[Kevin McGrath]

Im new to gliders and really enjoying the experience.
I started with a stock second hand Bird of Time from the kit and powered with an OS .15.I lost this one evening last summer,down wind,with too much altitude,and daylight fast disapearing.
Got it back a few weeks later with trashed wing and stab but built new ones from a second kit but modified the wings to include spoilers.I have been flying this combo for the last couple of weeks and the spoilers really add to the landing predictability.
Im about ready to fly a second three metre called the Electro Bird which is a European ARF with the BOD wing planform but with much less dihedral and ailerons which I will program as spoilers and flaps too.
Power is an AXI 282612 with a Graupner folding prop and I hope to have this in the air in the next two weeks complete with a Futaba six 2.4 TX so I dont have to worry about blocking frequencies at my home field if I hook a thermal and IM up for a while.
This set up is ideal for travelling to fun flys etc this summer since I can fly it after the days activities without worry about other TXs being turned on for tuning etc...........
I will try to post some photos if there is any interest re these powered models...........

[Noin]

I learned to fly RC planes by flying gliders. I still find the challenge to be very gratifying. It is not as easy and boring as most RC pilots think. Keeping a glider in the air for long periods of time is extremely difficult to do, even in good thermals if you have no instruction on how to do it. I have a Sagita 900 down stairs that I can't wait to get into the air. I just need to put a receiver in it.

[Kevin McGrath]

Put the first flight on the electro bird tonight.Tech Details are exactly as above with a new 2.4 6chnl Futaba.
Did careful checks of all the surfaces and range checks power on /off.
Steve Dew launched for me so I could concentrate on anything scary,but at half throttle it simply climbed straight up like a big free flight.
We were about fifteen minutes in front of a major thunder storm but I had it up long enough to be really thrilled with how smooth it is in turns with the ailerons,and how easily it reacts to lift wanting to stay up there and not come down.
I used the factory location for CG the model balancing perfectly with no ballast and the big three cell LiPo in an easily reached position behind the motor and under the canopy.

[ModelBuilder]

Kevin,

Was the OS .15 engine pylon mounted or in the nose?

Change topic: I think we met at the St Jacobs Rally 2006. If so were you flying a Yak 54. Can you tell me which QQ Yak that was and which engine you used?

Thanks, Bill

[Kevin McGrath]

.15 is simply faired in to the nose with a tiny fuel tank behind it.It works and is a lot cheaper than going electric but one has to decide re goo all over the place,no folding prop,vibration to the airframe etc are worth it...
Given the choice and the budget Id go electric but a good outrunner/controller/LiPo/is going to run in the $300+ range ...You pays yer money.....................
Never owned a Yak and am not familar with the St Jacobs rally........must be some other handsome devil you were talking with.......

[ModelBuilder]

Thanks for the reply Kevin. I had a Bird of Time, should have kept it. The nose mounting I observe works the best. It's a bid plane to launch. It may a good candidate for affordable aero towing. I had a CG Cub and the Bird and towing was the plan. Sold them both. RC Guys are coming out with a 1/5th Agwagon. That would be a good tug. A bird of Time would be the right size.

Maybe one of these days.

Cheers, Bill

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Kevin McGrath

.........must be some other handsome devil you were talking with.......

YA RIGHT said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw!!!!!