BMatthews, I have to really disagree with your post. I have been flying a EPP trainer for two years and successfully thermaling it *many* times when the lift has been spotty and light. As long as the airfoil is properly created, and the covering is applied smoothly, then I see no reason why a EPP foam glider cannot perform at least as well as a similarly or even more lightly loaded balsa plane. My 39 ounch 2 Meter EPP Highlander covers ground very quickly when I want it to, albeit not as quickly or without loss of altitude like a modern, thinned airfoil can, and yet slows down with 2 clicks of uptrim to circle in lift. I would say that for a beginner this plane has been *most* satisfying, and survived crashes that would turn a balsa bird into instant sticks.

I don't have any links (besides, how would you put it in a web page?) because this is my own personal experience. I cannot say that I have outthermaled anyone, but I *have* found lift that other fliers have then used, and I have stayed in the air just as long as those other fliers. The minimum altitude for finding thermals with my model is about 100 feet. Anything under that and I have never been able to circle tight enough to keep from descending.

One of the considerations of a first time model is the ability to keep the flier in the air. A Gentle Lady will turn to sticks the first time the new flier forgets to turn on the radio, or selects the wrong model, or doesn't launch with enough force on the histart, or pops off the winch without enough recovery altitude. I have made all of these mistakes and the worst repair I had to make was taking the servos out of the plane to replace the gearset - I was flying the next morning. So to become a confident and successful thermal flier, which is more important - durability and airtime or the ability to find light lift? I think the equation for the first time glider flier tilts toward durability, or the ability to fly another day after a typical newbie mistake.

All of the above goes *out* the window if you fly off a buddy box and have someone instructing you to fly. There is no question that a Gentle Lady or other balsa bird thermals better than EPP, providing you have someone around to save your bacon from those typical newbie mistakes.

Stuart
*just building my first balsa plane and frightened as h*ll for that first flight*