RADIO CONTROL SLOPE SOARING 2003/02
DO YOU LIKE models of jet aircraft? How
would you like to fly a jet model without the
expense and trouble of ducted-fan or turbine
propulsion systems? If this sounds good to
you, welcome to the world of Slope jets. Not
many things in model aviation look as good
as a Navy jet flying over the ocean or a lake,
unless it’s a ground-attack jet flying over
terrain.
RADIO CONTROL SLOPE SOARING 2003/02
DO YOU LIKE models of jet aircraft? How
would you like to fly a jet model without the
expense and trouble of ducted-fan or turbine
propulsion systems? If this sounds good to
you, welcome to the world of Slope jets. Not
many things in model aviation look as good
as a Navy jet flying over the ocean or a lake,
unless it’s a ground-attack jet flying over
terrain.
East Coast Slope Soaring
SOME modelers describe Slope Soaring as the purest form of RC flying. There's no motor, no fuel, no launching equipment to worry about-just an airplane, a hill, and the wind. It's Soaring with a view, a chance to get some fresh air in your face and test your skill at silent flight. What follows is an introduction to the pleasures and rewards of gliding your RC Sailplane into the winds off a hill or a seaside dune.
East Coast Slope Soaring
PART ONE of this two-part article discussed the particular pleasures of Slope Soaring, the selection of an appropriate model, the characteristics of a good slope site, and the importance of favorable wind. This month's conclusion tells you how to look for and obtain permission to use slope sites.
The Basics of Slope Soaring
SLOPE SOARING is so amazing that it seems like magic. Sure, there are scientific principles of meteorology and aerodynamics that explain how it works; but throwing an unpowered, heavier-than-air model off a hill, running through an aerobatic routine, and landing an hour later does seem magical. Slope Soaring offers a lot to RC fliers. It's inexpensive. You buy no fuel and generally fly simple airplanes with simple radios. It's exhilarating. You can fly in howling wind when other RC pilots are grounded. It's challenging. You have to pay attention to fly an unpowered airplane in 25-mph wind, and once you've mastered the basics you can fly aerobatics and even try Combat or pylon racing.
