RC Flight Training with EPP-Foam Slope Sailplanes - 2003/09

54 MODEL AVIATION
WHAT IF YOU have potential Radio Control (RC) fliers who don’t
have the time it takes to learn to fly via traditional methods? Maybe
their work or school schedules don’t allow sufficient recreational time.
Maybe if it takes too long for them to fly their first loop or roll, they
will lose interest in the learning process.
Sometimes the impatience of youth, so perceptible in today’s
rockin’ mountain biker and snowboarder types, makes the traditional
method, “start with a slow polyhedral trainer glider,” way too timeconsuming
to be effective; they lose interest before they learn to fly.
What we need for them is an RC training method that accounts for their
significant levels of testosterone and their craving for adrenalin.
The training method that the New York Slope Dogs use is to start
the newbies with expanded polypropylene (EPP)-foam Slope
sailplanes, pay attention to preflight instruction, coach them during the
flight, and save them from beginner “dumb thumbs” mistakes with a
transmitter trainer-cord setup.
EPP-foam sailplanes are our trainer models of choice because they are
so tough. They’re like Nerf airplanes; they bounce when they hit the
ground. Pat Bowman learned that EPP foam could be cut with hot-wire
shaping techniques. This amazing material returns to its original shape
when dinged or squeezed.
Pat introduced the Ruffneck aerobatic Slope sailplane in 1995, and
today we have at least 10 designers and makers of EPP-foam kits—
mostly Slope sailplanes, but there are also thermal sailplanes and
electric models.
Experienced builders will learn new construction and finishing
techniques with their first EPP-foam models, and new builders can
construct them with little trouble by following the kit instructions.
When completed, they’ll have models that can withstand hard landings,
midair collisions, some straight-in crashes, and can often be picked up
and relaunched with no repairs needed.
We use sailplanes for beginner training because they are the least
expensive way to get an RC model into the sky, and we can skip the
motor setup, fuel handling, and propeller-safety instructional
components. Having no after-flying cleanup is also a benefit.
Lou Garwood’s DAW Foam Wulf 190 EPP-foam aileron-and-elevator Slope Soarer in action on a training mission.
Third-season Slope pilot Kyle Saltzman launches a Foam Wulf
190. He’s now making flights exceeding an hour!
■ Dave Garwood
September 2003 55
Most of our trainer airplanes are built from $60 kits and have only
aileron and rudder servos, thus they can use the simplest radio
transmitter. One good radio is the Hitec two-channel, single-stick
setup, which costs approximately $125 after adding a set of
rechargeable batteries for the transmitter, a rechargeable receiver
battery pack, and a wall charger. The Hitec IIS does not offer trainercable
capability.
Some of the larger EPP-foam sailplanes control the ailerons,
elevator, and rudder, so they require a three- or more-channel
transmitter. Airtronics, Futaba, Hitec, JR, and Tower Hobbies make
four-channel radio sets which come with rechargeable batteries, a wall
charger, and three or four servos, and they cost roughly $160. The FM
versions of these radios do have trainer-cable sockets. The trainer cable
itself is an accessory item.
Many EPP-foam Slope sailplanes available today are 30- to 50-
inch-wingspan World War II fighter airplanes, and these semiscale
models can be detailed convincingly with iron-on covering. The looks
of one of these warbirds goes a long way in holding the young
newcomers’ attention.
Whitecaps on the water indicate that there is wind velocity, but wind speed does not always equal lift. It’s a science.
Chris Costigan with his tan Foam Wulf 190 and Lou Garwood
The Slope Dogs’ logo. Hey, every club needs an identity! with his Foam 51. Joe Chovan’s foaMe-109 flashes by behind.
Photos by the author Graphic Design by Carla Kunz
Instructor Lou Garwood and Matt Keramati stand close to converse
easily. Their transmitters are connected by buddy-box cable.
Foamie combat grabs new Slope fliers’ interest, sharpens
experienced pilots’ reflexes. Joe Chovan, Chris Costigan mix it up.
A relaxed Chris Costigan flies his Foam Wulf 190 out over the
Atlantic Ocean, with nary a care in the world.
What it’s all about: relaxed Slope flying. Lou Garwood flies his
DAW Schweizer 1-26 and Terry Dwyer flies a foaMe-109.
56 MODEL AVIATION
September 2003 57
Close action in foamie combat. If there’s a mishap, little damage
is done because of EPP-foam construction. They bounce!
Lou Garwood launches a Foam Wulf 190 over Cape Cod Bay.
When the wind is right, a small push gets a model airborne.
Kyle Saltzman works out in a 30 mph wind with his Foam Wulf
190. Lou Garwood coaches and Matt Keramati looks on.
Lou Garwood’s Schweizer is a good candidate for training new
Slope pilots. It features aileron, elevator control.
58 MODEL AVIATION
Some Slope sailplanes are larger—up to
72 inches in span—and add rudder control for
those who want to learn to use their left
thumb. Dave’s Aircraft Works (DAW) makes
a 120-inch-span EPP Ka6E aerotow trainer
with full-house ailerons, optional flaps,
rudder, elevator, and aerotow release. It
requires a six-channel radio but looks great
and flies like a dream.
