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The joy of slope


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Hi Tim, All,
 
Would love to go sloping again, after all Some of my first RC flights were with a Veron Impala and later A KK Ivory Gull in Bradgate Park which is national trust land and flying of any kind has been banned due to many incidents involving injury to the public. The only other usable sites are Borough Hill which has a very long walk from the nearest parking area and is a 60 mile round trip for me or the Peak District which is the better part of a 100 mile round trip. If anyone knows of a suitable site that is flyable within my area I'll give it a go again.
 
Cheers,
 
Chris.
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The joy of slope - this photo really sums it up for me, a warm summer evening, enjoying the last thermals of the day while the sun sets. This is one end of the spectrum the other, just as special, is flying on a strong wind day up the orme, flying a mouldie with a bellyful of balast screaming around a sombre squally sky.

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Fantastic sunset picture from the Orme CS!!
 
The West facing slope is a wonderful place to be at that time of day when the skies are clear. And often the conditions are at their very best at that time too... forgive me, but here's a couple more sunset shots from the same slope...
 
MB-339 Aermacchi
T-33 Shooting Star (and a big boat)

A very special place for sure!!

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Sloping - yes I love it but it's tricky if there are no slopes around, as several have said.
 
If you live near the sea like I do in Brittany - then go throw your 'sloper' off the nearest cliff!
 
The same rules apply but you need to be pretty careful about wind direction and also the tops of cliffs are seldom the best places to make a landing and flaps are almost a must.
 
The big downside is that if you get it wrong then there is no trudge down the slope to retrieve the pieces - it is a a one way ticket for the model. I recently lost a Luna on its maiden flight as after 3 or 4 minutes the Multiplex radio went into fail safe and did not recover and I had the pleasure of watching my pride and joy make a perfect glide across the sea for several minutes before making an equally perfect landing on the water. It sank 2 hours later!
 
First model for me off a cliff - was a rudder/elevator 100" balsa Elan and that first flight was 40 minutes long, partially because I was too terrified to bring it back over the cliff front and attempt a landing.
 
So look to the sea, you only need a low cliff to succeed and even sand dunes will do the trick with the correct choice of model.
 
Peter
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I'll add my voice from down under, Ibeen flying for 47 years around 27 of those gliders of some sort or other of hills and towlines and bungee's and winches I also flew F4C Scale for many many years . I longer fly Power as Its just not needed as I'n a way I'm lucky that I have a number of soaring sites close at hand and even if there's no wind I can still go out and fly Slermal (slope thermal) . My passion for sclae has never died and still build that way however PSS is the scale I build. I'm the President of 2 clubs here the New South Wales Slope Soaring Association and the West Sydney slope Soarers . we fly 12 months of the year so there really is no season apart from summer is Coastal and winter is inland slope due to the prevailing wind direction . Slope soaring is an addiction with out doubt and one that I never wantto be cured of , becuase of slope flying and forums like these I've made good friend both local and internationally. Slope flying does not have to be a solitary thing but it is what you make it , and for me I make it fun .
Here a vid of one of my PSS models on ity maiden flight at our Manilla slope fest
Sloping you'll never know if you dont give it a go

Edited By stephen wenban on 01/06/2011 22:02:37

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Well I've been up The Bwlch all day today flying the Wrecker. The sun was out and the lift was awwwwesome.
 
I maidened my Wildthing and it was my first time flying at The Bwlch and only my second time sloping. A Maz ing!
 
All was great until the rain came in, then afterwards it took a couple of hours for the lift to return but it wasn't as good as the morning.
 
Met up with a great bunch of guys, Mark, the 3 Chris's, and the Cambridge posse.
 
I'm just hoping they have the forecast wrong for tomorrow so I can get back out there.
 
I'm totally hooked.
 

 
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Hmmm does seem very tempting, I like the idea of not having to pay for motors and speed controllers any good slopes around Bedfordshire?
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The Bwlch is amazing! There are so many slopes you can fly whatever the wind direction.
 
That Wildthing is great as a first time flier, I can best describe it as the WOT4 of sloping. Stable, will tootle along quietly tacking across the slope, or get some speed up and fling it around doing huge great loops, rolls cubans etc.
 
I have a 4 cell, 4.8v 200mah Eneloop pack in it and it only used 22% of the available charge after 4 flights of probably a half hour each. No electric motors, IC engines, fuel etc.
 
Brilliant
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it's how i started r/c flying with a Avoncraft Cub, which i still own and i managed to find a new in box version the other week. The wings are ready but no rush to finish it. i now fly a lot of i.c and electric but still love heading to the hills when the wind isn't favorable at my local field. i own a couple of mouldies and also a fair few foamey flyers i have a new M60 on the build at the moment. my nearest slopes are Horcum a good 50 miles away so a good check of the weather is important before setting off thank you to xcweather (flyingdales) i even flew on the banks of the humber at Paull the other week it was blowing 45mph+. when the wind blows go flying!!!
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Cheers Tim
 
As well as the Cambridge posse there today, there was also a guy from Cornwall who flies at St Agnes. he was talking about going up to the Orme sometime, something I may have to do sometime too.
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I live in the Hatfield are of Herts, can anyone suggest my nearest slopes as I think its time I tried it as normal flying has stopped since these harsh winds?
 
Thanks
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Posted by Steve Houghton 1 on 04/06/2011 23:23:43:
Cheers Tim
 
As well as the Cambridge posse there today, there was also a guy from Cornwall who flies at St Agnes. he was talking about going up to the Orme sometime, something I may have to do sometime too.
 
Theres no maybe about it Steve - you havent lived until you have experienced the glory of a big coastal slope site, and the Orme is one of the best there is.
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Hi Jump Jet
 
Don't know if it will cover your area but try this

Edited By Steve Houghton 1 on 04/06/2011 23:47:18

Edited By Steve Houghton 1 on 04/06/2011 23:48:33

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