116 Model Aviation April 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
rc slo ffp sec soalearing
David Barker, president of the Red Baron R/C Modelers club, which flies near
Shelley, Idaho, wrote to me about his interest in Slope Soaring.
“I have an electric-power motorized glider, and find I’m becoming enticed to
give Slope Soaring a try. A couple [of] club members have attended a glider meet
in Joseph, Oregon, and frequently talk about how much fun they have, literally
throwing their planes off the side of a mountain.
“I was wondering if you might be able to suggest a simple, inexpensive, but good
design to help introduce us to Slope Soaring? Possibly something different than what
the major distributors carry? As we’ve found with our club building projects, if we can
keep the costs down, we tend to attract more fliers willing to try a new style of flying.
“Should we go with a heavier airframe for better ballast and wind penetration?
Several of our members have powered gliders, but we’ve never really explored the
Slope Soaring possibility.”
I was happy to answer Dave’s questions, and others may have similar ones. I have
decided to repeat and expand my reply in this column.
For Slope Sailplanes, which often experience rough landings, traditional wood
construction has been replaced by foam construction. “Bounceable” expanded
polypropylene (EPP) foam has revolutionized Slope glider
design and construction and has given us Sailplanes tough
enough to land on rough ground, in a bush, or even on a rock
wall, and survive to be launched again. The heaviest (for high
winds) Slope airplanes often have fiberglass fuselages and
foam-core sheeted wings.
Sailplane Kits for RC Pilots
by Dave Garwood
[email protected]
PLUS:
> 2012 Slope
Soaring events
Right: Jim Harrigan makes a low pass with his DAW Schweizer
1-26 on Antelope Island at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The
EPP foam airplane can handle a hard landing.
Marley Palmer’s Windrider Bee is missing
a wingtip vertical stabilizer in this photo
from a Combat match at the Midwest Slope
Challenge.
To answer his question about whether
a heavier airframe is best, I suggest
starting with lighter wing loadings.
Accustom yourself to Slope Soaring, and
build heavier gliders after you know you
like the sport, then advance to flying in
higher wind speeds.
It may be that your current powered
gliders can serve as medium-weight
Slope airplanes and fly in medium lift
conditions. If they are built from balsa
and plywood, you’ll want to find a
Slope-flying site that has a large and safe
landing area. Many of the foam Slope
airplanes can land in bushes without
being damaged.
The author’s agile, fun-to-fly Multiplex Cularis turns and burns over Cape Cod Bay in 25 mph winds. Photo by Jim Harrigan.
www.ModelAviation.com April 2012 Model Aviation 117
Jim flies his Dream-Flight Weasel between himself and the camera
positioned on a small bump on the beach at Goat Rock State Park
in Jenner CA.
Jim pulls a tight turn for the
camera with an early version
of the Dream-Flight Weasel,
at Cape Cod Bay. The current
design of the Evo Series
Weasel is fully molded and
sleeker.
Jim launches his DAW
Schweizer 1-26 from a
turnout in the Skyline
Drive near Front Royal VA.
After checking with my flying buddies
to round out the list of good designs for
Slope Soaring beginners, here are some
we have enjoyed flying throughout the
years, and kept ready to take on Slope
flying outings:
1. Windrider Aviation Bee or Bee 2,
48-inch span: The Windrider Bee has
introduced hundreds of Slope pilots
around the world to Slope flying.
Injection molded from EPP foam,
the aircraft builds quickly and can be
counted on to fly well in many wind
conditions. It’s strong enough to fly in
full-contact Slope Combat matches. The
Windrider kits are made in Hong Kong
and can be ordered directly or ordered
from importers such as Atlanta Hobby
and Canuk Engineering.
There are many makers of 48-inch
span “flying wing” Slope airplanes,
and I haven’t seen one that did not fly
well. The Windrider Bee has been in
production for many years and it’s the
wing with which my flying buddies and
I have had the most experience.
2. Dream-Flight Weasel, 35-inch
span: Extremely versatile, it features
an ingenious kit design and great
instructions. Quick building, small, and
easily transportable, it’s an agile flyer
and rugged to handle landing bumps
and grinds. This glider is fun.
