LSF Tasks - Gliders (Full Version)

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ehaakonsen@aol.com -> LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/8/2012 5:40 PM)

Just sent in my application and looking for suggestions on a resonable glider setup for starting the journey. 


 



da Rock -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/8/2012 8:23 PM)

The first levels can easily be accomplished with a Gentle Lady. In fact, I think they defined them to be done with basic birds.

Keep in mind that the larger the glider the easier it is to do the thermal tasks. 2M seems to be about the starting point.



aeajr -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/9/2012 9:54 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: ehaakonsen@aol.com

Just sent in my application and looking for suggestions on a resonable glider setup for starting the journey. 


 




What is your budget?   $100, $1000?

Build from plans?  Kit?  ARF?  Receiver Ready only? 

how will you launch?  Hi-start?  Winch?   Slope soaring?

What radio will you use?





da Rock -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/9/2012 10:11 PM)

LSF is for pure gliders. The thermal tasks are launched from towlines or handlaunch. Just about every way a line can be used is permitted except being towed aloft. Since the towline can be 300m long, it doesn't pay to handlaunch. Honest, 300 meters of line is a lot. Winch, hi-start, human tow all have the same 300 limit, if you consider that a limit. As for the slope tasks, simple handlaunch is good enough, but LSF permits all the towlines too.

The tasks increase with each level, but trust me, the launch method is really insignificant. And a towline launch for slope won't matter much at all since the tasks are simply increasing amounts of time.

The LSF level pursuit is great fun. The higher levels really are challenging. Really.

Heck, just reading about LSF is fun. http://www.silentflight.org/



aeajr -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/9/2012 11:29 PM)

DLG or similar hand launch is valid also



ehaakonsen@aol.com -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/10/2012 1:26 AM)

I have a high start that I have been using with my House of Balse 2x4 for the past 15 years and it and the airframe are well worn.

 
I have a Futaba 8 channel 2.4 radio and reciever so mixing is not an issue but I would like to keep the project under $600 with servos.   I would prefer an ARF to start  and am looking at a Great Planes Spirit Elite 2M as it seemed to be a  step up in performance.

I do not have a good understanding of the models available and what  a good starter craft looks like.

Thank you in advance for the advice.

-Erik



ehaakonsen@aol.com -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/10/2012 1:37 AM)

Aeajr,

 I went to your club site and found the following inf:

http://www.lisf.org/what_we_fly/What_We_Fly/Entries/2009/1/10_planes_to_consider.html

The Spirit is one of your reccomendations and I believe the Spirit Elite is the next version of the model.

-Erik



da Rock -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/10/2012 2:03 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: ehaakonsen@aol.com

I have a high start that I have been using with my House of Balse 2x4 for the past 15 years and it and the airframe are well worn.

 
I have a Futaba 8 channel 2.4 radio and reciever so mixing is not an issue but I would like to keep the project under $600 with servos.   I would prefer an ARF to start  and am looking at a Great Planes Spirit Elite 2M as it seemed to be a  step up in performance.

I do not have a good understanding of the models available and what  a good starter craft looks like.

Thank you in advance for the advice.

-Erik



The tasks really aren't those that require specially equipped gliders. They simply require a good thermal glider. The longer thermal flights (whether for LSF or your own personal accomplishment) usually require you to fly high to insure longer times. That usually is best done with a spoiler equipped glider. Whether you're going for LSF times or not, spoilers are a good idea if the sky's the limit. But that's it for special equipment.

The Bird of Time is an available ARF that thermals well. So are the two you mention. As for slope........

LSF is only interested in elapsed time for the slope flights. Trust me, after a couple of hours, faster slope gliders aren't a help, they're a pain. I did most of my slope flights with a polyhedral 2meter rudder/elevator bird. I'd park the sucker with trim and often had the TX on my stomach while I laid on a blanket. Don't plan on inviting the wife and kids.



da Rock -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/10/2012 2:07 AM)

Today's batteries make LSF a lot easier. Once upon a time, all we had was NiCds. Back then, some of us doubled the TX packs for the longer slope flights. Turns out we could used carbon batteries in the glider. That was really the only special equipment worthy of the name.



aeajr -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/10/2012 4:13 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: ehaakonsen@aol.com

I have a high start that I have been using with my House of Balse 2x4 for the past 15 years and it and the airframe are well worn.