A few EPP-foam airplanes are available
for fuel or electric power for those who prefer
powered flight. A list of EPP-foam-model-kit
makers is provided at the end of this article.
Slope flying is our discipline of choice for
training because sailplanes need lift, of course,
and in Slope flying the lift is in a constant
location when the wind is working. The
student can be shown where the lift is and
taught how to explore the lift band; therefore,
he or she is relieved of the task of searching
for lift, as on a thermal flying field. Plus we
like the view from the top of the hill.
For instructional background material on
Slope Soaring, see the four-part series in the
January, April, July, and October 2000 issues
of Model Aviation.
It is worthwhile to make a trip to a known
good Slope Soaring site: a place with steady
lift, good launching and landing areas, and
easy access to the slope face and the bottom in
case a downed model has to be recovered.
For training, a journey to Torrey Pines
Flight Park in San Diego, California; Wilson
Lake, Kansas; Cape Cod, Massachusetts;
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan; Jockey’s
Ridge, South Carolina; Morningside Flight
Park in Claremont, New Hampshire; Eagle
Butte, Washington; Point of the Mountain,
Utah; Mount Equinox, Vermont; or similar
may give the most predictable flight-training
experience. Save the quirky inland sites,
launch-between-the-trees mountain spots, and
tricky soar-over-three-parked-vans venues for
more experienced fliers.
To locate suitable Slope Soaring locations,
a good place to start is to enter “slope soaring”
at your favorite Internet-search Web site
(www.google.com is excellent). I think you’ll
be pleased with how much information you
find.
Do not fail to visit Greg Smith’s
comprehensive Web site at
www.slopeflyer.com, which lists slope sites in
30 states and offers an extensive links list to
other Slope Soaring resources.
You can also locate Soaring clubs through
the Academy of Model Aeronautics Web site
at www.modelaircraft.org/templates/ama;
click on “About AMA,” then click on
“Chartered Clubs.” Or review the April 2000
Model Aviation article “Finding Slope Flying
Sites.”
Our training methods include preflight
briefing, coaching during a flight, and
postflight discussion. A student pilot’s high
time in the air on early flights is made
possible by the biggest value for $15 spent in
all of RC radio equipment: the trainer cable.
These cables are compatible with FM
radios (with four channels and more) made by
Airtronics, Futaba, Hitec, JR, and Tower
Hobbies. In some cases a trainer cable will
work across radio brands.
Connecting two transmitters allows the
instructor pilot’s (IP’s) transmitter to control
the airplane. When the IP depresses the
(momentary on) trainer switch, control of the
airplane is passed to the student pilot (SP).
The IP can release pressure on the trainer
switch to instantly regain control of the
model. Make sure that the two transmitters are
set up identically for servo-reverse switch
positions and trim settings.
The preflight briefing includes how
sailplanes fly and how to find the lift band.
Watching gulls and other airplanes in the air
helps in the discussion of both topics. This
dialogue stresses avoiding a stall by keeping
airspeed up, emphasizes preparing for the rollcontrol
reversal effect when flying toward
one’s self, and cautions that most new pilots,
especially those who were brought up on
video games, tend to overcontrol the airplane.
We discuss launching, flying the classic
figure-eight flight pattern, and landing. We
talk about “emergency” procedures for
situations such as when orientation of the
airplane is lost and when it goes down out of
sight. Last, we talk about frequency control
and how to avoid frequency conflict.
With a final preflight inspection for
“correct and free” control surfaces, a final
check of matching transmitter-switch
positions, and a shout of “Turning on channel
21!” the IP launches the sailplane and gets it
trimmed. Serious trim changes must be
repeated on the SP’s transmitter by hand, or
trim changes will occur at the moment of
electronic handoff.
When the SP is ready, the IP presses the
trainer switch and clearly informs the SP
“You’ve got the airplane.” Sometimes the IP
neglects to announce when control is being
given to or taken back from the SP, and this
omission causes extra anxiety for the
newcomer; he or she doesn’t know if and
when the IP noticed an impending crash and
will save him or her. Anything we can do to
relax trainees is good because their knees are
knocking enough as it is.
Throughout the flight the IP gives the SP
as much control time as both can handle. The
experienced pilot talks to the inexperienced
pilot when either is flying, explaining what he
or she is thinking and doing while the
instructor has control and coaching and
offering suggestions when the student has
control.
When they’ve had enough excitement for
one session, the IP discusses and demonstrates
how to set up for a landing and puts the
airplane down on the ground. After a brief
rest, and maybe a walk to pick up the model,
the postflight discussion ensues.
The postflight includes inspecting the
aircraft—checking for loose servos, stripped
servo gears, damaged clevises, and the
airframe’s general structural integrity. The
results of this inspection may lead to a repair
session, but whatever we can build we can fix,
and repairs are part of flying.
The IP and SP may discuss what went well
and what went bad with the flight. The IP may
have to reinforce guarding against the twin
evils of beginner sailplane flying: overcontrol
and stalling.
The postflight discussion includes the
learning goals for the next flying session.
After a few more trainer-cord flights, the SP
progresses to loops, rolls, and inverted flight.
