flew it near the end of the day when
most of the other heavy airplanes had landed.
The contest is judged strictly by rules
governing craftsmanship as they pertain to
Scale modeling and is largely a “beauty
contest.” But all the airplanes are built with
goals to fly and fly well. These airplanes look
and perform great. Judging these marvelous
Scale models is often a daunting task but is
performed under the expert guidance of master
craftsman Carl Maas Sr.
Carl says the level of craftsmanship has
steadily risen, and has reached an amazing
mark with this year’s entries. Participating and
flying one’s own creation in one of the longestrunning
premiere Slope events worldwide,
gives a sense of accomplishment.
Saturday evening, the fliers left the hill to
go to a local eatery for a thorough recap of the
day’s events. More than 50 pilots flew
hundreds of sorties and the camaraderie was as
thick as a brotherhood can be. This largely
online community met with purpose and
celebrated in style one of the most rewarding
pursuits in RC flight.
By keeping in touch throughout the year,
looking forward to this event, and building
(often from scratch) your sleek creation to join
the action over such majestic vistas, you know
you’re in great company.
The wind blew all night and expectations
were high for Sunday, but alas a repeat of
Saturday’s conditions was not in the cards.
Early risers met on the hill to witness light
wind blowing down the slope. Several
participants chose to leave early perhaps to fly
other venues on the trek home. I was happy to
get a jump on the holiday weekend traffic, and
started my drive home with memories of great
friends and flying.
Most agreed it was a fun festival—among
the best in recent memory—despite lack of
flying on Sunday. There was plenty of
inspiration to fuel the desire for the next PSS
Fest in 2013. MA
Sources:
2011 PSS Spitfire—San Diego build:
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t
=1333591
Bill Kenny’s Ziroli Dauntless PSS build thread:
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t
=992515
Dave Hyde’s S-3 Viking build thread:
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t
=804631
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
Inland Slope Rebels
www.inlandsloperebels.com