Radio Control: Soaring
SCALE GROB revisited. Remember the photos of the giant Grob in January's column? Dan Troxell told of buying a 1:2.4-scale Grob fuselage in Germany, shipping it home to California, and building his own wings. With a 24-ft. wingspan, this must be the largest Sailplane "kit" you can get! Dan made the fuselage as the G-103 Twin II version with two fixed front wheels. He flew the Grob successfully, both from hi-start launches and off the slope.
Radio Control: Soaring
FIBERGLASS ALCYONE FUSE. My October '91 column featured the 121-inch span Alcyone kit manufactured by Mel Culpepper. This is a press release from Northeast Sailplane Products on a new fiberglass fuselage option: "NSP is pleased to announce the availability of the new fiberglass/Kevlar fuselage Alcyone as of December 1991. This enhancement to the Alcyone means reduced building time and cleaner lines. The builder can still enjoy the simple radio installation and excellent flight characteristics for which the Alcyone is already famous.
Radio Control: Soaring
ORBITER is the name of the Hand-Launch Glider kit from Dodgson Designs. It is quite a departure for Bob Dodgson for two reasons. First, it was designed not by Bob, but by Eric Jackson of Portland; second, it's of built-up wood construction instead of Bob's normal fiberglass-and-foam technology. H-L Gliders are gaining more and more adherents, because they're a great way of getting in a few flights during lunch. Also, if you can learn to thermal when the plane's only up 15 ft., thermaling at 150 ft. seems like a piece of cake. Eric flew his Orbiter in the Nats H-L event and finished fifth behind some pretty heavy competition by the likes of Wurts, Martin, Jolly, and Harris.
Wasserkuppe
DIE RHOEN 1ST SCHOEN. Translation: "The Rhoen is beautiful." The Rhoen region of West Germany truly is beautiful. It is a land of forest-covered rolling hills, farms, cows, and picturesque villages. The Wasserkuppe mountain is right in the middle of the most scenic part. Perhaps "mountain" isn't the best description-but it is a large hill! This hill (means water peak in German) is significant to Soaring enthusiasts because it was here that gliding began in Germany shortly before WW I. The hill took on more importance after the war because the terms of the Armistice prohibited Germans from owning airplanes. The document didn't mention gliders, so the energies of many German aviation buffs were directed toward airplanes without engines.
Radio Control: Soaring
NATIONAL Soaring Skills Symposium, May 28-29, 1988. Mark that on your calendar. The Eastern Iowa Soaring Society is sponsoring this unique Soaring get-together for the second year. The idea behind it is to have experts in various specialties (such as thermaling, Slope flying, F3B, Electrics, winches, building, etc.) pass along their knowledge. There will be flying seminars and displays relating to flying Sailplanes and Electrics. The demonstrations will not be "formal," in that experienced instructors will be available all day for questions and demonstrations.
