qldviking

Hi I am looking to replace my old glider, and I am looking for plans or kit for a thermal/soarer, balsa/ply construction in the 160"-180" ws size range. can anyone help me?
cheers Johnno

scalenut07

There are several plans, partial kits and full kits at www.skybench.com. Great company and you should find something like you are looking for there.

soarrich

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I have a Paramount plan set, I think RCM Plans sold them, it's for a 13~14 foot poly sailplane with flaps, kind of a Paragon on steroids.

qldviking

I have had a look at the RCM plans, the biggest they had was 100"ws
soarrich, do you have photos or pictures of your set? would you be interested in selling?
cheers Johnno

soarrich

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I had not thought about selling the plans, I sold the kit, 1 of 17[:@] Let me see if I can find them, as I remember them they where two hugh sheets.

I picked this info off the net:

As for the plane itself, it is 156" in span (13'), carries 1700 sq in of area and should weigh in at about 6.5 - 7 lbs and the airfoil is a semi symetrical section of unknown design (at least unknown to me). It features a huge flying stab and flap for landing...no spoilers and a huge rudder. The wing is a 3 piece affair that is rubber banded to the fuse. The center sectio center section is one piece with split flaps and 2 plug in outer panels. Ed Slobod designed this huge airplane and dated the plans 6-81.

I only saw one of these fly and that was sometime in the early eighties when I still lived in Michigan. I read an article once that said this was a great TD airplane with the flap, but that the tip panels tended to flutter if flown to fast. Perhaps diagonal bracing would help that out during construction.

qldviking

I had the same problem with my old glider, so I did the same, diagonal bracing all along the wing, and also fitted ailerons too. I bought it of an elderly gent who's eyesight failed and no longer flew, and he often joined me at the cliffs when I flew it. Unfortunately he is no longer with us, and I havent a clue what the model the glider is or who designed it, just remember he built it in the late 70's. It had a 176" ws, a length of 82" and was build as R/E only with a fully live tailplane as T-tail with both servo's under the wing. I lost it 3rd flight after a refit, tailplane pivot was getting a little wobbly, and rudder needed rehinging, I also fitted new servo's, battery and rx for my DX7, and 20 sec's after a good bungy launch I lost all radio conact with it, and she shortly there after dived and was totalled.

soarrich

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I found the plans, two very large sheets. It builds into a plane that looks like this, (the picture is of it's little brother the MTS). It has a flat bottomed airfoil with Philph's entery in it. Let me know if you are still interested.

qldviking

that looks exactly like what I am looking for what is the ws? I am very definately interested, shoot me a pm and we sort out something
cheers johnno

aeajr

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Don't know if you found what you were looking for. If you are still looking, these are the largest wing spans I see on the Skybench site.

CLOUD BOUND 4

Wingspan: 144" in.
Wing area: 1278 sq. in.
Wing loading: 9 oz./sq. in.
Lee Renaud's Aquila airfoil


Carl Lorber's Thermal Queen

144" wing span Eppler 385 airfoil
Nothing floats as good as this one.
Laser cut plywood and balsa


Cross Country ARF - 170"
http://www.rnrproducts.com/airframes/gliders/xbxc.htm


This guy had a Sagitta XCountry at one point
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=930414

qldviking

Hi Ed,
thank you for those links, I have emailed/pm'd about both the bigger gliders. I am also getting a copy of the plans soarrich has. I will always be interested in any Large gliders 160+" ws, and I am always on the look out for plans or kits. unfortunately, after losing my ex, I also lost a lot of my rc gear, invcluding box's of kits and plans I loved flying that big old timer, was very relaxing and very enjoyable, and I miss it greatly
cheers Johnno

aeajr

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How do you launch those big gliders? A winch I presume.

qldviking

I have either used bungy launching or slope. The winches I have seen in action I would not have trusted my old gliders to stand up to a hard launch like that. I guess my bungy set up was under powered but it did get them up enough to find lift. I* need to find a new rubber tube set though, mine just about past its use by date, so will be looking for something with a bit more ooomph. any ideas?

soarrich

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Winches are easier on sailplanes than bungees are. You have just been watching the 2K style of winch launch. The 80"s style of winch launch is to load up the winch to about 1 1/2 times the weight of the sailplane, then throw it, then tap the winch pedal only enough to keep the sailplane FLYING up the line. With 10mph of wind you can kite a sailplane up after the launch.

qldviking

the only winch I saw used was with one of the new composite gliders, they just hit a switch and it ripped right up, no pedal at all, just on and auto shut of from a ring in the cable

soarrich

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That's not for you! I bet my winch has more power, 57 Ford long-shaft 6v on 12v, and I can launch a Gentle Lady on it.

qldviking

my old bungy set up is 100 feet of 1/4 surgical tube with 500 feet of 130 game fishing dacron, rubber is perished badly in places now, so will need a new one soon. Not sure what to get, havent found anything better here in aussie. I would prefer to stay with bungy, I am used to it and have good fields to use it. Just need a set up for big gliders, I have kits for a BoT, sailaire dreamcatcher and several plans coming, up to 210"ws, and 18lbs, so will be busy for while to come once they all get here