Skycam41

Hello sailplane pilots,

I have been flying those slimey powered jobbies for 6 years now and am really excited to try thermal flying. I have almost completed a Skybench Big Bird 100" RES sailplane. You see where I live there are no fellow sailplane flyers and so this is a teach yourself job. I plan to launch from a high start. Are there chaps out there that can give me advice on thermal flying, how to recognise how a thermal effects a sailplane (other than going up like an elevator!), how to seek out thermals etc. Any help appreciated. also, could you lead me in the right dirrection of which Hi-Start is a good one to purchase. I look forward to the peaceful tranquility of flying sailplanes with the added bonus of not needing to take along the glass cleaner and paper towel

Cheers

Mike

Walt-RCU

Mike
Try this link.
http://www.HorizonHobby.com/air/archives.asp

There is a two part artical about thermals

In Arizona they are eazy to find.

Walt

R. Carver

Try posting a message on RCSoaring.com to see if anyone near you flies sailplanes. I thought no one down here did when I started, floundered around on my own before I ran across a fellow online that flew locally. Turns out one of the best soaring clubs in the country is 10 minutes from my house, nicely tucked away
As far as thermalling goes, one thing that you will find is that proper setup and trim is key. This is one area where it really helps to have an experienced glider-guider at your disposal. Some things to keep in mind:
There is no "correct" CG. The correct CG is the one that you are most comfortable with. Don't be afraid to experiment. A forward CG will make your plane more stable, an aft less stable but more responsive to lift.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "how do I know I'm in lift?" About the only standard from plane to plane, whether RE or AE, is that if one wingtip rises or the plane turns uncommanded there could be lift in the opposite direction of the turn. Occasionally the plane WILL get sucked into a thermal if it is strong enough. The plane may raise the nose a bit when entering a thermal, or the tail..it may speed up a bit, or it may stay at the same speed and just go up..depends on the way the plane is set up. Different setups exhibit different traits. MOST of the planes I have seen (mine included) raise the tail a little and speed up.
Once you get to altitude, trim the plane to fly straight at minimum sink, and then just let the plane fly itself. If it veers, that could be lift, turn and check it out. I usually do one circle in the suspect area, and if it isn't going up or at least maintaining, I let the plane fly itself around some more.
BTW, we have a couple of the Skybench Big Birds at the field, I think you're gonna like it.... It's a great flying plane
Keep us updated, and good luck!

Skycam41

Gentlemen,

thankyou all for your replies. Your help is appreciated. I look forward to the spring and more flying.

Just one more thing, can any one help me with the Hi-Start question I had in my original post. I see there are different ones available and am not sure if there is any real difference or just buy the cheapest....thanks is advance

Cheers

Mike

R. Carver

Hollyday...best hi-starts there are.
http://www.hollyday.com/Merchant2/me...tegory_Code=HS

Frank S

I'll second the vote for Hollyday Hi-Starts. I think you should get one with the 3-meter rubber. I have a 2-meter and a 3-meter, and I now launch my 2-meter planes with the heavier (3-meter) rubber. They handle it no problem, and launch much higher.

To figure out the length you need, you'll need about a 500 foot field for a 50 ft. Hi Start.