The SP eventually gets to the point where he
or she can launch, fly, and land unassisted.
That is a happy day.
How We Spent Our Summer Vacation: The
flight-training method related here was
developed during annual weekend trips to the
September 2003 61
east coast during a four-year period. Most
of the interested SPs were college buddies
from the State University of New York at
Plattsburgh.
They had some interest in RC flying
and decided to try Slope Soaring during
the time that the half-pipe and the downhill
trails at Jay Peak, Vermont, were too warm
to make snow. They were experienced
computer and video-game buffs; some had
tried motorized RC airplanes, but none of
the Plattsburghians had experienced an RC
flight longer than 10 seconds.
Chris Costigan, Matt Keramati, and
Kyle Saltzman had very little or no RCflying
experience. Jim Harrigan had flown
Slope and thermal sailplanes intermittently
for five years, but he wanted to progress to
the aerobatics and Slope-combat level. Lou
Garwood had been flying Slope
successfully for more than 10 years.
In four flying trips to Cape Cod, each
fellow joined us once or more times. We
mainly flew DAW two-meter-span
Schweizer 1-26s in light and medium lift,
and we flew DAW EPP-foam warbirds in
medium and heavy lift.
The New York Slope Dogs have not
done a rigorous comparison of EPP Slope
airplanes across designers and
manufacturers, and we are not in a position
to recommend which sailplane is better
than another; we flew what we had.
Kyle and Matt made 10-minute solo
flights by the end of their first weekend.
Chris did so after two weekends. Jim now
flies loops and rolls and is working on
extending his inverted hang time. Kyle
graduated from SP to IP by his fourth
weekend trip. Every one of us loves the
adrenalin-pumping excitement of fullcontact
Slope combat with foamie
warbirds.
Matt, Kyle, and Jim each purchased an
additional radio and now have second
Slope airplanes (DAW 1-26s) under
construction. All have the split-wing and
removable horizontal stabilizer options,
which make the models easier to transport
and more convenient to store. All want to
go flying again.
Chris, who is a journalism graduate,
wrote about this flight-training experience
from the SP viewpoint in “Slope Training
and Then Some” in the November 2000
Flying Models. I’ll close with a quote from
Chris’s article.
“I am no master, but after just two
weekends I was able to experience the
wonder and Zen of silent flight. It’s
rewarding to watch your foamie combat
plane soar with the gulls and know that it
is up there—without fuel nor engine—by
your hand, and by your new-found mastery
of the tricks of RC slope flying.
“I was able to log several ten-minute
flights with only two weekends of stick
time. Had the plane been balsa, and had
the slope chasing been followed each time
by an hour’s worth of shop work, I would
have been discouraged long before I
learned to fly.” MA
Dave Garwood
5 Birch Ln.
Glenville NY 12302
[email protected]
EPP-Foam-Model Makers and Suppliers:
Sailplanes (F4U Corsair, F-15 Eagle, Speed
400 electric):
Aerofoam Radio Control
6956 S. Russet Sky Way
Gold Canyon AZ 85218
[email protected]
www.aerofoam.com
Tough Slope sailplanes (Avenger, Mog,
Zipper, Geek):
The Birdworks
Box 1302
Port Orford OR 97465
(541) 332-0194
[email protected]
www.harborside.com/~birdworks/
bwhome.htm
Sailplanes (Apache, The JW, Comanche,
Sonic):
Bowman’s Hobbies
21069 Susan Carole Dr.
Saugus CA 91350
(661) 296-2952
[email protected]

54 MODEL AVIATION
WHAT IF YOU have potential Radio Control (RC) fliers who don’t
have the time it takes to learn to fly via traditional methods? Maybe
their work or school schedules don’t allow sufficient recreational time.
Maybe if it takes too long for them to fly their first loop or roll, they
will lose interest in the learning process.
Sometimes the impatience of youth, so perceptible in today’s
rockin’ mountain biker and snowboarder types, makes the traditional
method, “start with a slow polyhedral trainer glider,” way too timeconsuming
to be effective; they lose interest before they learn to fly.
What we need for them is an RC training method that accounts for their
significant levels of testosterone and their craving for adrenalin.
The training method that the New York Slope Dogs use is to start
the newbies with expanded polypropylene (EPP)-foam Slope
sailplanes, pay attention to preflight instruction, coach them during the
flight, and save them from beginner “dumb thumbs” mistakes with a
transmitter trainer-cord setup.
EPP-foam sailplanes are our trainer models of choice because they are
so tough. They’re like Nerf airplanes; they bounce when they hit the
ground. Pat Bowman learned that EPP foam could be cut with hot-wire
shaping techniques. This amazing material returns to its original shape
when dinged or squeezed.
Pat introduced the Ruffneck aerobatic Slope sailplane in 1995, and
today we have at least 10 designers and makers of EPP-foam kits—
mostly Slope sailplanes, but there are also thermal sailplanes and
electric models.
Experienced builders will learn new construction and finishing
techniques with their first EPP-foam models, and new builders can
construct them with little trouble by following the kit instructions.
When completed, they’ll have models that can withstand hard landings,
midair collisions, some straight-in crashes, and can often be picked up
and relaunched with no repairs needed.
