recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

Could someone please recomend a good 1st timer sloaper ,and some do's and don't tips. Thanks

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

Do you fly now? Can yo fly a aileron/elevator plane? Will your site be high lift?

If you are just starting, a foam powered glider may be the ticket to help you out of a bad situation if needed. if yo uhave 50 years of powered plane experience something else may be best and also do you build? Do you want to build this, or do you want a ARF?

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

Need flight experience first

Then goals - gentle trainer or advanced aerobat

Carbon, glass, wood or foam?

$50, $500, $5000

What radio will you be using?

Approx height of slope and typical wind speed.

What is the landing area like?


Assuming little flying experience, foam, gentle trainer, $200 or less for plane, basic radio, slope of 25 feet and typical wind speeds of 6-12 mph with a tight landing area, or rough landing area.

Easy Glider
Or
Radian if you want a gentle e-glider


Give us more info!

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

what type of a slope do you fly on? What are the average windspeeds? What type of landing areas do you have? All these answers are needed before anything can be recommended.

papermache

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

forgot the most important question - how deep are your pockets?

papermache

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

Avoid the large gliders. Slope can be rougher on airframes than thermal, and the longer the wings, the easier they are to ball up on landing.

You don't need the self-righting you need for thermal, nor the ability to fly in low lift, so polyhedral isn't really needed nor are floaters. If you want a Gentle Lady type, no problem, but you don't need them and they too are often a bit fragile.

A number of thermal flyers and I started sloping with zero experience and we balled up a bunch of good thermal birds discovering what works. Truth is, you can slope just about anything. Matter of fact, I sloped a .40 Bridi Trainer during that time. Won $20 doing it too. Just pulled the prop and threw the sucker off the hill. It was really pretty good and it's tricycle gear helped more than hurt. Its almost flat, aileron wing gave it good control.

The landings will be a deciding detail on size and ruggedness. How big is your landing area and how rough? That's what you need to consider first.

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

Windrider Bee.

It will last forever and teach you basics and serve as a "wind dummy" in later years to test the conditions. They also fly in very marginal lift. Everyone should have one (or another lightweight "Zagi Type" wing) for that reason alone.

Joe

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

If you're new to slope soaring, and the terrain is a little rough, go for something casual, cheap and indestructable such as a MUGI made of Correx. You can build them for <$20.

Then if you find you like slope soaring, then get a little more expensive plane - something with ailerons, there are thousands to choose from, all depends on how much you want to spend and how involved you want to become in the sport.

Stay away from rudder/elevator, you will find it maybe boring after a while, go for aileron/elevator.

Get a glider with around a 1m wingspan then. Don't immediately go for something super fast - you need to be comforatable with it, and more important, you need toenjoy it, not battle withit.

Cheers

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

Whoa! First of all let me thank you all for responding with such enthusem. Let me try to answer some of your questions posed to me. Iv'e always wanted to do this .I'm a experenced nitro pilot, and builder, I Live in the high desert of Nevada ele 4.800'. The mountain of the Sierra Nevada provides plenty of wind through out the year. I don't know any body in my area that flys sloapers, theres 1 or 2 guys fro the field that said they might be interested in doing this The spot that I thought I'd choose to launch is what looks like a giant 60' burm with a 45 degree that drops into a canyon. The wind is always blows up this burm ,the terain is scetchy with sage rocks but the launch spot has light gravel and sand. My radio is a JR7202, as for my pockets ask me on our second date.
Happy flying NJ

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

With the rough landing zone I suggest an elapor plane like this-

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXUTV3&P=7

It's very tough and if you wanted you could put a power system on it. Good luck in your decision and your flying.

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

Thanks Evan ,I think that might do,

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

OMG, no don't start with a Blizzard. Keep to a foamy for your first slope plane. No tail or long fuse as these can break easily on a slope or rocky cliff. Slope flying is easy, but until you learn about wind rotors and down drafts, you need to stick with something that is robust. A Zagi has to be the best known slope plane in the world. It's great to learn on, but is also a favorite for all expert slope flyers. It is also virtually impossible to damage and is fun to combat once you've got the hang of it.

Check it out here

http://www.zagi.com/index.php?main_p...&products_id=4

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

A blizzard is a foamy, elapor foam, very tough....

I see alot of zagi's being flown and I just don't get it, they look like crap and fly so so... The do take abuse well, but as far as an airplane I don't see the appeal..

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

I'm leaning on somthing with a more conventional look, but i do like the low price of the zaggi,

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

How about the Graupner Discus? I cost about $60-70 and fly great.

http://www.graupner.de/en/newsdetail...5-829dd97f9d50

RE: recomending a 1st time slope plane
 

It also performs very well on slope wind. Mine even flies in "slope" wind from dikes around where I live (only about 15-20' high!), AUW is around 320 grams with 2xHTX500 for ailerons/flaps and one for elevator. Instead of the very heavy nimh battery I'm using right now I've ordered a motor, lipo and folding prop @ united hobbies of the same weight so it can also fly without wind (it will actually thermal pretty well, Iwas amazed about that!)

One hint:the connection of the tail to the elevator is horrible, you should make that removable for transport!