aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

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How do you prefer to get your glider up in the air?

Hi-Start?

Winch?

Electric Motor? (assuming you have one)

Hand Launch?

Tow launch?

Are there other ways to launch a glider?

FHHuber

Simplest is a hand launch. (Javelin style) Works great especially for slope soaring.

Second easiset is the "Discus Launch" Its a variation of the ahnd launch, where you sling the thing by a wingtip (specially made glider needed... rips Gentle Lady and similar apart) This is now the prevailing method for hand launch competitions gliders.

Third is the "High-Start" This is relatively chap and can be done without an assistant, If you don't find any thermals or other source of lift... you get about 2 to 3 min flying per launch with a typical 2 meter glider. (The discus launchers are approaching that... without the high-start)

The winch can give higher launches(if the field is large enough) than the High-Start, but costs more and is more difficult to set up and take down at the end of the day.

Aero-Towing requires a second,slow flying, powered R/C aircraft, and a pilot who understands how to do it... For beginners, this is a good wy to break 2 planes at one time.

Power pods and electric powering the gliders works very well... but has a weight penalty. Great if you have a relatively small field (Long open area needed for High-Start or winch) and don't have reliable thermal activity.

Each choice has good and bad points... Your location and which glider you are working with will determine what's best.

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

FHHuber gave you all the options. I flew my first RC sailplane in 1949 when RC equipment was large and cumbersome with a severe weight penalty. Later went to a hi-start which will still work with enough space available. Lately I have been flying electrics because I live in the mountains and there are a lot of airplane eating trees. With the new light weight radios and electric gear it's a good way to launch. Geared motors and small high capacity batteries and speed controls you can climb back to altitude if you don't catch a thermal the first time.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Do you have any specific glider that you might recommend for a new glider flyer? Right now I am flying an Aerobird, a three channel electric park flyer. This is my first plane.
http://www1.wildhobbies.com/news/def...&articleid=853

I will likely want an electric that can also be hi-start or winch started as I want to learn how to do them as well. Even if I just use the hi-start to get the plane up and then clime with the motor, I want to be able to use a hi-start. Our field is 1000X1600, so we have the room.

I will want a full house plane, probably 2 meter class, and probably a V tail because they survive grass landings better than a standard tail. We land on grass at my field, no runway. From what I read, polyhedral wing seems to be the way to go.

Rudder, Elevator, Ailerons/flaperons and perhaps a spoiler. Sport and perhaps light local competition. Nothing serious. Preferably under $300 and under $200 would be even better. An ARF for sure. I will most likely buy a computer radio. I am looking at the Futaba 6XAS for the end of this year. I am planning this for the end of the season, maybe Christmas.

airmark

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Rather than a strict Glider aircraft how about a "Powered- sailplane"?

I built at least 4 Goldberg "Gentle Lady" gliders and attempted to launch them using a hi-start, a simple hand launch, a power pod (using a Cox .049), and O.S. .10 mounted on the front after removing the usual nose cone. When a more experienced modeler used a hi-start it worked very well, when I tried it by myself it shot (dragged) the plane down the grass runway and returned the model to a bunch of sticks, broken sticks.

On the second Gentle lady I built I never got the power pod to run reliably but it did carry the plane up to about 15 feet before it turned around and came crashing down w/ the additional weight of the Pod, and reverted to kit form.

Gentle Lady number 3 never flew very high before I hand launched it into a light pole at a high school football stadium. Prior to this, when the model had both its wing and elevator halves, it would seldom rise to over 10 or 12 feet (making flights very short) in the calm air near the Missouri River basin. "Slope soaring" is not much of an option in the Midwest.

The fourth Gentle Lady was "kit bashed" and I mounted a O.S. .10 engine in front with a 2 oz. Johnson & Johnson trial size baby powder container modified for a fuel tank. This version flew very well. It was hand launched and the small motor took it to over 200 ft. The slow flying characteristics of the GL made for an excellent first trainer type plane especially since it landed on its belly making precision landings less important. Unfortunately, this plane was lost a couple years later when it had a violent meeting w/ our club’s shelter-house roof.

The Golberg model is a fine 2-meter kit, you just have to be a little more careful than I was about flying it!

Mark in Missouri

Bill L

ED, My dream was an ODESSEY, which my wife bought for me 1 anniversary ago. I've read a review on it, and saw an Odessey hand launched by a novice pilot in N. E. Ohio, and immediately broke the prop. It seemed to lack power. I've yet to try to fly mine. I have the 2000 mAh 6 cell pack in it, but wonder if 7 cells would be better.
I'm using an esc with brake and bec, so I have no separate radio receiver pack in it, and it weighs what it should by the instructions. I'm trying to get some ideas on this site, but no one is answering my posts on "ODDYSEY!"
Whatever you get, a sailplane pilot at the AMA this week told me light planes sail around well, while the heavier planes are flown with constant control to keep a direction and altitude.
so much for that![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Mark,

You fly your gentle ladies like I fly my Aerobird. We should never fly together!

Mild Bill, I don't know the plane you name, so I can't comment, but make sure your speed control will handle 7 cells before you try it. It should, but just check first.

ChopperCharles

Hi-Start? What's that? Are you talking about the giant rubber band, stake, and the special tensioner tool? Or am I thinking of something else?