When ordering, consider the servos,
battery, and switch kit that Dream-
Flight offers, because the pieces fit
perfectly into the molded airframe and
balance well.
3. Multiplex Easy Glider Pro (glider
version), 72-inch span: This inexpensive
and well-behaved ELAPOR foam
Sailplane is seen on many slopes, and
it handles light lift conditions better
than most. Note that the kit can be
purchased and built as either a Sailplane
or an electric-powered aircraft. (See the
photo in the February 2012 MA Slope
Soaring column.)
4. Dave’s Aircraft
Works Schweizer 1-26
(2-meter version),
72-inch span: The
Schweizer is versatile
and has light lift. It has
a semiscale appearance
and foam airplane
building skills are
needed. It has been a favorite of mine
and my flying buddies for years. I do not
leave home without it when taking a
Slope Soaring trip.
5. Multiplex Cularis (glider version),
100-inch span: I found this in my search
for ARF Slope Sailplanes (MA “Slope
Soaring” column, August 2010). I now
have two (one electric launch and one
pure Sailplane) and I like the looks and
the flight performance of this model.
Note that the model can be purchased
as either a bare kit, or with servos and
servo wiring already installed, and it
can be built as either a Sailplane or
an electric-powered model. Multiplex
makes an ingenious aerotow release
that fits great in the nose of the Cularis,
allowing a Slope pilot to try aerotowing.
6. Magnum Models Duster, 60-
inch span: This is my current favorite
Slope Sailplane. It has excellent flight
performance. With an EPP foam fuselage
and balsa-sheeted wings, foam airplane
building skills are needed. Wing sheeting
skills are unnecessary, because the wings
are sheeted at the factory. See the kit
review article in the December 2011
issue of RC Soaring Digest.
You now have my current
recommendations for RC pilots starting
out in Slope flying. I recommend all
of these for great flight performance,
durability, and the ability to shrug off
landing damage.
2012 Events
Eight “destination” Slope Soaring
events for 2012 were announced in
early January. Be sure to see the 2012
Southern California Slope Racing
calendar.
Is your event included here? If your
Slope Soaring organization will be
scheduling an event in 2013—one that’s
expected to appeal to a wide audience—
let me know about it in December 2012
and I’ll plan to mention it in my April
2013 column.
Listed are the events I know about
for this year. Not all plans have been
finalized. Be sure to check event websites
for current information as the dates get
closer.
1. Cumberland Spring Soar for Fun,
March 22-26, 2012, Cumberland,
Maryland: Launch by aerotow, Discus
Launch Glider, bungee, or winch and
fly from a mountaintop in big sky slope
lift generated by the western face of
the Appalachian Mountains. This is the
second year for a Spring Soar for Fun.
2. The 19th Annual Los Banos Scale
Sailplane Event, April 21-22, 2012, Los
Banos, California: This event combines
aerotowing with Slope flying for Scale
RC gliders at Los Banos in central
California, and has been held for nearly
20 years. The steep, grassy slopes of the
Los Banos Creek Reservoir provide lift
in several wind directions. This event is a
major gathering of large-scale Sailplane
models—both modern and vintage
designs.
3. The 19th Annual Midwest Slope
Challenge, May 18-21, 2012, Lucas,
Kansas: A relaxed flying and vacation
experience, it features four competition
events: Foam Combat match, Foam
Warbird race, One-Design Race (ODR),
and Unlimited Class race. Travelers can
usually count on plenty of sport-flying
opportunities.
4. Davenport International Slope Race
(ISR), May 19-20, 2012, Davenport,
California: The Davenport ISR mission
statement reads, “To stage a unique
and challenging Sailplane race open to
top-class pilots from all over the world
in accordance with FAI and NorCal
Slope Soarers rules at the Davenport
site, in a manner promoting man-onman
Sailplane racing that is safe for
contestants, workers, and spectators.”
5. Alpine Soaring Adventure, July 5-8,
2012, Joseph, Oregon: “The event focuses
on Alpine Soaring, and includes aerotow,
and electric-power flying in an alpine
setting with spectacular scenery.”
