RC SOARING What about an electric LSF? 2013/07

The start of an electric-launch event, similar to ALES, sees all models launching to the same height
during a 30-second launch window, as seen here at the Polecat 2012. Photo by Randy Brust.
LSF President Jim Deck gets ready to fly his Gnome in
the RES class during the 2010 Nats.
What about an electric LSF?
by Gordon Buckland
[email protected]
A slim, graceful, long-winged craft
arcs upward smoothly and
steeply into the summer sky,
accompanied only by the faint whistle of
air accelerating past its gleaming surfaces.
These words remind me of the
thrill I experienced with my first fullscale,
winch-launched sailplane ride
as a 14-year-old boy. They are also the
inspiring words that greet you on the
League of Silent Flight (LSF) website.
The enduring LSF Soaring
Achievement Program (SAP) has been
spawning skilled RC Soaring pilots for
40 years, but recently, membership and
activity has been steadily declining. For
many years the current LSF president,
Jim Deck, has had a unique perspective
about this reduction in activity. (Jim
has processed all LSF achievement
forms for nearly a decade.)
Jim and the LSF leadership have
scrutinized this downward trend and
have proposed some ideas to revive
activity. These ideas have seemed
radical to some, but they need proper
discussion if they are to evolve into actual solutions.
Jim and I discussed this subject. He made some excellent points worthy of all
Soaring enthusiasts’ consideration. This is what Jim had to say:
“Over the past decade, it was my privilege to serve as LSF secretary for eight
years. That put me in very close contact with the SAP. Over the past few years,
two things have become evident. The number of aspirants entering the program
was on the decline and activity in the SAP was slowing down as well.
“One could ruminate on the causes—the economy, the increased cost of
competition, loss of flying sites suitable for winch or hi-start launches—all
of these contribute in one way or another. In any case, it seems that the
LSF—and RC Soaring in general—needs a shot in the arm.
“Observing activity in F3J competitions in the US provided an
inspiration. Competition with winches replacing the hand towers, but
retaining all the discipline of F3J, have become popular and increased the
number of participants in this event. The key seems to be the convenience
of a winch over the hassle of finding and using hand towers. Using winches
provided F3J with a shot in the arm. This inspired a search for similar
medication for RC Soaring.
“In recent years, pilots of electric-powered sailplanes have been
experimenting with the concept of an electronic device to limit launch
altitude. Their efforts have produced a new competition called Altitude
Limited Electric Soaring (ALES). Sailplanes so equipped can reliably
emulate winch or hi-start launches without the effort and space required
by the latter. The convenience of ALES is fostering growth in the
development of ALES sailplanes and the number of ALES competitions.
“Meanwhile, the popularity of the [Parkzone] foam ARF Radian has
introduced a large number of new pilots to the joy of Soaring. These pilots
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This tiny, electronic device has revolutionized
electric Soaring. The CAM Height Limiter is an
inexpensive and easily programmed unit that
switches the motor off at preset heights of 100,
150, or 200 meters.
could represent a potential pool of new
LSF aspirants. With the addition of an
ALES device, these pilots can and do
enter ALES competitions.
“It would seem then that simply
allowing the use of an ALES sailplane
emulating winch or hi-start launches to
complete LSF SAP tasks and allowing
ALES contests to count for LSF SAP
completion points might be the ‘shot
in the arm’ mentioned previously. To
do so, however, requires an official
change to the LSF SAP. The founders
of the LSF have protected the SAP
from willy-nilly changes with bylaws
that make changes to the SAP most
difficult.
“In March 2012, using two popular
forums on the Internet and the LSF
website, the idea of integrating ALES
into the LSF SAP was introduced by
the LSF executive board. From this
effort, it was apparent that input from
a larger percentage of the membership
was needed before the integration
could be seriously considered.
“Efforts are now underway to
improve communication and reach that
larger number by electronic means.
Soon after those efforts are operational,
the LSF membership will be in a better
position to take steps to consider the
integration.
“To help this happen, all LSF
members are requested to make sure
their email address in the LSF database
is up to date by using the form on the
LSF website.”
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The largest Electric-Launched Sailplane event in the US was the 2012 Polecat event in Carlisle PA, with more than
40 entries. Brust photo.
Jim makes some good points
and I think everybody must admit
that without some changes moving
forward, the LSF SAP is slowly, but
surely, dying. In 2011, the LSF saw the
lowest participation ever with only 22
new Level 1 achievers.
There were 24 in 2012.
There are many
different thoughts about
Electric-Launched
Sailplanes and the LSF,
but the obvious options
might be:
1. Adding electric
launch to the LSF as an
additional, but separate,
SAP (maybe called the
ELSF for Electric LSF).
2. Allowing electric
launch under the same
SAP with a change
to the bylaws to
accommodate this new
method of starting a
flight.
3. Design and start a new SAP for
Electric-Launched Soaring separate
from the current LSF.
A controversy with any addition of
electric launch is whether the motor
controller should allow a restart
during the flight.
A restart clearly voids the flight,
but a more important issue is how
the ability to use a restart to save the
model affects the piloting decisions
during the task attempts.
The ability to save a low-flying
model from trees or water or to avoid
a long walk by restarting the motor,
can change the strategy a pilot employs
during the attempt and also makes
using such an electric-powered model
a different and easier proposition than
using a winch or hand-launched model.
The subject deserves more
discussion. I urge everyone with an
interest in RC Soaring’s future to go to
the LSF website (listed in “Sources”).
Under the “LSF Program” tab, select
“State of the LSF—2012” and “LSF
Board Meets at Toledo” to read more.
If you aren’t already a member, join
the LSF. If you are a member, ensure
that your registered email address is
current.
The nature of RC Soaring is that
it will continue to evolve. Soaring’s
largest SIG, the LSF, also needs to
evolve to remain viable. If the LSF
cannot find a way to make appropriate
changes to its SAP and allow some
evolution, the LSF may eventually
become the victim of changes over
which it has no control.
There is much interest in Electric-
Launched Gliders and the LSF would
benefit from this extra participation.
There is a way to make this work and
the LSF board is working at it.
By sharing ideas, we can help
guide Jim Deck and the LSF board
members with their efforts to grow the
organization in this changing world.
Fly downwind and soar!
SOURCES:
LSF
www.silentflight.org
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