Radio Control Slope Soaring - 2012/02

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Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
Eastern Slope safari
Also included in this column:
• Slope Soaring history
WANDERLUST STRUCK me in
October 2011 as the leaves were
becoming colorful, and I embarked on a
five-day Slope safari through
Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia,
finishing in West Virginia, and spending
two days at the Cumberland Fall
AeroTow event.
NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) for RC
Slope Soaring pilots: You have nothing to
fear from sharing a slope with RC
aerotowing pilots. As a matter of fact, you
may find it enjoyable and learn some new
things about RC Soaring.
I’ve flown at three aerotow events for
which the location was selected to make
use of slope lift: the Los Banos Scale
Sailplane event in California, the Elmira
Aerotow event in New York (in the
1990s), and now the Cumberland Fall
AeroTow gathering in West Virginia. I
find cross-pollination to be invigorating
and enlightening.
I departed New York and began a drive
through Eastern Pennsylvania, intending
to fly at Breezy View Park overlooking
the Susquehanna River, between Lancaster
and York. I’ve flown twice at this location
in the last 20 years (we used to call it
Chickie’s Rock). I find it a pleasant flying
site, but the wind was out of the south,
rather than the northwest which is favored
for Slope flying at this location, so no
flying at Breezy View that day.
Pushing into Virginia, I made sure to
spend sufficient time on the Skyline Drive
in Shenandoah National Park, a scenic
highway that curves back and forth
between the east and west sides of the
ridgeline, and with dozens of turnouts for
viewing the mountainous countryside,
providing places to fly in several wind
Tom Pack, from Mechanicsville VA, flies his 4-meter
Multiplex ASH-26 on the wing during the Cumberland
Fall AeroTow event at the HighPoint Aviation Airfield.
Left: The author on the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, with the
Dream Flight Weasel he’s testing as a New York Slope Dogs must-have Sailplane.
The 1.8-meter Multiplex Easy Glider
Pro makes a fine first aerotow glider.
When set up properly, it can be towed
to altitude without the sailplane pilot
touching the transmitter.
February 2012 105
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:37 PM Page 105directions. The scenery viewing spots tend
to skimp on landing areas, so it’s good to
fly a “bounceable” Sailplane made from
EPP or other durable foam.
On my arrival day at Shenandoah Park,
it rained and the mountaintops were
obscured by low clouds. A day later, the sky
cleared and a westerly wind of 10-15 mph
came up, making for a cool Soaring day on
Skyline Drive. I flew from turnout locations
with a Dream Flight Weasel and a Sky King
RC Products DAW 1-26. These two models
have proven to be versatile, durable, and fun
to fly on many Soaring trips. Don’t leave
home without these two gliders when you
embark on a Slope safari.
The weekend was approaching and it
was time to get down to the Cumberland
Fall AeroTow event. On a future RC
Soaring trip to Virginia, I’d like to travel
farther south and fly the Blue Ridge
Parkway, and maybe try Sugar Hollow
Park in Bristol, Virginia.
The Cumberland Fall AeroTow event
was scheduled for October 13-17, 2011. It
is held at the High Point Aviation model
flying field, the location of the
Cumberland Fly for Fun, which has run
continuously for 45 years—the longest
continually run event of interest to Slope
Soaring pilots that I know of.
This flying site has been used for
model aviation since 1967. It is located on
the west side of the Appalachian Mountain
range, where many full-scale, longdistance
Soaring records have been set,
flying the length of that range in slope lift.
The flying site is located south of
Cumberland, Maryland, in West Virginia
on Knobley Mountain. It is private land,
and the owner is dedicated to RC model
aviation. The field is roughly 800 feet
above the valley floor, and faces west.
There is a notch in the ridge that allows
Slope flying in east wind from the same
site. Although the wind into the
Appalachian chain provides plenty of big
sky lift, the mowed flying field is located a
few hundred feet from the actual slope,
and thus “hang-ten” flying positions are
not available at this location.