What is Alpine Soaring? The best
answer I have is from old flying buddy
Jim Porter. Jim and I have competed in
thermals at the AMA Nats in Muncie,
Indiana, and have competed in Slope Lift
with each other at the Midwest Slope
Challenge in Lucas, Kansas.
After Jim returned from a two-year
residence in Germany, he explained to
me that, “Alpine Soaring is driving up a
mountain and throwing your Sailplane
off into the top of the thermal, rather
than launching from the flatland into the
bottom of it.” Slope pilots with whom
I’ve spoken said they had a great time at
the event.
6. Cape Blanco Slope Fest, August
7-13, 2012, Port Orford, Oregon: This
informal, five-day event, held near the
campground of the Cape Blanco State
Park, includes noncompetitive flying,
a barbecue, and camaraderie among
like-minded pilots. The ridge is flyable
in north and south winds, and its shape
presents an opportunity for dynamic
soaring.
7. Soar Utah 2012, August 30-
September 3, 2012, Salt Lake City,
Utah: Slope pilots across the country—
especially those interested in Scale
models—look forward to Soar Utah.
The event is held every other year. The
InterMountain Silent Flyers (IMSF) club
focuses on providing a low-key event
with an emphasis on flying at several
locations during your visit to the Great
Salt Lake. In past years, IMSF has held
a judged Scale contest with part of
the score attained during judged flight
maneuvers.
8. 46th Annual Cumberland Soar for
Fun, November 1-5, 2012, Cumberland,
Maryland: Fly from a mountaintop in lift
generated by the Appalachian Mountains.
The west side of the Appalachian range
has seen some long-standing full-scale
Soaring distance records set. When the
lift there is good, it tends to be great. I
do not know of a longer-running Soaring
event; club members must be doing
something right.
Sources:
Sky King
(605) 878-1880
www.skykingrcproducts.com
Dream-Flight
(805) 308-2305
www.dream-flight.com
Magnum Models
www.magnumrcmodels.com
Multiplex USA
(858) 748-6948
www.multiplexusa.com
RC Soaring Digest
www.rcsoaringdigest.com
Windrider
[email protected]
www.windrider.com.hk
Atlanta Hobby
(678) 513-4450
www.atlantahobby.com
Canuck Engineering
(970) 372-6584
www.canuckengineering.com
Alpine Soaring Adventure
www.alpinesoaring.com
Cape Blanco Slope Fest
www.clubsos.itgo.com
Cumberland Soar for Fun
www.highpoint-aviation.org
Davenport International Slope Race
www.davenportisr.com
Los Banos Scale Sailplane Event
www.sbss.org
Midwest Slope Challenge
www.midwestslopechallenge.com
Soar Utah
www.soarutah.org
Southern California Slope Racing
www.socalsloperacing.com
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
rcff sslocafflp esec soalearing
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/04
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/04
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
116 Model Aviation April 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
rc slo ffp sec soalearing
David Barker, president of the Red Baron R/C Modelers club, which flies near
Shelley, Idaho, wrote to me about his interest in Slope Soaring.
“I have an electric-power motorized glider, and find I’m becoming enticed to
give Slope Soaring a try. A couple [of] club members have attended a glider meet
in Joseph, Oregon, and frequently talk about how much fun they have, literally
throwing their planes off the side of a mountain.
“I was wondering if you might be able to suggest a simple, inexpensive, but good
design to help introduce us to Slope Soaring? Possibly something different than what
the major distributors carry? As we’ve found with our club building projects, if we can
keep the costs down, we tend to attract more fliers willing to try a new style of flying.
“Should we go with a heavier airframe for better ballast and wind penetration?
Several of our members have powered gliders, but we’ve never really explored the
Slope Soaring possibility.”
I was happy to answer Dave’s questions, and others may have similar ones. I have
decided to repeat and expand my reply in this column.
For Slope Sailplanes, which often experience rough landings, traditional wood
construction has been replaced by foam construction. “Bounceable” expanded
polypropylene (EPP) foam has revolutionized Slope glider
design and construction and has given us Sailplanes tough
enough to land on rough ground, in a bush, or even on a rock
wall, and survive to be launched again. The heaviest (for high
winds) Slope airplanes often have fiberglass fuselages and
foam-core sheeted wings.