We use sailplanes for beginner training because they are the least
expensive way to get an RC model into the sky, and we can skip the
motor setup, fuel handling, and propeller-safety instructional
components. Having no after-flying cleanup is also a benefit.
Lou Garwood’s DAW Foam Wulf 190 EPP-foam aileron-and-elevator Slope Soarer in action on a training mission.
Third-season Slope pilot Kyle Saltzman launches a Foam Wulf
190. He’s now making flights exceeding an hour!
■ Dave Garwood
September 2003 55
Most of our trainer airplanes are built from $60 kits and have only
aileron and rudder servos, thus they can use the simplest radio
transmitter. One good radio is the Hitec two-channel, single-stick
setup, which costs approximately $125 after adding a set of
rechargeable batteries for the transmitter, a rechargeable receiver
battery pack, and a wall charger. The Hitec IIS does not offer trainercable
capability.
Some of the larger EPP-foam sailplanes control the ailerons,
elevator, and rudder, so they require a three- or more-channel
transmitter. Airtronics, Futaba, Hitec, JR, and Tower Hobbies make
four-channel radio sets which come with rechargeable batteries, a wall
charger, and three or four servos, and they cost roughly $160. The FM
versions of these radios do have trainer-cable sockets. The trainer cable
itself is an accessory item.
Many EPP-foam Slope sailplanes available today are 30- to 50-
inch-wingspan World War II fighter airplanes, and these semiscale
models can be detailed convincingly with iron-on covering. The looks
of one of these warbirds goes a long way in holding the young
newcomers’ attention.
Whitecaps on the water indicate that there is wind velocity, but wind speed does not always equal lift. It’s a science.
Chris Costigan with his tan Foam Wulf 190 and Lou Garwood
The Slope Dogs’ logo. Hey, every club needs an identity! with his Foam 51. Joe Chovan’s foaMe-109 flashes by behind.
Photos by the author Graphic Design by Carla Kunz
Instructor Lou Garwood and Matt Keramati stand close to converse
easily. Their transmitters are connected by buddy-box cable.
Foamie combat grabs new Slope fliers’ interest, sharpens
experienced pilots’ reflexes. Joe Chovan, Chris Costigan mix it up.
A relaxed Chris Costigan flies his Foam Wulf 190 out over the
Atlantic Ocean, with nary a care in the world.
What it’s all about: relaxed Slope flying. Lou Garwood flies his
DAW Schweizer 1-26 and Terry Dwyer flies a foaMe-109.
56 MODEL AVIATION
September 2003 57
Close action in foamie combat. If there’s a mishap, little damage
is done because of EPP-foam construction. They bounce!
Lou Garwood launches a Foam Wulf 190 over Cape Cod Bay.
When the wind is right, a small push gets a model airborne.
Kyle Saltzman works out in a 30 mph wind with his Foam Wulf
190. Lou Garwood coaches and Matt Keramati looks on.
Lou Garwood’s Schweizer is a good candidate for training new
Slope pilots. It features aileron, elevator control.
58 MODEL AVIATION
Some Slope sailplanes are larger—up to
72 inches in span—and add rudder control for
those who want to learn to use their left
thumb. Dave’s Aircraft Works (DAW) makes
a 120-inch-span EPP Ka6E aerotow trainer
with full-house ailerons, optional flaps,
rudder, elevator, and aerotow release. It
requires a six-channel radio but looks great
and flies like a dream.
A few EPP-foam airplanes are available
for fuel or electric power for those who prefer
powered flight. A list of EPP-foam-model-kit
makers is provided at the end of this article.
Slope flying is our discipline of choice for
training because sailplanes need lift, of course,
and in Slope flying the lift is in a constant
location when the wind is working. The
student can be shown where the lift is and
taught how to explore the lift band; therefore,
he or she is relieved of the task of searching
for lift, as on a thermal flying field. Plus we
like the view from the top of the hill.
For instructional background material on
Slope Soaring, see the four-part series in the
January, April, July, and October 2000 issues
of Model Aviation.
It is worthwhile to make a trip to a known
good Slope Soaring site: a place with steady
lift, good launching and landing areas, and
easy access to the slope face and the bottom in
case a downed model has to be recovered.
For training, a journey to Torrey Pines
Flight Park in San Diego, California; Wilson
Lake, Kansas; Cape Cod, Massachusetts;
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan; Jockey’s
Ridge, South Carolina; Morningside Flight
Park in Claremont, New Hampshire; Eagle
Butte, Washington; Point of the Mountain,
Utah; Mount Equinox, Vermont; or similar
may give the most predictable flight-training
experience. Save the quirky inland sites,
launch-between-the-trees mountain spots, and
tricky soar-over-three-parked-vans venues for
more experienced fliers.
To locate suitable Slope Soaring locations,
a good place to start is to enter “slope soaring”
at your favorite Internet-search Web site
(www.google.com is excellent). I think you’ll
be pleased with how much information you
find.
Do not fail to visit Greg Smith’s
comprehensive Web site at
www.slopeflyer.com, which lists slope sites in
30 states and offers an extensive links list to
other Slope Soaring resources.
