RC SLOPE SOARING
FIRST FLIGHTS
By Greg Schutte | gshooty@yahoo.com
TODAY WAS GOING TO be a good day. The forecast was for 20-plus mph wind, and my favorite flying site was looking like the place to be. Pickle Butte, which is located south of Nampa, Idaho, was my destination.
Ken Hawkins and I had some new airplanes to test-fly. I had been trying to maiden my Corsair since I had built it, but the wind just hadn’t been strong enough. I generally build my Slope Soaring airplanes to fly in 10 to 20 mph wind. Those wind speeds are the most prevalent in my area. The Corsair was only the second “big-air” airplane that I have ever built. Ken had his new aircraft to maiden as well. He has a detailed build thread on RCGroups if you want to read about it. The link is in “Sources.”
Upon arrival, I noticed that another pilot was already flying his Slope glider. Roc Cox, who gave the Corsair kit to me, was there waiting to help me launch it. The wind was blowing in at a steady 30 mph and gusting to 40 mph. I connected the power, tested the control surfaces, and we headed for the lip.
Roc was holding the Corsair and I was trying to remain calm. The moment was here. I gave the nod, he gave it a toss, and it went straight out. I found that Roc was between me and the Corsair. He made a better door than a window. With a couple of side hops and wing waggles, I steadied the flight. It was out of trim, so I was flying and adjusting the trims as I usually do on a first flight.
With every pass, I was getting it more dialed in. The other pilot was approximately 45 yards to my left. He was ripping holes in the sky like a Slope Soaring veteran. As I was making a pass to the left, I started a climb and looked down to give a couple more clicks of trim, when I heard a whack!
I looked up, and there were glider parts behind my Corsair. I had just misaired his airplane.
The feeling of joy was suddenly replaced with a feeling of complete dread. I had just destroyed a stranger’s airplane. I was now that guy. To make things worse, the lift was so good that the parts were still going up and landed nearly 1/8 mile behind us, so now I was trying to fly my Corsair and apologize at the same time.
As he was chasing his airplane parts, I noticed that Ken had shown up and was helping him find the pieces. My Corsair
was now trimmed out and was flying the way I had dreamed that it would. It flew as though it was on rails, and boy, was it fast. But I was also that guy. As I turned to do a slow flyby, the wind gusted and pushed my Corsair into the rotor zone. I was now in the washing machine on full chaos cycle. It was coming in and I was just trying to keep it level.
My Corsair went behind a sagebrush and that was the last time I saw it in one piece. Completely stunned by what had happened in the previous 15 minutes, I slowly walked over to see the carnage. I had ripped the wing off and had broken it in two spots. So much for my Corsair. I hadn’t even gotten pictures of it flying.
Ken and the fellow pilot pulled up and showed me what I had done to his airplane. Complete destruction. To make matters worse, it was a balsa crunchy. I guessed that I had better introduce myself. Ken looked at me funny as Doug Turner and I met for the first time—he thought we knew each other. I quickly realized that I had been talking to Doug for quite some time online, but I had never met him in person. I don’t get to fly with Ken very often—our schedules don’t overlap very much—so I look forward to flying with him when the chance arises. Today was a big day for Ken. He had finally finished his 72-inch wingspan Leading Edge Gliders P-51D. He had been working on this aircraft for more than a year.
After a brief show and tell, Doug and I scooped up the P-51 and headed for the launch area. Launching a larger Slope glider requires some thought. Its just not a stroll-up, one-handed “chuckfest.” It is similar to launching a hang glider. It requires a team effort and effective communication.
I was on the nose and body while Doug stabilized the wing. Ken was ready at the controls when we walked slowly up to the edge. Doug stabilized the wingtips and I yelled “clear.” He let go and I waited approximately a second and launched the P-51. It went out straight and smooth. Ken was now committed to performing aviation.
I’ve seen some good-looking, nice-flying Slope sailplanes in my day, and Ken’s P-51 is one of those. It is quiet, fast, and nimble for its size. There were no bad flight characteristics that I could see. Although my day of flying was over, Ken’s was just getting started. He flew a couple of times that day and even managed to land both times without incident. His P-51 was able to go home without needing major repairs.
The day of flying was full of emotions and memories. I finally flew my Corsair that I have been dreaming of for all of those years. It was one of the best and worst flights I’ve had in a while. Although my Corsair is not currently flyable, I have plans to rebuild it with a better spar. It will continue to be my go-to, big-air Slope glider. Hopefully, it won’t be years before I can fly it again.
Doug just finished his Bluto and now has a Sparrow. I’m sorry for destroying your sailplane, Doug, but you were right. It was one of the most impressive midair explosions I’ve ever seen. Ken has since finished the color scheme on his P-51 and it looks nice. Pickle Butte had once again delivered.
Fly safe!
SOURCES:
League of Silent Flight (LSF)
www.silentflight.org
Leading Edge Gliders 72-inch P-51D RCGroups thread
https://bit.ly/3KUXq9A
Leading Edge Gliders
(785) 658-6291
www.leadingedgegliders.com
