Radio Control: Soaring
THE ULTIMATE in the Sailplaner's art is felt by many to be a craft made with modern all-glass technology and completely formed in molds. Fiberglass fuselages have long been made in this manner, but an all-glass ship has molded wings and tail surfaces as well. The top F3B planes such as those built and flown by World Champions Rolf Decker and Reinhard Liese are made this way. Some commercially made Sailplanes like Rowing's Impuls, Fiberglasflugel's Albatross and some big Scale Sailplanes like the Roke DG-202 are made in molded glass. Not too surprisingly all the planes named are made in Germany. The Europeans have been the leaders in this technology-both in full-size Sailplanes and in models.
Radio Control: Soaring
TOLEDO SHOW: The 35th Annual Radio Control Exposition (yes, it started in 1955!) was held April 7-9, 1989. The crowds were their usual huge size, and many exhibitors said business was better than ever. This great RC hobby, in all its facets, just keeps growing and growing! However, there were only a few really new things in Gliders: Bob Sealy's booth was the center of an assem
Radio Control: Soaring
EXCITEMENT in California is being caused this flying season by Mark Allen's new Falcon 880 design. The ship spans 112 in., has a beautifully made Kevlar-reinforced fiberglass fuselage, Selig 3021 airfoil, ailerons/flaps, and balsa-sheeted foam core wings with modified Schuemann plan-form. A distinctive feature is upswept wing tips (outer 10 in.). The all-flying stab and rudder are of built-up balsa construction. Four servos are in the wings for ailerons and flaps, making computer radios like the Airtronics Vision the easiest way to go. The Vision's three-position Launch/Cruise/Speed switch permits presetting the entire trailing edge for the three modes. The "crow" landing configuration (flaps down 90º with ailerons up 25º) makes hitting the spot much more consistent. A regular four-channel radio using "Y" connectors would fly the Falcon, but you'd give up the nice mixing and preset functions.
AMA Nats: RC Soaring
NATS SOARING for 1988 gives us lots to talk about, but the big story has to be Brian Agnew. Brian won all three classes, plus all three special awards! This clean sweep is unprecedented in Nats Soaring history. In looking back over the past 13 years to the first Nats Soaring event in Lake Charles in 1975, no pilot has ever won even two classes, let alone all three! By taking every class, Brian automatically won the Hi Johnson award for the highest score in any one class, and the Lee Renaud award for the highest combined score of all three classes. For the Dan Pruss Team award it was nip and tuck with the Team Oregon guys, but Brian teamed with his father, John, and Lee Montgomery to win that too! Six out of six!
MARCS National Sailplane Symposium
THE 6TH ANNUAL Madison Area RC Society (MARCS) National Sailplane Symposium was held November 12 and 13 at the Ramada Inn in Madison, WI. "The Paths of Future Flight" was the subtitle for these meetings. The objective was to present the latest in the world of RC Soaring and give an indication where our great hobby/sport is headed. It was a full two days of presentations, demonstrations, and discussions. I'm convinced that if there's one thing Sailplaners enjoy as much as flying Gliders, it is talking about Gliders! Also, it's a chance for the midwestern (mainly) Soaring fraternity to have one last big get-together before hibernating in basements for the winter.
