Taking the RC Dart Glider to the Backside

Sometimes taking a risk is a good thing, other times maybe not but this post is not about the stock market. I had put together a RC sailplane with some modifications with the intent to slope soar it and to use it for dynamic soaring. I had added ailerons and stiffened an already strong wing with carbon fiber and Monocote covering. After the first session of flying it on the slope there was a minor crack in the fuselage so I added additional fiberglass, a hard crash with this glider probably would not be good.

My last flying session started with flying the foam Super Scooter which can take some real hard knocks without damage. I try to DS this glider and find it difficult to get more than about three laps. My feeling is this is like using training wheels; chances are I will not wreck the glider with a mistake. To make it work at all the flying has to be really smooth and close to the backside of the hill. Foam gliders will DS better on larger hills but a small hill was what I have to work with.

After struggling to stay up on the front side of the hill and a few of the 3 lap backside circuits I decided to fly the Dart again. What a difference, it was flying high over the front side; I tried a loop; that was easy. Finally I got up my nerve and made a pass around the backside; that was really easy. I tried it again but with more circuits and letting it go farther out over the front side.  It was like flying a controline model doing the nice round circuits. It sure was easier than the flying the foam glider.

I was flying with a friend who agreed to get video of my flying but now the conditions were not as good. Even on the front side I was struggling to keep the Dart up, it seemed windy enough but the lift just wasn’t there.  On the early DS flight I was able to dive from a good altitude with really good speed and that made it easy. Now I came into the back slower and the speed remained slower. It was getting time to leave and the wind appeared to be really gusty at times. 

Foam Super Scooter

Looking back I was glad I took the risk of trying DS with the fragile glider.  One cannot ride their bike with training wheels forever and I need to fly gliders that will work better with the hill I have available.  If I could go out there again and fly 50 DS circuits consecutively I have to believe my skill would improve.

Bill Kuhl
http://www.ideas-inspire.com

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