Anyways, I've had great luck with this setup in the past. When I was much younger I got a sailplane for Christmas (This is about 1992). It was an RTF styrofoam 1-channel glider. Only rudder control. I had no problems getting the plane aloft with this setup, and it went really, really high. Of course, with no aerilon control and thermals being only wishful thinking, flight always ended up being just a barely controlled descent. I crashed the thing (and epoxied it back together) probably 20 times. I basically crashed (and broke something) every third flight. I still had loads of fun with it. I actually still have it today, but the last crash broke the reciever circuit board, and I haven't soldered it back together yet.

My plan is to convert the glider to a 2-channel setup, and then mounting some rocket engines on the sides of the glider. A couple of D or E engines should bring the thing aloft without the need of the giant rubber band (which by this time is cracked and useless with age). I've also considered a power pod as well, with a cox .049 engine and an extra large fuel tank on top of the wing.

Charles.

FHHuber

A Hi-Start (or High-Start... one is a brand name the other isn't) is essentially a length of surgical tubing (or similar) and 3 to 5 times as much heavy twine (or fish line... but that's not a great idea) with a stake, a ring and a small streamer or parachute.
The stake is driven in the ground, the rubber is affixed to the stake, then the line to the opposite end of the rubber. The ring and streamer go on the other end of the line. Pull back, hook onto the belly of the glider and let go. The glider goes up like a kite.

Problem with this method... an untrimmed or warped aircraft can be uncontrollable durring the launch. Initial launches shoud be made with a small amount of pull. (stretch the rubber 10%, then 25%, then 50%... to a max of appx 200% for surgical tubing) bad habits of hte plane show more as you stretch more. Also, the lighter pulls will help beginners with getting used to this system. (breaking fewer airplanes) The 10% stretch is just barely better than a gentle hand toss test glide.

The reason monofilament fish line is a bad idea: Fishing line will stretch. This can add power to the launch, but if the line snaps, you have a high probablility of the line whipping back at you. Under the tension we give a High-start, the line can cut you severely. Relatively non-strechable line will not do this. I have seen 8 lb fishing line snap back at a fisherman and give a 6 inch long cut on his arm clear to the bone. (we'd be using 25 to 50 lb line... and that could nearly cut your arm off.)

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Quote
<hr>Originally posted by: Bill L
ED, My dream was an ODESSEY, which my wife bought for me 1 anniversary ago. I've read a review on it, and saw an Odessey hand launched by a novice pilot in N. E. Ohio, and immediately broke the prop. It seemed to lack power. I've yet to try to fly mine. I have the 2000 mAh 6 cell pack in it, but wonder if 7 cells would be better.
I'm using an esc with brake and bec, so I have no separate radio receiver pack in it, and it weighs what it should by the instructions. I'm trying to get some ideas on this site, but no one is answering my posts on "ODDYSEY!"
Whatever you get, a sailplane pilot at the AMA this week told me light planes sail around well, while the heavier planes are flown with constant control to keep a direction and altitude.
so much for that![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]<hr>

Bill,

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The proof of the plane is in the flying. If you just want to look at it, fine, but if you want to fly it, then fly it!

At home, put the prop on the motor, mount the plane somewhere, then put the motor on high and just let it run. Time the run to see how long it will go before the motor cuts out. Confirm that you still have surface control.

Recharge and do it again. If your times are consistant, remember them. At full speed continous run, you should get your minimum run time. Subtract 25% from that to be safe and don't exceed that run time until you are very confident with the plaen.

If you have an experienced pilot near you, get some help balancing the plane and making sure the CG is right. Then take it to the field and just hand launch it and see how it glides. Get the plane up over your shoulder, take a few running steps and then heave it out flat and straight into the wind, no motor, and see how she floats out. If it is balanced and trim, it should just float over the ground and settle down gently with very little from you.

If that works, then do it again, but this time turn the motor on. Get it up to full speed and take a couple of steps and launch it into the wind. If it floated before, it should step out and either hold level or start to climb. Reduce power, then cut it, and let it settle down with a little help from your sticks.

If these went well, then it is time to set the bird free.

Top up the battery
make sure all surfaces are right - nothing got bumped in the test flights
Make sure there is nothing moving around inside - nothing loose
Be sure your trims are right on the radio ( nothing got moved)
Do your range check again with the antenna collapsed
Extend the radio antenna - make sure the antenna is fully extended from the receiver

Power to full, face the wind, take a few steps and launch - DON'T OVER CONTROL IT!

If the plane is balanced, it should drop a little, then start to level then start to climb. Don't rush it! Let it climb out at its own pace with just a little elevator if you feel you must. Keep it level and let it climb making a gentle bank to keep it in the field. - Not too high.

When it gets to about 100 feet, cut power or power off, circle the field and land it

Do this 2-3 times, then take a rest, recharge the battery and relax.

Do this until you can reliably put her down gently.

That's enough for one day.

The next time out, make sure you have someone with you with binoculars to help spot the plane because you are going for height.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Quote
<hr>Originally posted by: Bill L

a sailplane pilot at the AMA this week told me light planes sail around well, while the heavier planes are flown with constant control to keep a direction and altitude.
so much for that![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]<hr>

Ignore this. Whether this is true or not doesn't matter. Fly your plane and don't worry about it! What does he know. He never flew your plane. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

AIRB0SS

how to launch gliders?
bottle rockets on wingtips and one fuse longer than the other!!!

flaming wingtips create their own thermals

Waltaz

Oh Good Grief

Walt