| Welcome to my SOARING pages |
| Why remote control gliders ??? This has been a very recent hobby for me. I guess I've always been interested in flight since its a major current that has united humanity and also exascerbated humanities problems of " living together ". But the simplest reason is the garage where I park my Celica has about 50 or so of these remote control planes in it stored near the ceiling above my car. I simply wondered what these would look like in flight......!@#@!? |
| Buying a plane / glider: I would recommend for the first time getting a slow flight plane / glider/ Preferably with speed 400 type engine and the dihedral shaped wings for stability. Also expect that in the process of learning you will smash it up many times, so be prepared on windy / rainy / snowy days to spend some time repairing it. I'm a beginner and so at the moment I am flying a " whisper 1400 ep " motor glider. |
| Teething problems: After buying the plane kit and making it it is a good idea to check the following things: Polarity and trimming on the rudder and tail, propeller (make sure that its screwed on tight and do a test burn before you actually launch the plane. Mine came off in my 3rd flight and casued serious injuries to the plane. Also after 1 flight double check the interior and make sure the battery hasn't moved up front of the cockpit - this will affect weight and also can cause internal damage to the cockpit. Finally test for responsiveness of tbe controller. Sometimes in mid flight my electronics fail due to loose wires which cut out the propeller and cause emergency landings. |
| Weather to fly in: I limit my flights to winds 5 - 10 MPH. It may seem attractive to go higher, but with the classic dihdral shape and 400 speed motor, the plane will probably suffer damage. Also avoid gusty days these are the worst times for flying. |
| How I started: I actually started learning on a 2 channel to motor pusher type plane called " J - bird ". This was lots of fun because it was small and the polycarbon body was virtually indestructible I could take it anywhere in the back of the car and fly it. It also encouraged me to read the wind and appears to glide much better than my larger glider because of its light weight of 300 grams. Later I got myself an Whisper lite EP 1400. It was more easily controllable and I could stay up longer (up to 15 - 20 minutes of flight). It was also more manouverable but more prone to expensive accidents and repair jobs because it is made from balsa wood. |
| Places to soar: I soar in generally underpopulated areas. Usually either out in the country, or on the side of a mountain. My mountain retreat in Japan in good because I get both thermal and updrafts of wind climbing up the mountain. These winds can keep the glider aloft for over 30 minutes if you are experienced. The picture you see is my usual haunt on the slope of a small mountain in Hokkaido.The long grass is great because it cushions any crashes that I may have. |
| My crashes: I have had some spectacular crashes as well as MIA with my planes. The most thrilling slow run crash was with the " Whisper ". I hadn't sufficiently glued the dihedral wings properly and in mid - flight the wings gradually began rising from horizontal to vertical. You can imagine my anxiety as I tried to take the plane down from its soaring height before the wings fell off. Alas just as I was thanking my lucky stars the wings came off and it rocketed into the nearby forest, bounced off a tree and then landed somewhere in the undergrowth.... Did it recover ??? Well, look at my picture ;) |
| My duffle bag complete with waterbottle, industrial tape, and repair kit. |
| Long sleeve shirt to avoid UV radiation. |
| Fanatic's smile. |
| Cap to look cool !! |
| Calves designed for running up the slope of mountains chasing getaway planes. |
| Controller to control my passions. |
| Runner's shoes: To escape the teeth of a low altitude planes, and or misdirected planes. (Ouch !!!) |
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