RC Slope Soaring

Author: Greg Schutte

Edition: Model Aviation - 2023/04
Page Numbers: 70, 71, 72

Man building a model airplane in a workshop surrounded by model aircraft

RC SLOPE SOARING

SLOPE
SOARING
KITS

THERE’S SOMETHING AMAZING about taking a pile of raw materials and making something out of it. My uncle is a master RC builder. He builds the most beautiful models. I’m sure you have seen an airplane at the local flying spot that catches your eye as it zooms by. He’s that guy.

The days of going down to the local hobby shop and picking a kit off the wall seem to be a thing of the past. I remember my cousin and I would go down to the hobby shop and we would buy each other the airplane kit we wanted for Christmas. The wives mysteriously always seemed to overlook that part of the Christmas list.

With the internet being the go-to place now, I decided to see what I could find for kits online. The first place I visited was fatlion.com. When I first got into Slope Soaring, I would regularly check this website for updates about new gliders. The site provides links to the different companies that make kits, as well as your basic information on all sorts of glider flying.

I also started a thread on RCGroups asking about kit companies. I wanted to see if any actual manufacturers visited the forum. I did get some useful input and leads. Aloft Hobbies and CR Aircraft both contacted me about their products. North County Flying Machines was also recommended to me by a friend.

Aloft Hobbies has a nice lineup of flying machines to fill the holes in your soul. The company’s micro kits look as though they would be a good fit for the small slopes in your area. Put them in your car and go fly on your lunch break. Its EPP sailplanes will put a spring in your step and be forgiving on your combat landings. New products are continually being released for all different types of Slope Soaring.

Person standing outdoors holding a pink model glider — Ken Hawkins and his Bluto.

CR Aircraft makes some higher-performance items. Chip Greeley informed me that the Turbo S is likely the most popular and well-known CR Aircraft, followed by the Renegade. The Turbo S is a classic “woodie” kit with foam wing cores and a balsa-box fuselage for quick build time, yet it has a wingeron that makes it very much a high-performance sailplane. It is geared to all levels of pilots who have aileron flight capability. A permanent grin will probably be a problem for a few days after flying one of these models!

My friends, Ken and Doug, swear by their Blutos. The Bluto is made by North Country Flying Machines. The kits this company produce are made from EPP foam and will make you wonder whether foam should fly that fast. Ken and Doug both fly their Blutos more often than their other sailplanes. On a good day, they carve the sky

so hard that they literally go home with brain fog and missed moments of time.

Back in the day, I always wanted the EPP F-5 Tiger jet that was made by Magnum Models Performance Aircraft. On a whim, I spent some time going through search engine results. To my surprise, Magnum Models is still around, with a page on Facebook and producing kits. I contacted the company and now there is an F-5 kit sitting on my table. I’m looking forward to building it.

The 93-inch Super Sinbad is made by Hangar One Kits. I found this company by watching YouTube videos. The videos show how this balsa Old-Timer just floats around on the lightest of breezes. The transparent coverings really make the glider pop in the sun.

Andy Clancy Designs is also making kits again. I talked to Andy, and he really has a first-class lineup of models. In addition to

Yellow and black model glider flying over water — CR Aircraft’s fast-looking Turbo S Slope Soaring model. Photo provided by Chip Greeley.

to his powered Lazy Bee, he offers a glider version. His kits have been remastered, and he personally chooses the wood and laser-cuts all of it himself.

The glider kit has a couple of different wing build options for Thermal or Slope flying. True to the Lazy Bee lineup, the glider looks cartoonish in the air, but it’s easy to build and nimble in flight.

You can still find kits on eBay and Amazon, but for this article, I wanted to

A Magnum Models F-5 Tiger EPP kit in an open cardboard box. — The author’s Magnum Models F-5 Tiger EPP kit.

A Lazy Bee glider on the ground. — The Lazy Bee Glider. Photo provided by Andy Clancy and taken by Darcy Olson.

Wood parts, plans, and materials for a Lazy Bee glider kit. — The Lazy Bee Glider kit. Photo provided by Andy Clancy.

highlight some actual kit manufacturers. Although I usually like to scratch-build my stuff, it is nice to know that I can still just see a sailplane, find a kit, buy it, build it, and go fly.

These are just a few kit manufacturers that I ended up finding. There are many more. Great job to the people who still make kits. I have hope for the health and future of our sport.

Fly safely!