rcpilotny

I have a mini aerobatic aelioron sailplane called Glider SP from laishing will it be ok to fly today with a brushed 380 motor?

winds are s-se at gusts of 15 mph

can i fly today? I mean it is a sailplane but im scared it will break.

* Wingspan: 31.9"
* Overall Length: 26.4"
* Flying Weight: 14.1 oz
* Wing Area: 10dm²
* Drive System: 380 carbon brush motor
* Servo: 2X 12g high speed micro servos
* Battery: 8.4 V 650mah Ni-MH
* Control system: 4 CH Multifunctional Radio Transmitter and Receiver
* Radio Control Range: 1600 feet (500m)

3DSAVAGE

i wouldnt do it. the limit for planes that size is about 10mph winds

rcpilotny

this things fast if i go brushless 20mph wind should be NO PROBLEM regardless of size.

although only got 8 min run time before batt got low and heat from motor melted ca glue off the shaft forcing prop off

BMatthews

As long as it can fly faster than the wind then it's up to you.

I've got some great memories from "storm soaring". Oddly enough I flew because I was there and the conditions got bad. If I see stuff like that when I wake up it's time to roll over and go back to sleep. How could anyone know of the challenges and fun to be had flying in "stuff" where you need to lean into it or fall over.

The model needs to be responsive and you need to be pretty quick and know just what's needed to do it. If you're not used to wind flying sneak up on it and read more about it. Most wind hints are centered around the landings where there's a very strong and deep wind velocity gradient as you come within about 3 feet. If can catch you off guard and let the model drop like a stone if you don't have some extra flying speed and hold it until you're about a foot high. Only THEN do you slowly and carefully flare for the final touchdown.

In turbulent high wind conditions you can actually use the sudden velocity shifts to dynamic soar. It's the same idea as the slope dynamic guys but in this case you just use the gust to gain height and then look for the next one rather than using the energy for speed like they do.

Now having said all this that little model is going to get tossed around a lot. If it has ailerons it can handle it if you can handle it. If it's rudder and elevator I'd have to say that if it's windy but steady then fine. If it's windy and highly turbulent then put it into the car and go home.

rcpilotny

ok thanks guys

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I have a 20 ounce 49" e-glider with a brushelss that does fine in 15 mph winds. Landing is the real challenge as the turbulance near the ground can be pretty bad. You need to come in hot in order to carry thorugh that turbulance.

It is more about the pilot than the plane.

There is an article in this month's RC Soaring Digest about "When is it too windy to fly?' You woud benefit from the article.

www.rcsoaringdigest.com

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

Ditto on all the above,
Sometimes it depends on how comfortable you are with the plane. If you have flown it and it is well trimmed and you are used to its habits then a little fun in the breezes is a blast. Trying to learn how a plane reacts and set trims etc in the wind is just a major pain in the posterior. Better to go home and build something.
I have sloped a gentle lady in higher winds than I would fly anything else (glow planes that is) and it was a hoot! but then I had hours and hours on that plane on a high start and patches on patches on the plane so I wasn't overly worried about repairs. Don't ask how many years ago that was![sm=52_52.gif]

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I have flown my Aerobird Challenger in 15 mph wind many times. 41" very under cambered wing with V tail controls only. Lots of fun, especially when the big plane guys are waiting for me to lose it in the wind.

I like to take it up high and cut the power. Then fly in the wind and land it at my feet with the motor off.

If I can fly an Aerobird in 15 mph winds, your e-glider should be fine. But are you up to it? That is a different question! [X(]

elmog

It's really a matter of wing loading and flying experience. Most gliders (powered or not) can easily handle some ballast weight. By experimenting you can find how much you need to add to your ship to give it a higher wing loading that will make your plane much more stable in windy conditions. If your plane is underpowered to begin with, adding weight will really deteriorate climb performance. That brushed 380 motor is probably marginal at best and upgrading to a brushless (even a cheap one!) will allow for decent climb performance with the added weight.
If you're relatively new to RC flying, then you probably want to fly when the wind is no greater than 5 mph. It's easy to destroy a plane if you fly in conditions that are over your head (I have), so maybe a little flight testing at lower wind velocities is in order. Any ship that weighs 14 ounces is going to be a handful on a windy day even for some very experienced flyers. I do mostly sloping and it's always funny when some guy asks if there's enough wind to to throw his plane over the edge. The usual reply is "go ahead, it should be allright" even if the wind is marginal. You know best what happen if you launch in questionable conditions. If you don't feel comfrortable about something, don't do it until you do. It's as simple as that. Jim