Sailplane Kits for RC Pilots
by Dave Garwood
[email protected]
PLUS:
> 2012 Slope
Soaring events
Right: Jim Harrigan makes a low pass with his DAW Schweizer
1-26 on Antelope Island at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The
EPP foam airplane can handle a hard landing.
Marley Palmer’s Windrider Bee is missing
a wingtip vertical stabilizer in this photo
from a Combat match at the Midwest Slope
Challenge.
To answer his question about whether
a heavier airframe is best, I suggest
starting with lighter wing loadings.
Accustom yourself to Slope Soaring, and
build heavier gliders after you know you
like the sport, then advance to flying in
higher wind speeds.
It may be that your current powered
gliders can serve as medium-weight
Slope airplanes and fly in medium lift
conditions. If they are built from balsa
and plywood, you’ll want to find a
Slope-flying site that has a large and safe
landing area. Many of the foam Slope
airplanes can land in bushes without
being damaged.
The author’s agile, fun-to-fly Multiplex Cularis turns and burns over Cape Cod Bay in 25 mph winds. Photo by Jim Harrigan.
www.ModelAviation.com April 2012 Model Aviation 117
Jim flies his Dream-Flight Weasel between himself and the camera
positioned on a small bump on the beach at Goat Rock State Park
in Jenner CA.
Jim pulls a tight turn for the
camera with an early version
of the Dream-Flight Weasel,
at Cape Cod Bay. The current
design of the Evo Series
Weasel is fully molded and
sleeker.
Jim launches his DAW
Schweizer 1-26 from a
turnout in the Skyline
Drive near Front Royal VA.
After checking with my flying buddies
to round out the list of good designs for
Slope Soaring beginners, here are some
we have enjoyed flying throughout the
years, and kept ready to take on Slope
flying outings:
1. Windrider Aviation Bee or Bee 2,
48-inch span: The Windrider Bee has
introduced hundreds of Slope pilots
around the world to Slope flying.
Injection molded from EPP foam,
the aircraft builds quickly and can be
counted on to fly well in many wind
conditions. It’s strong enough to fly in
full-contact Slope Combat matches. The
Windrider kits are made in Hong Kong
and can be ordered directly or ordered
from importers such as Atlanta Hobby
and Canuk Engineering.
There are many makers of 48-inch
span “flying wing” Slope airplanes,
and I haven’t seen one that did not fly
well. The Windrider Bee has been in
production for many years and it’s the
wing with which my flying buddies and
I have had the most experience.
2. Dream-Flight Weasel, 35-inch
span: Extremely versatile, it features
an ingenious kit design and great
instructions. Quick building, small, and
easily transportable, it’s an agile flyer
and rugged to handle landing bumps
and grinds. This glider is fun.
When ordering, consider the servos,
battery, and switch kit that Dream-
Flight offers, because the pieces fit
perfectly into the molded airframe and
balance well.
3. Multiplex Easy Glider Pro (glider
version), 72-inch span: This inexpensive
and well-behaved ELAPOR foam
Sailplane is seen on many slopes, and
it handles light lift conditions better
than most. Note that the kit can be
purchased and built as either a Sailplane
or an electric-powered aircraft. (See the
photo in the February 2012 MA Slope
Soaring column.)
4. Dave’s Aircraft
Works Schweizer 1-26
(2-meter version),
72-inch span: The
Schweizer is versatile
and has light lift. It has
a semiscale appearance
and foam airplane
building skills are
needed. It has been a favorite of mine
and my flying buddies for years. I do not
leave home without it when taking a
Slope Soaring trip.
5. Multiplex Cularis (glider version),
100-inch span: I found this in my search
for ARF Slope Sailplanes (MA “Slope
Soaring” column, August 2010). I now
have two (one electric launch and one
pure Sailplane) and I like the looks and
the flight performance of this model.
Note that the model can be purchased
as either a bare kit, or with servos and
servo wiring already installed, and it
can be built as either a Sailplane or
an electric-powered model. Multiplex
makes an ingenious aerotow release
that fits great in the nose of the Cularis,
allowing a Slope pilot to try aerotowing.
