Radio Control: Soaring
THINK about this: I don't know if history recorded the first time someone hand-tossed an RC Sailplane with the idea of hooking a thermal and maxing out. For that matter, is there anyone who knows who can lay claim to the first model designed for the sole purpose of accomplishing the above efforts? Back in 1977, Dave Thornburg was wowing the crowd with some show-stopper types of flights. It was at an afternoon Bar B-Q hosted by the Pretoria Aero-Club in South Africa for some of the attendees at the first Soaring World Championships. That also served as a first-time exposure to a "hand-tossing for fun and profit" display.
Radio Control: Soaring
JUST about the time I think this column is happily covering all corners of the Sailplane field, letters come in commenting on some of that coverage-such as: "I'm a three-channel sport flier, and if you write one more item about F3B you'll never see your loved ones again; worse yet, I'll tell everyone that your daughter MonoKotes all your models." In contrast to that, however, other letters reflect the attitude that "I'm only a two-channel flier who flys for fun and only on warm Saturday afternoon. Keep reporting on the hi-tech stuff. I really like seeing what guys on the other side of the tracks are up to."
Radio Control: Soaring
HOT STUFF. If last month's mention of electrostatic stabilizers or autopilots grabbed your interest, here is some further good news: Maynard Hill (who has been involved with the development of the electrostatic device over the past 15 years or so) has announced that a ready-to-plug-in unit will be available by about the time you read this. No price yet as this is being written, but further information may be obtained from Aero Probe Technology Co., 2001 Norvale Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906. "Plug-in" means the unit will be wired with plugs to fit your airborne receiver. This will allow for not only being able to turn the unit on and off via your transmitter, but gain adjustment will also be possible from the ground.
Radio Control: Soaring
GADGETS and ideas that should make life simpler in the workshop and on the flying field are this month's subject. But, before we get into them, you've got to hear what the Madison Area Radio Control Society (MARCS) did the first week of November, 1985. That was the weekend for their third annual RC symposium, an event that just gets better each year. As in the past, topics ranged from high-tech presentations to low-key discussions. There was something for everyone. "Introduction to Aerodynamics" was presented by Frank Baker and "Meteorology for Soaring" by Professor Roland Stull, both gentlemen from the University of Wisconsin.
Radio Control: Soaring
IF THE NAME Harley Michaelis rings a bell and brings back a memory or two to some of you first-generation Sailplaners, it's right that it should. Back in the late Sixties, Sailplane kits that were manufactured in the States were more of a wish or a dream than a reality. If you wanted to stick with what was then becoming the state of the art, you had to rely on some imported kits from Europe-which wasn't all bad, when you consider the price and quality of those kits. A few individuals worked up their own designs, and some of these "originals" caught on and became popular not only on a weekend afternoon but on the contest circuit, as well.
