I'm 16 and I bought a Gentle Lady Glider when I was 10 years old but gave up on building it because I didn't have the know-how until a couple months ago when i decided to get the kit out from the garage and finally assemble it. I have a 2 channel Futaba Attack Radio and I completed the plane in a month (in about 7 work days in my garage/ work area). I took it to the park (A flat football field) to thermal fly many times only to break one piece or another to hard landings after i stalled the plane. Then, while I was repairing the plane in my garage one day a person walking in his daily walk saw me and I asked for help. He told me to readjust the CG because it was too far back and make it a little nose heavy. I did so and flew it and for the first time I didnt break anything, but the plane didnt climb; It would just glide slowly and make a landing. I thought this was because it was too nose heavy so I adjusted it for perfect CG and took it to the park the next day. I was preparing for me to throw it, it to climb and soar for hours but instead I threw it and it made a U-turn and hit some bleachers, which broke the rudder in many places and tore the rudder and elevator separate from the plane along with breaking a part of the LE and several spars were broken. Anyway, now i have a broken plane, I need to buy covering, wood, or order some Gentle Lady replacement parts. Should I buy a new plane or just repair the one i have. I wouldnt mind building a new plane because my plane looks terrible and is broken in many places. Also, i fly on a flat football field. There is a wind coming from one direction. When I throw the glider hard into the wind should it climb to high altitudes??? I expected it to climb greatly after I threw it and applied rudder but instead it just glides to the ground like a paper airplane. I really need help. Either there was something wrong with my plane or i just had way too high expectations. i need to know if the plane should have soared after being thrown or if there is a greater talent to this. Once again, i would appreciate any responses to this message because i really need help with this plane. Thank you.

Jedi:

See if you can't find a local glider expert to meet you at a slope
and let him give you pointers on slope soaring. I would just go
ahead and fix this one and build another while your learning. The
second one will stay looking good once you get some experience.

Randy

I'm a relative newbie to R/C and I fly powered so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Gliders are great and can soar for hours, but only under the right circumstances. You can hand launch a glider on flat ground and soar, however you would need to find a thermal right away and climb by gently circling inside of the thermal. A thermal is a rising column of warm air. Usually they occur over asphalt, packed dirt, or any surface that absorbs the heat and warms the air over it.

Without an engine your glider will glide like a paper airplane and not climb unless you can find a thermal or ridge lift. Ridge lift is sort of like a wave of air that is created by wind flowing over a ridge. People call it slope soaring because they stand on a slope and use the wave to keep the plane aloft.

Another option is to make a tow winch that will pull your plane to a high altitude and allow you to glide for a longer period of time. I'm sure you will find all the information you need in the gliders section of this site.

Synopsis: I think your expectations for hand launching your glider might be too high.

Hope this helps.

JakeC

Your expectations are definately too high. Hand launching a glider at ground level is exactly the same thing as throwing a paper airplane. There are no thermals that low to the ground. Repair your plane, and ask at your local hobby shop if there is a club in the area where you can ask questions and get help. Even if you don't join, they may have a few glider fliers that can tell you where some good slopes are, or maybe they have a winch, or a Hi-Start (giant rubber band kind of thing) that they can get you up high with.

Thanks for responding to my post. I guess my expectations were too high. I heard many stories on the internet about the Gentle Lady soaring high on days with almost no wind and I thought that as long as I threw it into the wind It would climb and soar forever. I guess I have to search for thermals to catch altitude. I took the monoKote off my left inboard wing surface (where it collided with the bleachers) and found that the LE was broken, along with just about every spar in the wing. The Outboard wing surface is dangling from the inboard surface also because the place where they connect is broken. My rudder is broken in a couple place, but the thing that troubles me is the LE of the rudder and wing. They are curved pieces of wood and I dont think I can carve them myself and make them good enough. Also, I'm concerned that with only one side of the wing and rudder damaged that the plane will be off balance because of the amount of glue on one side of the plane. i'm considering buying a new Gentle Lady. I need to know which glue to use on the new one. On my last Gentle Lady I used Elmers Wood glue and i found that the Spars were dislodged after the crash. Would Krazy Glue work good or should I continue using Elmers Wood glue??? I'm also considering buying a powered Glider. Does anyone here have any suggestions?? (please provide a link with info on the Aircraft you suggest) Also, thank you all for not making me feel more stupid than I already feel.

jedi:

I know at 16, your budget is limited; but when you buy the new plane, also get a 2 oz. bottle of the Ca thin and gap filling medium. Don't use the wood glue unless you build one of the
giant 1/3 or 1/4 scale planes. With the Ca, you can have the plane framed-up in one evening.

I started with the Sophisticated Lady and an .049 pod. It will take the plane slowly up to altitude and you can have some fun. I eventually went to an .09 enya and flew it almost out of sight. My recommendation is to try the engine pod.

You must use the "force" Luke. Feel the force embrace it, then strap on a OS 10 and let er rip. But seriously, if you happen to get through Mississippi, I've got a glider with your price tag on it. Sorry, can't ship. Too big. Dont give up, find a Yoda and he will guide you to become the Jedi that you are meant to be.....

sincerly,
Obi wan kanobi

I used to have a southwest glider years ago and we just put a .049 pod on the wing and it went up 2 or 300 ft and i let my oldest girl learn to fly it back in after 20 min. in a open field in NM so just rebuild the old one and put on a pod till you can find some one to take you to a slope for real slope flying let us know how you are doing............ Las Vegas.

Jedi,

If you are rebuilding the Lady, do you have the emplates for the ribs? If you have Photoshop, I can e-mail you the right templates and you can cut out any ribs you need.

I love the Gentle Lady. I'm scratch building my second one now, but with an electric motor in front because in my area, you need something to get some air under your plane quickly. High starts are great, but every litle bit helps...

Ed

The main problem is that i dont know how to carve the LE of the Wing and Rudder. Please send the templates if you can. I don't have Photo Shop but my Email Adress is [email protected]. I only have a 2 Channel controller because i bought it when I was a little kid and I didn't know any better or have the money to buy a better controller, so I guess I can't add on a controllable Engine.

The .049 motor has a small tank on its back. You fly until the gas runs out. By then you will be high enough to glide around. I would also look for a radio that has rudder and elevator on the right stick(just my preference) a used Futaba Attack or Conquest radio will fit the bill

Jedi,

I just mailed the stuff to you. Let me know if you don't get it and we'll figure something else out...

Ed