You can also locate Soaring clubs through
the Academy of Model Aeronautics Web site
at www.modelaircraft.org/templates/ama;
click on “About AMA,” then click on
“Chartered Clubs.” Or review the April 2000
Model Aviation article “Finding Slope Flying
Sites.”
Our training methods include preflight
briefing, coaching during a flight, and
postflight discussion. A student pilot’s high
time in the air on early flights is made
possible by the biggest value for $15 spent in
all of RC radio equipment: the trainer cable.
These cables are compatible with FM
radios (with four channels and more) made by
Airtronics, Futaba, Hitec, JR, and Tower
Hobbies. In some cases a trainer cable will
work across radio brands.
Connecting two transmitters allows the
instructor pilot’s (IP’s) transmitter to control
the airplane. When the IP depresses the
(momentary on) trainer switch, control of the
airplane is passed to the student pilot (SP).
The IP can release pressure on the trainer
switch to instantly regain control of the
model. Make sure that the two transmitters are
set up identically for servo-reverse switch
positions and trim settings.
The preflight briefing includes how
sailplanes fly and how to find the lift band.
Watching gulls and other airplanes in the air
helps in the discussion of both topics. This
dialogue stresses avoiding a stall by keeping
airspeed up, emphasizes preparing for the rollcontrol
reversal effect when flying toward
one’s self, and cautions that most new pilots,
especially those who were brought up on
video games, tend to overcontrol the airplane.
We discuss launching, flying the classic
figure-eight flight pattern, and landing. We
talk about “emergency” procedures for
situations such as when orientation of the
airplane is lost and when it goes down out of
sight. Last, we talk about frequency control
and how to avoid frequency conflict.
With a final preflight inspection for
“correct and free” control surfaces, a final
check of matching transmitter-switch
positions, and a shout of “Turning on channel
21!” the IP launches the sailplane and gets it
trimmed. Serious trim changes must be
repeated on the SP’s transmitter by hand, or
trim changes will occur at the moment of
electronic handoff.
When the SP is ready, the IP presses the
trainer switch and clearly informs the SP
“You’ve got the airplane.” Sometimes the IP
neglects to announce when control is being
given to or taken back from the SP, and this
omission causes extra anxiety for the
newcomer; he or she doesn’t know if and
when the IP noticed an impending crash and
will save him or her. Anything we can do to
relax trainees is good because their knees are
knocking enough as it is.
Throughout the flight the IP gives the SP
as much control time as both can handle. The
experienced pilot talks to the inexperienced
pilot when either is flying, explaining what he
or she is thinking and doing while the
instructor has control and coaching and
offering suggestions when the student has
control.
When they’ve had enough excitement for
one session, the IP discusses and demonstrates
how to set up for a landing and puts the
airplane down on the ground. After a brief
rest, and maybe a walk to pick up the model,
the postflight discussion ensues.
The postflight includes inspecting the
aircraft—checking for loose servos, stripped
servo gears, damaged clevises, and the
airframe’s general structural integrity. The
results of this inspection may lead to a repair
session, but whatever we can build we can fix,
and repairs are part of flying.
The IP and SP may discuss what went well
and what went bad with the flight. The IP may
have to reinforce guarding against the twin
evils of beginner sailplane flying: overcontrol
and stalling.
The postflight discussion includes the
learning goals for the next flying session.
After a few more trainer-cord flights, the SP
progresses to loops, rolls, and inverted flight.
The SP eventually gets to the point where he
or she can launch, fly, and land unassisted.
That is a happy day.
How We Spent Our Summer Vacation: The
flight-training method related here was
developed during annual weekend trips to the
September 2003 61
east coast during a four-year period. Most
of the interested SPs were college buddies
from the State University of New York at
Plattsburgh.
They had some interest in RC flying
and decided to try Slope Soaring during
the time that the half-pipe and the downhill
trails at Jay Peak, Vermont, were too warm
to make snow. They were experienced
computer and video-game buffs; some had
tried motorized RC airplanes, but none of
the Plattsburghians had experienced an RC
flight longer than 10 seconds.
Chris Costigan, Matt Keramati, and
Kyle Saltzman had very little or no RCflying
experience. Jim Harrigan had flown
Slope and thermal sailplanes intermittently
for five years, but he wanted to progress to
the aerobatics and Slope-combat level. Lou
Garwood had been flying Slope
successfully for more than 10 years.
In four flying trips to Cape Cod, each
fellow joined us once or more times. We
mainly flew DAW two-meter-span
Schweizer 1-26s in light and medium lift,
and we flew DAW EPP-foam warbirds in
medium and heavy lift.
The New York Slope Dogs have not
done a rigorous comparison of EPP Slope
airplanes across designers and
manufacturers, and we are not in a position
to recommend which sailplane is better
than another; we flew what we had.
Kyle and Matt made 10-minute solo
flights by the end of their first weekend.
Chris did so after two weekends. Jim now
flies loops and rolls and is working on
extending his inverted hang time. Kyle
graduated from SP to IP by his fourth
weekend trip. Every one of us loves the
adrenalin-pumping excitement of fullcontact
Slope combat with foamie
warbirds.