Local fliers and event organizers
provide hi-starts, winches, and aerotow
tugs to get Sailplanes up and out into the
big lift. Many local fliers have handlaunched
into the slope lift, although it
looks as though this would take some skill
and practice.
I arrived on Saturday, and although
sunny skies prevailed, we had strong
winds from the south. Most of the Scale
Sailplanes that were brought to be
aerotowed, stayed stowed inside their
transport vehicles and trailers. We were
served a fine, hot meal at the flying site
and had plenty of time to meet and greet
fliers and suppliers from Virginia, West
Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New
York, and Arizona.On Sunday, we had clear skies,
comfortable temperatures, and pleasant
west winds. The Scale fliers began to rig
Scale Sailplanes and the aerotow tug pilots
towed them aloft. There was no problem
finding lift; both large-scale Slope lift and
thermals were abundant, and dozens of
flights were launched.
I was flying a Multiplex Cularis, a model
I found when I was searching for an alreadybuilt
Slope Sailplane. (See the “Slope
Soaring” columns from August 2010 and
February 2011). Multiplex makes a great
little tow release that fits easily into an
existing hole in the nose of the Cularis
glider (Aero Tow Coupling for the
Multiplex Cularis, part number M723470).
I got mine from Tower Hobbies.
The Cularis towed up gracefully and
successfully, the Aero Tow Coupling
released fine, and soon I was flying in the
legendary Appalachian west-face ridge lift.
The Cularis’100-inch wingspan is probably
the smallest I can see in big-sky lift, and on
this day my Cularis got mighty small.
I flew some aerobatics to burn off excess
altitude, concentrating on my big-sky Cuban
8s. I had three tows up and three long
flights. I felt a connection with the RC fliers
who have flown from this field since 1967,
and the full-scale Soaring pilots who have
flown that ridge since the 1930s.
We had another hot lunch served at the
field along with conversation among
traveling Sailplane pilots, manufacturers,
and suppliers. These people are friendly
and helpful flying companions. Slope
fliers, try an aerotow event; it will broaden
your horizons.
Back on the road the next day, I
reflected on how much fun Slope Soaring
trips are and how interesting and enjoyable
national and regional RC flying events can
be. Crossing from Pennsylvania back into
New York, I considered a detour to fly at
Sterling Bluffs on Lake Ontario, but again,
the wind direction was not favorable.
RC Slope Soaring History in Print: On the
continuing search for early mentions of
Slope Soaring in print, the December 1983
Model Builder cover shows an RC pilot
and a helper launching out over a green
valley. The description mentions four
names from the history of RC Soaring.
“Steve Neu launches Mark Smith’s
World Championship F3B sailplane, an
Eismann Camaro, over the side of a
beautiful heather- and fern-covered
English slope. Rich Schrameck (U.S. F3B
team manager) pilots the model out over
an equally beautiful English sheep ranch in
the valley below. After a week’s worth of
tense World Championship competition,
this was just what the doctor ordered for
soothing the nerves. Inset: Mark Smith’s
primary sailplane was his Panic, seen here
on low pass. Kodachrome transparencies
by Bill Forrey.”
The RC Modeler cover for February
1975 “features Monica Haig gracing the
New Mexico countryside with two
fantastic hawks—the vanishing breed
variety, and the popular newcomer, the
Hobie Hawk by Hobie Model Co.
Ektachrome transparency by Max Mills.”
The magazine cover noted the
construction article and detailed plans
contained within. RCM described the
Silent Squire as “for Slope or Thermal
Soaring.” Designed by Bill Evans, the
model is described as “a quickly-built,
rugged 60-inch span sailplane for slope or
thermal flying. Highly maneuverable, the
Silent Squire is also stable enough for
hands-off flight. Coupled with a light wing
loading are a wide speed range, excellent
penetration, and a ten-foot stall recovery.”
Although the design was published a
year before the U.S. Bicentennial
celebration, these same characteristics
would be welcome in a Slope Soaring
Sailplane today. May the circle be unbroken.
Has anyone among the readership
found an article on Slope Soaring that
predates these? MA