6. Magnum Models Duster, 60-
inch span: This is my current favorite
Slope Sailplane. It has excellent flight
performance. With an EPP foam fuselage
and balsa-sheeted wings, foam airplane
building skills are needed. Wing sheeting
skills are unnecessary, because the wings
are sheeted at the factory. See the kit
review article in the December 2011
issue of RC Soaring Digest.
You now have my current
recommendations for RC pilots starting
out in Slope flying. I recommend all
of these for great flight performance,
durability, and the ability to shrug off
landing damage.
2012 Events
Eight “destination” Slope Soaring
events for 2012 were announced in
early January. Be sure to see the 2012
Southern California Slope Racing
calendar.
Is your event included here? If your
Slope Soaring organization will be
scheduling an event in 2013—one that’s
expected to appeal to a wide audience—
let me know about it in December 2012
and I’ll plan to mention it in my April
2013 column.
Listed are the events I know about
for this year. Not all plans have been
finalized. Be sure to check event websites
for current information as the dates get
closer.
1. Cumberland Spring Soar for Fun,
March 22-26, 2012, Cumberland,
Maryland: Launch by aerotow, Discus
Launch Glider, bungee, or winch and
fly from a mountaintop in big sky slope
lift generated by the western face of
the Appalachian Mountains. This is the
second year for a Spring Soar for Fun.
2. The 19th Annual Los Banos Scale
Sailplane Event, April 21-22, 2012, Los
Banos, California: This event combines
aerotowing with Slope flying for Scale
RC gliders at Los Banos in central
California, and has been held for nearly
20 years. The steep, grassy slopes of the
Los Banos Creek Reservoir provide lift
in several wind directions. This event is a
major gathering of large-scale Sailplane
models—both modern and vintage
designs.
3. The 19th Annual Midwest Slope
Challenge, May 18-21, 2012, Lucas,
Kansas: A relaxed flying and vacation
experience, it features four competition
events: Foam Combat match, Foam
Warbird race, One-Design Race (ODR),
and Unlimited Class race. Travelers can
usually count on plenty of sport-flying
opportunities.
4. Davenport International Slope Race
(ISR), May 19-20, 2012, Davenport,
California: The Davenport ISR mission
statement reads, “To stage a unique
and challenging Sailplane race open to
top-class pilots from all over the world
in accordance with FAI and NorCal
Slope Soarers rules at the Davenport
site, in a manner promoting man-onman
Sailplane racing that is safe for
contestants, workers, and spectators.”
5. Alpine Soaring Adventure, July 5-8,
2012, Joseph, Oregon: “The event focuses
on Alpine Soaring, and includes aerotow,
and electric-power flying in an alpine
setting with spectacular scenery.”
What is Alpine Soaring? The best
answer I have is from old flying buddy
Jim Porter. Jim and I have competed in
thermals at the AMA Nats in Muncie,
Indiana, and have competed in Slope Lift
with each other at the Midwest Slope
Challenge in Lucas, Kansas.
After Jim returned from a two-year
residence in Germany, he explained to
me that, “Alpine Soaring is driving up a
mountain and throwing your Sailplane
off into the top of the thermal, rather
than launching from the flatland into the
bottom of it.” Slope pilots with whom
I’ve spoken said they had a great time at
the event.
6. Cape Blanco Slope Fest, August
7-13, 2012, Port Orford, Oregon: This
informal, five-day event, held near the
campground of the Cape Blanco State
Park, includes noncompetitive flying,
a barbecue, and camaraderie among
like-minded pilots. The ridge is flyable
in north and south winds, and its shape
presents an opportunity for dynamic
soaring.
7. Soar Utah 2012, August 30-
September 3, 2012, Salt Lake City,
Utah: Slope pilots across the country—
especially those interested in Scale
models—look forward to Soar Utah.
The event is held every other year. The
InterMountain Silent Flyers (IMSF) club
focuses on providing a low-key event
with an emphasis on flying at several
locations during your visit to the Great
Salt Lake. In past years, IMSF has held
a judged Scale contest with part of
the score attained during judged flight
maneuvers.