Matt, Kyle, and Jim each purchased an
additional radio and now have second
Slope airplanes (DAW 1-26s) under
construction. All have the split-wing and
removable horizontal stabilizer options,
which make the models easier to transport
and more convenient to store. All want to
go flying again.
Chris, who is a journalism graduate,
wrote about this flight-training experience
from the SP viewpoint in “Slope Training
and Then Some” in the November 2000
Flying Models. I’ll close with a quote from
Chris’s article.
“I am no master, but after just two
weekends I was able to experience the
wonder and Zen of silent flight. It’s
rewarding to watch your foamie combat
plane soar with the gulls and know that it
is up there—without fuel nor engine—by
your hand, and by your new-found mastery
of the tricks of RC slope flying.
“I was able to log several ten-minute
flights with only two weekends of stick
time. Had the plane been balsa, and had
the slope chasing been followed each time
by an hour’s worth of shop work, I would
have been discouraged long before I
learned to fly.” MA
Dave Garwood
5 Birch Ln.
Glenville NY 12302
[email protected]
EPP-Foam-Model Makers and Suppliers:
Sailplanes (F4U Corsair, F-15 Eagle, Speed
400 electric):
Aerofoam Radio Control
6956 S. Russet Sky Way
Gold Canyon AZ 85218
[email protected]
www.aerofoam.com
Tough Slope sailplanes (Avenger, Mog,
Zipper, Geek):
The Birdworks
Box 1302
Port Orford OR 97465
(541) 332-0194
[email protected]
www.harborside.com/~birdworks/
bwhome.htm
Sailplanes (Apache, The JW, Comanche,
Sonic):
Bowman’s Hobbies
21069 Susan Carole Dr.
Saugus CA 91350
(661) 296-2952
[email protected]

54 MODEL AVIATION
WHAT IF YOU have potential Radio Control (RC) fliers who don’t
have the time it takes to learn to fly via traditional methods? Maybe
their work or school schedules don’t allow sufficient recreational time.
Maybe if it takes too long for them to fly their first loop or roll, they
will lose interest in the learning process.
Sometimes the impatience of youth, so perceptible in today’s
rockin’ mountain biker and snowboarder types, makes the traditional
method, “start with a slow polyhedral trainer glider,” way too timeconsuming
to be effective; they lose interest before they learn to fly.
What we need for them is an RC training method that accounts for their
significant levels of testosterone and their craving for adrenalin.
The training method that the New York Slope Dogs use is to start
the newbies with expanded polypropylene (EPP)-foam Slope
sailplanes, pay attention to preflight instruction, coach them during the
flight, and save them from beginner “dumb thumbs” mistakes with a
transmitter trainer-cord setup.
EPP-foam sailplanes are our trainer models of choice because they are
so tough. They’re like Nerf airplanes; they bounce when they hit the
ground. Pat Bowman learned that EPP foam could be cut with hot-wire
shaping techniques. This amazing material returns to its original shape
when dinged or squeezed.
Pat introduced the Ruffneck aerobatic Slope sailplane in 1995, and
today we have at least 10 designers and makers of EPP-foam kits—
mostly Slope sailplanes, but there are also thermal sailplanes and
electric models.
Experienced builders will learn new construction and finishing
techniques with their first EPP-foam models, and new builders can
construct them with little trouble by following the kit instructions.
When completed, they’ll have models that can withstand hard landings,
midair collisions, some straight-in crashes, and can often be picked up
and relaunched with no repairs needed.
We use sailplanes for beginner training because they are the least
expensive way to get an RC model into the sky, and we can skip the
motor setup, fuel handling, and propeller-safety instructional
components. Having no after-flying cleanup is also a benefit.
Lou Garwood’s DAW Foam Wulf 190 EPP-foam aileron-and-elevator Slope Soarer in action on a training mission.
Third-season Slope pilot Kyle Saltzman launches a Foam Wulf
190. He’s now making flights exceeding an hour!
■ Dave Garwood
September 2003 55
Most of our trainer airplanes are built from $60 kits and have only
aileron and rudder servos, thus they can use the simplest radio
transmitter. One good radio is the Hitec two-channel, single-stick
setup, which costs approximately $125 after adding a set of
rechargeable batteries for the transmitter, a rechargeable receiver
battery pack, and a wall charger. The Hitec IIS does not offer trainercable
capability.
Some of the larger EPP-foam sailplanes control the ailerons,
elevator, and rudder, so they require a three- or more-channel
transmitter. Airtronics, Futaba, Hitec, JR, and Tower Hobbies make
four-channel radio sets which come with rechargeable batteries, a wall
charger, and three or four servos, and they cost roughly $160. The FM
versions of these radios do have trainer-cable sockets. The trainer cable
itself is an accessory item.
Many EPP-foam Slope sailplanes available today are 30- to 50-
inch-wingspan World War II fighter airplanes, and these semiscale
models can be detailed convincingly with iron-on covering. The looks
of one of these warbirds goes a long way in holding the young
newcomers’ attention.
Whitecaps on the water indicate that there is wind velocity, but wind speed does not always equal lift. It’s a science.
