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Classic designs and slope soarers with 'soul'


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  • 13 years later...

Nostalgia. 😄

 

Monterey 1971.

(This my first RC glider along with a Dave Hughs "Soacerer (1969).

I started slope soaring in the mid-1970's and a couple of friends recommended the Monterey. Very elegant & and will fly on a sniff of lift.

 

This is actually my second version re-furbished with a repaired tail and scraps of Solarfilm.

So probably this one late 70's. I still have the wings from my first one hung up in the garage but doubt in their integrity ? 

Monterey.thumb.jpeg.0ad5de2cec029f901fb5f0c277e19d54.jpeg

 

https://aerofred.com/details.php?image_id=96563&mode=search

 

 

Edited by John Wagg
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These are the 'classic kippers' for me:  the Cybernetics 'Zenith',  Fossy's original Phase-2 and of course Ken's Suzy-Que:

At the time there would be a slope soaring comp somewhere almost every weekend, always a similar format,

pattern aerobatics, freestyle aerobatics & pylon racing - I loved this period.  Me & my pals would be around 14 or 15 & Dad

would take us up & down the country in his Commer van, Ivinghoe, Clwyd, Wildboarclough, Crook Peak, and of course Ringinglow...

Happy days 😊

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cybernetics_zenith2_ivinghoe_1969.jpg

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11 hours ago, Simon Burch 1 said:

Here's my Kema 90 at St Agnes Head in June 2021, with a view looking south-west along the North Cornwall coast.  Little did we know at the time that slope soaring would soon be banned along this entire stretch of coast.....

 

Banned? Wow. Were there problems? Who manages the land?

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2 hours ago, Matthew Lloyd said:

Banned? Wow. Were there problems? Who manages the land?

It's owned by the National Trust but, as I understand it, the NT is following the advice of Natural England.  Many recreational activities have been affected.  It's intended to protect ground and cliff-nesting birds, seals and other wildlife, even though there is, as far as I know, no evidence that slope soaring affects wildlife.  There's a campaign underway to have the ban lifted at St Agnes Head, but no joy yet.  The BMFA is on the case too.

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3 hours ago, Simon Burch 1 said:

It's owned by the National Trust but, as I understand it, the NT is following the advice of Natural England.  Many recreational activities have been affected.  It's intended to protect ground and cliff-nesting birds, seals and other wildlife, even though there is, as far as I know, no evidence that slope soaring affects wildlife.  There's a campaign underway to have the ban lifted at St Agnes Head, but no joy yet.  The BMFA is on the case too.

I understand. Hard to make exceptions.

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I am still flying my version of this sweet little DCU Stryker at the local slope after I picked it up at a local hobby shop 20 years ago.

 

Slope is a 300m high 'V' shaped funnel with a handy public car park at the top and it faces the predominately westerly winds in this part of the world.

 

The only occasional problem are the local wedgetail eagles that like to share a thermal.

 

They are over 6' wingspan and can pick up a lamb.

 

So far we just respect each other.

 

Chris

DCU Stryker.jpg

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AVENGER - 50 inch span.

Another one from the 70s and designed by Bill Grundy.

Back then I could cream it down the side of Parlick, let go the sticks and it would do two loops on it's own. 🙂

Just 2 channel, ailerons and all moving elevator.

The one below I built a couple of years back.  But the Avenger has a problem with the "T" tail in it is a bit flimsy.

If landed askew the tail is liable to crack with the weight of the tailplane being high up.

Av3.thumb.jpg.c369eb52140125b40de4c3aafafe0627.jpg

 

 

 

Av4.thumb.jpg.76ef56ee34080dacfdb6f4ca0c255329.jpg

 

First trip to the hills and sideswiped a clump of rushes which caused the "rudder" to crack.

My answer - redesign the tail as a standard elevator and problem solved, but lost its design ethos. 

Avenger7.thumb.jpeg.046c2d9fd927414a7f8f5cb99d1cdb20.jpeg

 

Another mod' I would do is to fit 2 mini servos, one in each wings instead of a single in the fuselage.

The plan design uses a piano wire in tube (just can see it in the wings) which can cause slop and affects the aileron centering. 

 

( P.S. Parlick seems to have got a lot  higher and steeper these last 40 years. 🥴 )

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  • 3 weeks later...

Maiden flight behind me now 🙂  Still some trimming to sort out - I ran out of down trim. Home in one piece so I call that a result. Hard to find easterly slopes around here, I've been getting the maps out as it's been easterly winds for what seems like weeks now. As my car is off the road I've been using my camper, and the BoT fits in it nicely fully rigged!

Spoilers rather over powerful: they dump all the lift and pitch the model steeply down. I may try shorter arms on the servos or switch to a different channel so I can be progressive rather than on or off with them.

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Thank you Frank - I've just read up on this and now assigned the spoilers to the throttle (JR pcm9x), and mixed in some elevator too.

It is a beautiful spot, but in an easterly the slope isn't very wide, but VERY high! Caer Caradoc, near Bucknell, Shropshire - close to my studio in Leintwardine.

Edited by Matthew Lloyd
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Seychelle plan is here. https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=11120

 

I agree, one of the loveliest designs. I built the same kit (in 1981) that Andy Green has. The wing section on the plan  has a vicious stall, the model needs to be flown fast. I keep threatening on building another but I'll probably use a wing section that is a bit more 'me' friendly. 

Edited by Martyn K
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14 hours ago, Matthew Lloyd said:

Thank you Frank - I've just read up on this and now assigned the spoilers to the throttle (JR pcm9x), and mixed in some elevator too.

It is a beautiful spot, but in an easterly the slope isn't very wide, but VERY high! Caer Caradoc, near Bucknell, Shropshire - close to my studio in Leintwardine.

I've flown off the Long Mynd a few times but not that site.

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