8. 46th Annual Cumberland Soar for
Fun, November 1-5, 2012, Cumberland,
Maryland: Fly from a mountaintop in lift
generated by the Appalachian Mountains.
The west side of the Appalachian range
has seen some long-standing full-scale
Soaring distance records set. When the
lift there is good, it tends to be great. I
do not know of a longer-running Soaring
event; club members must be doing
something right.
Sources:
Sky King
(605) 878-1880
www.skykingrcproducts.com
Dream-Flight
(805) 308-2305
www.dream-flight.com
Magnum Models
www.magnumrcmodels.com
Multiplex USA
(858) 748-6948
www.multiplexusa.com
RC Soaring Digest
www.rcsoaringdigest.com
Windrider
[email protected]
www.windrider.com.hk
Atlanta Hobby
(678) 513-4450
www.atlantahobby.com
Canuck Engineering
(970) 372-6584
www.canuckengineering.com
Alpine Soaring Adventure
www.alpinesoaring.com
Cape Blanco Slope Fest
www.clubsos.itgo.com
Cumberland Soar for Fun
www.highpoint-aviation.org
Davenport International Slope Race
www.davenportisr.com
Los Banos Scale Sailplane Event
www.sbss.org
Midwest Slope Challenge
www.midwestslopechallenge.com
Soar Utah
www.soarutah.org
Southern California Slope Racing
www.socalsloperacing.com
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
rcff sslocafflp esec soalearing
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/04
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
116 Model Aviation April 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
rc slo ffp sec soalearing
David Barker, president of the Red Baron R/C Modelers club, which flies near
Shelley, Idaho, wrote to me about his interest in Slope Soaring.
“I have an electric-power motorized glider, and find I’m becoming enticed to
give Slope Soaring a try. A couple [of] club members have attended a glider meet
in Joseph, Oregon, and frequently talk about how much fun they have, literally
throwing their planes off the side of a mountain.
“I was wondering if you might be able to suggest a simple, inexpensive, but good
design to help introduce us to Slope Soaring? Possibly something different than what
the major distributors carry? As we’ve found with our club building projects, if we can
keep the costs down, we tend to attract more fliers willing to try a new style of flying.
“Should we go with a heavier airframe for better ballast and wind penetration?
Several of our members have powered gliders, but we’ve never really explored the
Slope Soaring possibility.”
I was happy to answer Dave’s questions, and others may have similar ones. I have
decided to repeat and expand my reply in this column.
For Slope Sailplanes, which often experience rough landings, traditional wood
construction has been replaced by foam construction. “Bounceable” expanded
polypropylene (EPP) foam has revolutionized Slope glider
design and construction and has given us Sailplanes tough
enough to land on rough ground, in a bush, or even on a rock
wall, and survive to be launched again. The heaviest (for high
winds) Slope airplanes often have fiberglass fuselages and
foam-core sheeted wings.
Sailplane Kits for RC Pilots
by Dave Garwood
[email protected]
PLUS:
> 2012 Slope
Soaring events
Right: Jim Harrigan makes a low pass with his DAW Schweizer
1-26 on Antelope Island at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The
EPP foam airplane can handle a hard landing.
Marley Palmer’s Windrider Bee is missing
a wingtip vertical stabilizer in this photo
from a Combat match at the Midwest Slope
Challenge.
To answer his question about whether
a heavier airframe is best, I suggest
starting with lighter wing loadings.
Accustom yourself to Slope Soaring, and
build heavier gliders after you know you
like the sport, then advance to flying in
higher wind speeds.
It may be that your current powered
gliders can serve as medium-weight
Slope airplanes and fly in medium lift
conditions. If they are built from balsa
and plywood, you’ll want to find a
Slope-flying site that has a large and safe
landing area. Many of the foam Slope
airplanes can land in bushes without
being damaged.
The author’s agile, fun-to-fly Multiplex Cularis turns and burns over Cape Cod Bay in 25 mph winds. Photo by Jim Harrigan.
www.ModelAviation.com April 2012 Model Aviation 117
Jim flies his Dream-Flight Weasel between himself and the camera
positioned on a small bump on the beach at Goat Rock State Park
in Jenner CA.
