Ernie Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hi Guys, It's time to build and fly a flat field glider. Any ideas for a suitable model? I can fly (15 years on IC) I must build it myself, preferrably with a wonderful built up wing. Also, exactly how do I get it up there, I don't fancy doing a Ben Johnson across a field, and I'd rather avoid the complexity of an electric winch. How exactly does bungee work, what sort of flight times can I expect, say in still air? ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Ernie a bungee is elastic type rope knocked into the ground with a tent peg or similar, on the model end of the bungee you have some fishing line type stuff with a matal ring to attatch to the hook on your model (dont forget to attach a flag or phute down the line so you can find it). Attatch the model and get the tension the in line and release and watch the model fly with the power of the bungee till it gets past a point and then the ring will fall off the hook on the model and then fly away! You can make a bungee for a fiver as have a look around B&Q for some elastic cord! The length will depend on the model size but its cheap as chips per metre!! In still air I cant emagine a glider flying for very long unless you could find some lift... I am not a model glider expert but the principles are the same as a full size one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Leigh Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 You can get a "DLG" that you throw from a wingtip but looks pretty hard work! Not sure there are any from a plan. Failing that Bungee is about your only option and it's all a bit tedious from the videos I've seen. If you get some good thermal you could stay up for ages, but otherwise, it'll be quite short flights for quite a lot of effort. Have you considered an electric with a small motor just to get you up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 ernie-i tried the bungee way of getting a glider up last year-it's ok if your glider is lightly loaded-you'll enjoy the first couple of go's-after that the novelty will sharp wear off-try a built up job with a small motor in-even a scale(fournier) or similar.......unless your a glutton for punishment...sometime's it's a pain laying out the bungee at a club site as it get's in the way of other flyer's....the time with a heli incident was something else.................'s...... ken anderson............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I agree... electric assisted glider is the way to go Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260 Flyer Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 First off NEVER use a tent peg or similar on a bungee, you will be in the direct firing line of a ballistic missile when it pulls out of the ground. People have been killed doing this! Use a large corkscrew type dog stake. The cotton covered bungee cord is ok for still air (not much use here then!) but the best for light to moderate winds is latex surgical tubing. Bungee tubing. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Unfortunately bungee is not that cheap an option, though it does work well IF YOU GET THE RIGHT BUNGEE! The one Rob has linked to is the sort of thing that will launch 12' soarers easily. I used one for years to get 120" gliders up. Nowadays though, I'd opt for electric. For the same cost as a bungee you can get a 2-300W motor, controller + 3s lipo if you shop around. As for a builders model, search for the Bird of Time, or look for the Flair Sunrise. The Sunrise is really a calm weather model, with undecambered wing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Hi Guys, Thanks for all that. It really is a great help. So, one more plea for assistance...Can anyone suggest a KIT that I can mail order from the UK for a biggish (100") electric powered soarer. I'd like it to be capable of basic aeros, and a really good build. Also it must of course look abfab ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Ernie I think you are on a semi-nostalga path. There are not that many good, glider kits these days, I guess even plans are thin on the ground. These are a list of those good machines i have seen recently a) Bird of Time or BOT b) Sagitta 900, Lee Renauld design. plans c) Mean Machine. I would steer clear of the d) Gentle Lady, Carl Goldberg, just a floater. In this day and age none of them will compete with "mouldies", which outperform any of the models of yesteryear, both in speed range or robustness. In short they out thermal, the best from the 80s. A slight hitch if converting one of these older machines to electric, is that the massive and strong spars are not required for the launch phase, hence they can be lighter, yet pretty strong. The performance penalty is small, but as they say, when lost, "I would not start from hear". Erfolg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Hi Erfolg, It's not a semi nostalga path, its a full blown job. I do see what you mean about modern Hi tech stuff. But I do love building. For me, a new building project is as big a buzz as that elusive perfect flight, and when the wee boy on the flightline asks "hey mister did you build that" I can grow a few feet Thanks again ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I personaly would opt for the Sagitta, competed in the past in "World Championships", a fersome 2m model with airolons. It has a body reminiscent of some GF models. Although