Foiling Around With a Computer
You say you'd be a scratch-building demon if you knew an easy way to make accurate wing rib patterns? Or you'd try a new airfoil in foam if you could easily make accurate cutting templates? Or maybe you'd repair that elliptical-tip sailplane wing, if only you didn't have to calculate five rib lengths and draw them all on graph paper?
Aerial Photography from Sailplanes
Aerial photography from sailplanes? Sure, why not? Sailplanes can easily lift cameras as payload, and compared to engine-powered RC model airplanes, sailplanes have the advantage of no motor vibration to spoil photo sharpness or no burned-fuel residue to foul a camera lens. Sailplanes can fly slowly and smoothly, contributing to the camera steadiness needed to produce detailed aerial photographs.
Radio Control: Soaring
WHY SOARING? Soaring is magic. Gravity is a harsh master, and overcoming gravity with an unpowered flying machine is as close to magic as anything in my daily or weekly life. Every time I catch a thermal I'm slightly amazed. Mark McMullen is a first-season sailplane flier who expressed wonder when he discovered how high you can get a sailplane on "free" lift. "Soaring is like sailing, but in three dimensions," Mark said. Soaring is a challenge. On every flight Nature beckons you. Like fishermen, you're hunting an unseen quarry. Logic says the lift is out there; it's up to you, using your knowledge, skill, and ability, to find it and use it to sustain flight. It is magnificent to see a glider go up, of all things, and once you do it you want to do it again, and get better at doing it.
Radio Control: Soaring
YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT entering a contest, and you're wondering what you need to do to prepare your sailplane for competition. Should you build the spoiler option? What about teeth and skegs? This column discusses performance improvements for thermal duration sailplanes, with an emphasis on building and preparing a sailplane for your first contest. However, even glider pilots who never fly in contests can benefit from these modifications and construction choices.
Radio Control: Soaring
THE LARGEST SOARING Nationals in recent years was held July 29-August 5 at the AMA National Flying Site in Muncie, Indiana. The AMA site, the LSF contest management, the volunteer workers, and the enthusiastic participation of 154 contestants from 32 states made for an impressive and enjoyable event. This was the first time that the AMA and LSF national soaring competitions were combined, which worked well in my observation. In recent years separate AMA and LSF Nats were held at almost the same time in nearby locations, which tended to split the national pool of soaring pilots and created two smaller events.