Jim pulls a tight turn for the
camera with an early version
of the Dream-Flight Weasel,
at Cape Cod Bay. The current
design of the Evo Series
Weasel is fully molded and
sleeker.
Jim launches his DAW
Schweizer 1-26 from a
turnout in the Skyline
Drive near Front Royal VA.
After checking with my flying buddies
to round out the list of good designs for
Slope Soaring beginners, here are some
we have enjoyed flying throughout the
years, and kept ready to take on Slope
flying outings:
1. Windrider Aviation Bee or Bee 2,
48-inch span: The Windrider Bee has
introduced hundreds of Slope pilots
around the world to Slope flying.
Injection molded from EPP foam,
the aircraft builds quickly and can be
counted on to fly well in many wind
conditions. It’s strong enough to fly in
full-contact Slope Combat matches. The
Windrider kits are made in Hong Kong
and can be ordered directly or ordered
from importers such as Atlanta Hobby
and Canuk Engineering.
There are many makers of 48-inch
span “flying wing” Slope airplanes,
and I haven’t seen one that did not fly
well. The Windrider Bee has been in
production for many years and it’s the
wing with which my flying buddies and
I have had the most experience.
2. Dream-Flight Weasel, 35-inch
span: Extremely versatile, it features
an ingenious kit design and great
instructions. Quick building, small, and
easily transportable, it’s an agile flyer
and rugged to handle landing bumps
and grinds. This glider is fun.
When ordering, consider the servos,
battery, and switch kit that Dream-
Flight offers, because the pieces fit
perfectly into the molded airframe and
balance well.
3. Multiplex Easy Glider Pro (glider
version), 72-inch span: This inexpensive
and well-behaved ELAPOR foam
Sailplane is seen on many slopes, and
it handles light lift conditions better
than most. Note that the kit can be
purchased and built as either a Sailplane
or an electric-powered aircraft. (See the
photo in the February 2012 MA Slope
Soaring column.)
4. Dave’s Aircraft
Works Schweizer 1-26
(2-meter version),
72-inch span: The
Schweizer is versatile
and has light lift. It has
a semiscale appearance
and foam airplane
building skills are
needed. It has been a favorite of mine
and my flying buddies for years. I do not
leave home without it when taking a
Slope Soaring trip.
5. Multiplex Cularis (glider version),
100-inch span: I found this in my search
for ARF Slope Sailplanes (MA “Slope
Soaring” column, August 2010). I now
have two (one electric launch and one
pure Sailplane) and I like the looks and
the flight performance of this model.
Note that the model can be purchased
as either a bare kit, or with servos and
servo wiring already installed, and it
can be built as either a Sailplane or
an electric-powered model. Multiplex
makes an ingenious aerotow release
that fits great in the nose of the Cularis,
allowing a Slope pilot to try aerotowing.
6. Magnum Models Duster, 60-
inch span: This is my current favorite
Slope Sailplane. It has excellent flight
performance. With an EPP foam fuselage
and balsa-sheeted wings, foam airplane
building skills are needed. Wing sheeting
skills are unnecessary, because the wings
are sheeted at the factory. See the kit
review article in the December 2011
issue of RC Soaring Digest.
You now have my current
recommendations for RC pilots starting
out in Slope flying. I recommend all
of these for great flight performance,
durability, and the ability to shrug off
landing damage.
2012 Events
Eight “destination” Slope Soaring
events for 2012 were announced in
early January. Be sure to see the 2012
Southern California Slope Racing
calendar.
Is your event included here? If your
Slope Soaring organization will be
scheduling an event in 2013—one that’s
expected to appeal to a wide audience—
let me know about it in December 2012
and I’ll plan to mention it in my April
2013 column.
Listed are the events I know about
for this year. Not all plans have been
finalized. Be sure to check event websites
for current information as the dates get
closer.
1. Cumberland Spring Soar for Fun,
March 22-26, 2012, Cumberland,
Maryland: Launch by aerotow, Discus
Launch Glider, bungee, or winch and
fly from a mountaintop in big sky slope
lift generated by the western face of
the Appalachian Mountains. This is the
second year for a Spring Soar for Fun.