the body is complex, being made with 1/8 ply sides, spruce longerons, with substantial 3/8 triangular section, it is very light and strong. That is because you remove a lot of the corners, the tail section is near to a boom. The wing is Eppler 205, so gas a very good speed range and it can out thermal most of "the best of the rest". Models such as the Gentle Lady, can not live withit in any circumstance. It is excellent electifyed also. Other than that the "Clean Machine" is great, as are many others from this era. I still fly my 3m Algebra electified, although that is all GF, foam and skinned wings. Erfolg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Satinet Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 check out the skybench big bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThumbs Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 (edited) On 06/06/2009 at 18:03, Tom Satinet said: check out the skybench big bird. Skybench Big Bird....I built one with an electric motor, with flaps...flies beautifully. Edited August 21, 2022 by AllThumbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThumbs Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 (edited) On 06/06/2009 at 14:16, Erfolg said: I personaly would opt for the Sagitta, competed in the past in "World Championships", a fersome 2m model with airolons. It has a body reminiscent of some GF models. Although the body is complex, being made with 1/8 ply sides, spruce longerons, with substantial 3/8 triangular section, it is very light and strong. That is because you remove a lot of the corners, the tail section is near to a boom. The wing is Eppler 205, so gas a very good speed range and it can out thermal most of "the best of the rest". Models such as the Gentle Lady, can not live withit in any circumstance. It is excellent electifyed also. Other than that the "Clean Machine" is great, as are many others from this era. I still fly my 3m Algebra electified, although that is all GF, foam and skinned wings. Erfolg The Sagitta 900 was my third sailplane, after flying an Airtronics Olympic 650 and a Midway Models Gnome 2M during the rather long build of the Sagitta. Beautiful sailplane, thermaled well, could come back home from a downwind run as well. You can get the short kits and plans for the 900/600 from various sources, and FG fuselages. There is a copy of the 900 by another company. Altezza (carolinacustomkits.com) Like many of the 900s, I lost mine after two seasosn due to the infamous pine block/carrier tube issue that holds the very short steel wing rod. Wings folded on the winch, despite the Lee Renaud/Al Doig "fix" that was recommeded and done during my 900 build. Modern kevlar thread and Carbon Fiber may offer a better "fix". I could never throw my 900 in the trash after all that work, so years later I restored it: Sagitta 900 - Return of the Living Dead - RC Groups The details of the fix described at post #42 Edited August 21, 2022 by AllThumbs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 Another option is the Aeronaut Triple with the RES or Thermic wings, lovely kit and you can build it either as a pure glider or electric. Both launch on the bungee very well. Bungee launching is good fun and without the electric motor crutch you do have to look for the thermals, don't find a thermal and you'll be back on the ground in under two minutes, find a thermal or two and flight time will be when you need a coffee break. We'd use our bungee more, but our field is restricted to certain wind directions and we don't use it if we have sheep in the field. This site gives a good description of bungee launching. As for the stake to hold the bungee a corkscrew dog restraint is a good secure option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outrunner Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 Why do folk's reply to a question asked 13 years ago?🤷♂️ 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Outrunner said: Why do folk's reply to a question asked 13 years ago?🤷♂️ Maybe to help people who want a good flat field glider today! These are not really my thing but there is a German company which sells kits which enthusiasts admire. Their F5J gliders are particularly well thought of. Good prices too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThumbs Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 On 22/08/2022 at 03:54, Outrunner said: Why do folk's reply to a question asked 13 years ago?🤷♂️ Search functions allow Time Travel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 On 22/08/2022 at 10:28, David Davis said: there is a German company which sells kits which enthusiasts admire. Their F5J gliders are particularly well thought of. Good prices too. That would be Hollein presumably? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 12 hours ago, Trevor said: That would be Hollein presumably? Yes. I particularly like the "Introduction" myself and would choose one if I were ever to build a flat field glider. https://www.hoelleinshop.com/Planes-Helicopters-Quadcopters/Planes/Electric-gliders/Hoellein/INTRODUCTION-F5J-low-priced-starter-model-for-F5J-2860mm.htm?shop=hoellein_e&SessionId=&a=article&ProdNr=GRU2015&t=49301&c=12327&p=12327 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 Available from Hyperflight here in the UK. Introduction F5J 2.9m - RC Models - Electric F5J Gliders (hyperflight.co.uk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.