My first R/C saiplane was Dave Robelen's Kestral rudder-only plane
which I beleive was in Model Airplane News, approx 1970. The
sheeted hollow core wing had no spars, T-Tail, 6 ft, tissue doped over
balsa. I used a Controlaire Galloping ghost TX on 27.145, single
channel RX with transistor switching powering a Adams Actuator (no
relation). Still have the entire RC system. Wish I could
find the schematics for the switching unit.
That was followed by Mark Smith's Windward with a Kraft KP3C ratio
(still have it too), and then a Graupner Cirrus. The Cirrus
served me well enough all the way through my LSF 5 Slope flight (4 C
alkalines near the CG). I have been flying a more "robust" Cirrus
(my second, but I still have the original at 35 years) for 5 years and
it is going STRONG.
If you guys have been to Visalia the last 4-5 years, you will have
seen the Yellow Bird appearing to nearly fold the wings on the current
launch winches, then flatten the wings on a so-call zoom.
Everyone generally yells at me not to fold the wings! After 30
years, I think I know how to fly it by now. Besides, it is
probably the oldest flying plane there both in actual age as well as
design. Working on molds to reproduce the fuse, and have the
clear canopy pulled. It doesn't do well in the wind, but it sure
outclimbs most current ships.
As for Gordy and HLG, I have my original 66" HLG I flew in Dave
Thronburg's 1979 HLG contest. Guys, if I show up with it at
any DLG contest, can I get it "grandfathered" in as an exception
to fly it as having been a pioneer in HLG contests? It originally
had a Themral sensor in it too!
Chris Adams
LSF 348 Lvl 5 (#8)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [RCSE] First Sailplane
From: Fritz Bien <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri, June 30, 2006 12:04 pm
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], soaring@airage.com
At 01:16 PM 6/30/2006, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Dave Thornburg's (all sheet balsa) Zephyr (initially with one-channel escapement) circa 1968. Any other older-than-dirt contemporaries still alive out there? Good Lift!
Hi Skip,
I'm still flying a Graupner Clou, though I no longer use my Kraft Custom reed set. My Ecktronics Nomad needs new tissue, and its Kraft K3VK has long given up the (galloping) ghost.
-Fritz