2. The 19th Annual Los Banos Scale
Sailplane Event, April 21-22, 2012, Los
Banos, California: This event combines
aerotowing with Slope flying for Scale
RC gliders at Los Banos in central
California, and has been held for nearly
20 years. The steep, grassy slopes of the
Los Banos Creek Reservoir provide lift
in several wind directions. This event is a
major gathering of large-scale Sailplane
models—both modern and vintage
designs.
3. The 19th Annual Midwest Slope
Challenge, May 18-21, 2012, Lucas,
Kansas: A relaxed flying and vacation
experience, it features four competition
events: Foam Combat match, Foam
Warbird race, One-Design Race (ODR),
and Unlimited Class race. Travelers can
usually count on plenty of sport-flying
opportunities.
4. Davenport International Slope Race
(ISR), May 19-20, 2012, Davenport,
California: The Davenport ISR mission
statement reads, “To stage a unique
and challenging Sailplane race open to
top-class pilots from all over the world
in accordance with FAI and NorCal
Slope Soarers rules at the Davenport
site, in a manner promoting man-onman
Sailplane racing that is safe for
contestants, workers, and spectators.”
5. Alpine Soaring Adventure, July 5-8,
2012, Joseph, Oregon: “The event focuses
on Alpine Soaring, and includes aerotow,
and electric-power flying in an alpine
setting with spectacular scenery.”
What is Alpine Soaring? The best
answer I have is from old flying buddy
Jim Porter. Jim and I have competed in
thermals at the AMA Nats in Muncie,
Indiana, and have competed in Slope Lift
with each other at the Midwest Slope
Challenge in Lucas, Kansas.
After Jim returned from a two-year
residence in Germany, he explained to
me that, “Alpine Soaring is driving up a
mountain and throwing your Sailplane
off into the top of the thermal, rather
than launching from the flatland into the
bottom of it.” Slope pilots with whom
I’ve spoken said they had a great time at
the event.
6. Cape Blanco Slope Fest, August
7-13, 2012, Port Orford, Oregon: This
informal, five-day event, held near the
campground of the Cape Blanco State
Park, includes noncompetitive flying,
a barbecue, and camaraderie among
like-minded pilots. The ridge is flyable
in north and south winds, and its shape
presents an opportunity for dynamic
soaring.
7. Soar Utah 2012, August 30-
September 3, 2012, Salt Lake City,
Utah: Slope pilots across the country—
especially those interested in Scale
models—look forward to Soar Utah.
The event is held every other year. The
InterMountain Silent Flyers (IMSF) club
focuses on providing a low-key event
with an emphasis on flying at several
locations during your visit to the Great
Salt Lake. In past years, IMSF has held
a judged Scale contest with part of
the score attained during judged flight
maneuvers.
8. 46th Annual Cumberland Soar for
Fun, November 1-5, 2012, Cumberland,
Maryland: Fly from a mountaintop in lift
generated by the Appalachian Mountains.
The west side of the Appalachian range
has seen some long-standing full-scale
Soaring distance records set. When the
lift there is good, it tends to be great. I
do not know of a longer-running Soaring
event; club members must be doing
something right.
Sources:
Sky King
(605) 878-1880
www.skykingrcproducts.com
Dream-Flight
(805) 308-2305
www.dream-flight.com
Magnum Models
www.magnumrcmodels.com
Multiplex USA
(858) 748-6948
www.multiplexusa.com
RC Soaring Digest
www.rcsoaringdigest.com
Windrider
[email protected]
www.windrider.com.hk
Atlanta Hobby
(678) 513-4450
www.atlantahobby.com
Canuck Engineering
(970) 372-6584
www.canuckengineering.com
Alpine Soaring Adventure
www.alpinesoaring.com
Cape Blanco Slope Fest
www.clubsos.itgo.com
Cumberland Soar for Fun
www.highpoint-aviation.org
Davenport International Slope Race
www.davenportisr.com
Los Banos Scale Sailplane Event
www.sbss.org
Midwest Slope Challenge
www.midwestslopechallenge.com
Soar Utah
www.soarutah.org
Southern California Slope Racing
www.socalsloperacing.com
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
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