Chris Costigan with his tan Foam Wulf 190 and Lou Garwood
The Slope Dogs’ logo. Hey, every club needs an identity! with his Foam 51. Joe Chovan’s foaMe-109 flashes by behind.
Photos by the author Graphic Design by Carla Kunz
Instructor Lou Garwood and Matt Keramati stand close to converse
easily. Their transmitters are connected by buddy-box cable.
Foamie combat grabs new Slope fliers’ interest, sharpens
experienced pilots’ reflexes. Joe Chovan, Chris Costigan mix it up.
A relaxed Chris Costigan flies his Foam Wulf 190 out over the
Atlantic Ocean, with nary a care in the world.
What it’s all about: relaxed Slope flying. Lou Garwood flies his
DAW Schweizer 1-26 and Terry Dwyer flies a foaMe-109.
56 MODEL AVIATION
September 2003 57
Close action in foamie combat. If there’s a mishap, little damage
is done because of EPP-foam construction. They bounce!
Lou Garwood launches a Foam Wulf 190 over Cape Cod Bay.
When the wind is right, a small push gets a model airborne.
Kyle Saltzman works out in a 30 mph wind with his Foam Wulf
190. Lou Garwood coaches and Matt Keramati looks on.
Lou Garwood’s Schweizer is a good candidate for training new
Slope pilots. It features aileron, elevator control.
58 MODEL AVIATION
Some Slope sailplanes are larger—up to
72 inches in span—and add rudder control for
those who want to learn to use their left
thumb. Dave’s Aircraft Works (DAW) makes
a 120-inch-span EPP Ka6E aerotow trainer
with full-house ailerons, optional flaps,
rudder, elevator, and aerotow release. It
requires a six-channel radio but looks great
and flies like a dream.
A few EPP-foam airplanes are available
for fuel or electric power for those who prefer
powered flight. A list of EPP-foam-model-kit
makers is provided at the end of this article.
Slope flying is our discipline of choice for
training because sailplanes need lift, of course,
and in Slope flying the lift is in a constant
location when the wind is working. The
student can be shown where the lift is and
taught how to explore the lift band; therefore,
he or she is relieved of the task of searching
for lift, as on a thermal flying field. Plus we
like the view from the top of the hill.
For instructional background material on
Slope Soaring, see the four-part series in the
January, April, July, and October 2000 issues
of Model Aviation.
It is worthwhile to make a trip to a known
good Slope Soaring site: a place with steady
lift, good launching and landing areas, and
easy access to the slope face and the bottom in
case a downed model has to be recovered.
For training, a journey to Torrey Pines
Flight Park in San Diego, California; Wilson
Lake, Kansas; Cape Cod, Massachusetts;
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan; Jockey’s
Ridge, South Carolina; Morningside Flight
Park in Claremont, New Hampshire; Eagle
Butte, Washington; Point of the Mountain,
Utah; Mount Equinox, Vermont; or similar
may give the most predictable flight-training
experience. Save the quirky inland sites,
launch-between-the-trees mountain spots, and
tricky soar-over-three-parked-vans venues for
more experienced fliers.
To locate suitable Slope Soaring locations,
a good place to start is to enter “slope soaring”
at your favorite Internet-search Web site
(www.google.com is excellent). I think you’ll
be pleased with how much information you
find.
Do not fail to visit Greg Smith’s
comprehensive Web site at
www.slopeflyer.com, which lists slope sites in
30 states and offers an extensive links list to
other Slope Soaring resources.
You can also locate Soaring clubs through
the Academy of Model Aeronautics Web site
at www.modelaircraft.org/templates/ama;
click on “About AMA,” then click on
“Chartered Clubs.” Or review the April 2000
Model Aviation article “Finding Slope Flying
Sites.”
Our training methods include preflight
briefing, coaching during a flight, and
postflight discussion. A student pilot’s high
time in the air on early flights is made
possible by the biggest value for $15 spent in
all of RC radio equipment: the trainer cable.
These cables are compatible with FM
radios (with four channels and more) made by
Airtronics, Futaba, Hitec, JR, and Tower
Hobbies. In some cases a trainer cable will
work across radio brands.
Connecting two transmitters allows the
instructor pilot’s (IP’s) transmitter to control
the airplane. When the IP depresses the
(momentary on) trainer switch, control of the
airplane is passed to the student pilot (SP).
The IP can release pressure on the trainer
switch to instantly regain control of the
model. Make sure that the two transmitters are
set up identically for servo-reverse switch
positions and trim settings.
The preflight briefing includes how
sailplanes fly and how to find the lift band.
Watching gulls and other airplanes in the air
helps in the discussion of both topics. This
dialogue stresses avoiding a stall by keeping
airspeed up, emphasizes preparing for the rollcontrol
reversal effect when flying toward
one’s self, and cautions that most new pilots,
especially those who were brought up on
video games, tend to overcontrol the airplane.
We discuss launching, flying the classic
figure-eight flight pattern, and landing. We
talk about “emergency” procedures for
situations such as when orientation of the
airplane is lost and when it goes down out of
sight. Last, we talk about frequency control
and how to avoid frequency conflict.
