To set the stage, I am also a big "glider guy" with over 30 years of R/C sailplane experience. Most "power" RC pilots never believe me when I say that my fastest model is a sailplane!

FAI speed records require a fairly long run, up and downwind, through a fixed course. DS soaring generally requires flying a tight, looping or circular course in the boundary layer between upward and downward air flow on a ridge (or simiar structure), gaining energy (i.e. speed) with every cycle - until the plane breaks or your nerves give up!

DS soaring therefore does not lend itself to FAI record attempts. I do believe the Sitar brothers exceeded 225 MPH in the late 70's/mid-80's in the Austrian Alps, using the climb high/dive through speed gates routine, and at least one run resulted in a 260+ MPH run that was not repeated in time for an official record. Remember, this was almost 25 or so years ago.

I have some DS experience and have personally come close to 200 MPH with a sailplane (my own design Peregrine and also with a carbon F3F Sting), as measured with a radar gun. I have seen several people here in SoCal exceed 225, and one "unofficial' DS run at over 250 at Parker Mountain by Joe Wurts....before a wing fluttered and literally exploded. 232 MPH is the official "unofficial" record at the moment; 300 MPH is not far off, airframes are the limiting factor.

Here's a video of the record run....the camera is NOT sped up, it's the cameraman trying to keep up with the glider..... [link=http://www.gliderking.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&r eq=getit&lid=42]Gary Legerton's 232 MPH record DS run [/link] Note the flutter and rtesulting destruction, with one panel fluttering down...

Barry