 
I have a Futaba 8 channel 2.4 radio and reciever so mixing is not an issue but I would like to keep the project under $600 with servos.   I would prefer an ARF to start  and am looking at a Great Planes Spirit Elite 2M as it seemed to be a  step up in performance.

I do not have a good understanding of the models available and what  a good starter craft looks like.

Thank you in advance for the advice.

-Erik




Which Futaba 8 channel radio. There have been many over the years and many can be converted to 2.4 GHz.  Tells me nothing about the mixing features.

So, you have a hous of Balsa 2X4.  So why don't you start with that?   Does it fly well?

The Spirit Elite is fine, especially if you tend to fly in windy conditions, but if you have a lot of low wind, under 7 mph days, the wing loading on the Elite is a bit high.  In the hands of a good pilot it thermals well but it would not be my first choice.  But the price is certainly right.

If your conditions tend to be somewhat light then you might consider the Pulsar. It is within your budget.
http://www.espritmodel.com/pulsar-2s-sailplane-arf.aspx

The Albatross also looks attractive and should handle more wind than the Pulsar.  The 2.4 meter wing span will work well for you as you start to work toward those longer thermal flights.
http://www.espritmodel.com/albatros-2-4s-e-arf.aspx

Art Hobby has a nice selection.  I would look at the 2.4M and up choices.  RES is a great way to get going. Much less complex for set-up and flying.  And they thermal very easily.  The Thermic RES and the Evolution are worth a look.
http://www.arthobby.com/index.php?page=cat&category=29&sub_category=32

The Ocolus is a kit, but the fuse and the spar are prebuilt, so if ou don't mind doing some buildling, take a look:
http://www.mmglidertech.com/oculus.php









ehaakonsen@aol.com -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/19/2012 9:51 PM)

I have the 8FG Super so I have up to 14 channels if needed and a number of wing modes.

We rarely have light air days here in CT where the wind is blowing less than 7 knots so I think I am going to go purchase the Elite to start and do a bit more flying of the House of Balsa 2x4.  It flies ok, but has had a number of repairs over the years so it is well balasted for windy days.

I really like all the airframes listed on the Art Hobby site, but think that will be step #2.

I want to thank everyone for your suggestions and advise and aeajr I may try and make a trip to your field in the Spring as I live about 20 miles away in CT.

Best Regards,

Erik








aeajr -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (10/20/2012 3:30 PM)

The 8FG should handle any mixing you could possibly need.

I think you will like the Spirit Elite.

Some people replace the steel wing rod with a carbon rod which saves about 4 -6 ounces, as I recall.  That is a lot on a glider of this size.

http://www.cstsales.com/carbon_rods.html

Let us know how we can help you.

Let me know if you plan to visit. We have a club member from CT.  And we often host regional contests here where we get 30 to 40 pilots from around the country coming here to fly. 




ehaakonsen@aol.com -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (11/13/2012 10:35 PM)

I went with the Spirit Elite and maidened the plane and new high-start this weekend.  Was only able to get a max  flight time of 7:45 on Saturday, but played with the CG and throws all day to get flaps and CROW working correctly.  Sunday was able to put in a number of nice flights making more adjustments and had a best of 17:10.  The trimming guide on the ESL site was very helpful and I will be working on camber and snap flaps over the next few flying sessions.  ( http://www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=233)   Need more work on the landings as I can't get much closer than 5 feet!

Thank you for the suggestion about the carbon wing joiner and will make a trip out to Long Island to see how it should be done in the Spring.

Thank you both for your time and advice on this thread to help me get from an idea into the air and thru my Level I requirements.

-Erik




da Rock -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (11/14/2012 12:56 AM)

Landings come with practice. Five feet isn't bad.

The CF rod and the weight savings can help on quiet days when the lift is spotty and not very strong. On the other hand, some days you'll actually hunt better with ballast on board. Thermal designs don't usually handle heavy ballast, but some with the more modern airfoils will surprise you with moderate ballast on days when the wind is strong enough you have to concentrate to stay upwind.



John C -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (11/18/2012 12:57 AM)

When I try to get to the LSF website using http://www.silentflight.org/ posted above, I encounter a full scale web site [:'(] Has anyone an idea as to what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks,

John C




da Rock -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (11/18/2012 2:56 AM)

Works for me????

http://www.silentflight.org/



John C -> RE: LSF Tasks - Gliders (11/19/2012 5:49 PM)

Interesting, da Rocks site above worked this time too. Don't know what the issue was.

John C



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