With a final preflight inspection for
“correct and free” control surfaces, a final
check of matching transmitter-switch
positions, and a shout of “Turning on channel
21!” the IP launches the sailplane and gets it
trimmed. Serious trim changes must be
repeated on the SP’s transmitter by hand, or
trim changes will occur at the moment of
electronic handoff.
When the SP is ready, the IP presses the
trainer switch and clearly informs the SP
“You’ve got the airplane.” Sometimes the IP
neglects to announce when control is being
given to or taken back from the SP, and this
omission causes extra anxiety for the
newcomer; he or she doesn’t know if and
when the IP noticed an impending crash and
will save him or her. Anything we can do to
relax trainees is good because their knees are
knocking enough as it is.
Throughout the flight the IP gives the SP
as much control time as both can handle. The
experienced pilot talks to the inexperienced
pilot when either is flying, explaining what he
or she is thinking and doing while the
instructor has control and coaching and
offering suggestions when the student has
control.
When they’ve had enough excitement for
one session, the IP discusses and demonstrates
how to set up for a landing and puts the
airplane down on the ground. After a brief
rest, and maybe a walk to pick up the model,
the postflight discussion ensues.
The postflight includes inspecting the
aircraft—checking for loose servos, stripped
servo gears, damaged clevises, and the
airframe’s general structural integrity. The
results of this inspection may lead to a repair
session, but whatever we can build we can fix,
and repairs are part of flying.
The IP and SP may discuss what went well
and what went bad with the flight. The IP may
have to reinforce guarding against the twin
evils of beginner sailplane flying: overcontrol
and stalling.
The postflight discussion includes the
learning goals for the next flying session.
After a few more trainer-cord flights, the SP
progresses to loops, rolls, and inverted flight.
The SP eventually gets to the point where he
or she can launch, fly, and land unassisted.
That is a happy day.
How We Spent Our Summer Vacation: The
flight-training method related here was
developed during annual weekend trips to the
September 2003 61
east coast during a four-year period. Most
of the interested SPs were college buddies
from the State University of New York at
Plattsburgh.
They had some interest in RC flying
and decided to try Slope Soaring during
the time that the half-pipe and the downhill
trails at Jay Peak, Vermont, were too warm
to make snow. They were experienced
computer and video-game buffs; some had
tried motorized RC airplanes, but none of
the Plattsburghians had experienced an RC
flight longer than 10 seconds.
Chris Costigan, Matt Keramati, and
Kyle Saltzman had very little or no RCflying
experience. Jim Harrigan had flown
Slope and thermal sailplanes intermittently
for five years, but he wanted to progress to
the aerobatics and Slope-combat level. Lou
Garwood had been flying Slope
successfully for more than 10 years.
In four flying trips to Cape Cod, each
fellow joined us once or more times. We
mainly flew DAW two-meter-span
Schweizer 1-26s in light and medium lift,
and we flew DAW EPP-foam warbirds in
medium and heavy lift.
The New York Slope Dogs have not
done a rigorous comparison of EPP Slope
airplanes across designers and
manufacturers, and we are not in a position
to recommend which sailplane is better
than another; we flew what we had.
Kyle and Matt made 10-minute solo
flights by the end of their first weekend.
Chris did so after two weekends. Jim now
flies loops and rolls and is working on
extending his inverted hang time. Kyle
graduated from SP to IP by his fourth
weekend trip. Every one of us loves the
adrenalin-pumping excitement of fullcontact
Slope combat with foamie
warbirds.
Matt, Kyle, and Jim each purchased an
additional radio and now have second
Slope airplanes (DAW 1-26s) under
construction. All have the split-wing and
removable horizontal stabilizer options,
which make the models easier to transport
and more convenient to store. All want to
go flying again.
Chris, who is a journalism graduate,
wrote about this flight-training experience
from the SP viewpoint in “Slope Training
and Then Some” in the November 2000
Flying Models. I’ll close with a quote from
Chris’s article.
“I am no master, but after just two
weekends I was able to experience the
wonder and Zen of silent flight. It’s
rewarding to watch your foamie combat
plane soar with the gulls and know that it
is up there—without fuel nor engine—by
your hand, and by your new-found mastery
of the tricks of RC slope flying.
“I was able to log several ten-minute
flights with only two weekends of stick
time. Had the plane been balsa, and had
the slope chasing been followed each time
by an hour’s worth of shop work, I would
have been discouraged long before I
learned to fly.” MA
Dave Garwood
5 Birch Ln.
Glenville NY 12302
[email protected]
EPP-Foam-Model Makers and Suppliers:
Sailplanes (F4U Corsair, F-15 Eagle, Speed
400 electric):
Aerofoam Radio Control
6956 S. Russet Sky Way
Gold Canyon AZ 85218
[email protected]
www.aerofoam.com
Tough Slope sailplanes (Avenger, Mog,
Zipper, Geek):
The Birdworks
Box 1302
Port Orford OR 97465
(541) 332-0194
[email protected]
www.harborside.com/~birdworks/
bwhome.htm
Sailplanes (Apache, The JW, Comanche,
Sonic):
Bowman’s Hobbies
21069 Susan Carole Dr.
Saugus CA 91350
(661) 296-2952
[email protected]