![]() It's one of the great things I love about flying my gliders just being able to soar around the sky without having to worry about my Tx timer beeping for me to land! RTF vs. No need to land for refueling or replacing a motor battery pack, although you do of course need to keep an eye on the transmitter and receiver battery levels to keep the radio signal strong. If the conditions are favourable with good lift during a rc slope soaring or thermal flying session then you can keep your glider aloft for a very long time. So you can see that radio control gliders offer more than you might expect! RC Gliding = Longer Flights!Ī big advantage that rc gliders and sailplanes have over powered radio control aircraft is that of flight duration Yep, the world record is in excess of 500 m.p.h in the sector of dynamic soaring. Such rc gliders can be very expensive and the faster speeds demand good reactions and co-ordination - this is not the sort of model you want to break due to inexperience!Ībove: a typical 'mouldie', although this one features a 'V' tail as opposed to the usual fin and tailplane.Īnd while on the subject of speed, did you know that the fastest radio control aircraft in the world is a glider?! Not a jet but an rc glider! They can be ballasted up (made heavier) by inserting metal weights into a special ballast tube inside the fuselage and/or wing, and this extra mass gives the glider more inertia and better penetration into the wind ( i.e. These models are typically moulded from glass fibre and/or carbon fibre, and are commonly referred to as mouldies. Of course, different types of rc glider and sailplane have different flight characteristics, and at the other end of the scale the sleek racing gliders can be thrown around the slopes at crazy speeds and in stronger winds. With its beautiful and unmistakable design, the Minimoa makes an excellent scale subject, and they always fly well.Ībove: the Minimoa is another timeless classic. Gliders like the Gentle Lady are very forgiving in the air and won't punish you for making mistakes with your Tx sticks!Īnother timeless classic rc glider, this time a scale type, is the Minimoa. Flying speeds of such gliders are typically slow and their stability gives the pilot plenty of time to react. Simpler 2-channel conventional rc gliders like the timeless Goldberg Gentle Lady for example, shown below, are simple to fly and are inherently very stable, making such gliders perfect for the novice.įlying rc gliders of this type can be a very peaceful and relaxing experience. The more advanced rc gliders and larger sailplanes will have more channels, with additional controls for flaps or spoilers, air brakes, tow line release and retractable nose wheel. Aileron control means that the glider can be rolled more easily, and it just makes the glider more aerobatic and fun to fly.Ī foam delta-wing type glider like the Wildthing is durable, generally speaking, which makes it very beginner-friendly. My SAS Wildthing, pictured right, is one such example of the type.Ī 2-channel glider, although simple, can still be a lot of fun on the slope, particularly if it has aileron control instead of rudder. These gliders are usually just 2-channel with both aileron and elevator controls mixed in to single control surfaces called elevons. The alternative is the delta-wing and 'flying wing' types and these are common for slope soaring. By conventional I mean gliders with a wing, fin and tailplane. Most conventional beginner rc gliders are 2 or 3-channel, with control to either rudder and elevator, aileron and elevator or rudder, aileron and elevator. Simpler rc gliders are excellent for newcomers to the hobby. In the radio control flying hobby, both names may be used to describe a motorless aircraft.Ībove: full size ultralight glider (left) and a sailplane.Ībove: an eclectic mix of RC gliders & sailplanes on my club slope. Sailplanes are specifically designed for sustained unpowered performance, primarily by using columns of warm air (thermals) to keep aloft. For example, man's early attempts at flight were done in simple gliders, and flights were no more than a few hundred feet long.Ī sailplane is simply a glider type. Well, technically speaking a glider is any motorless aircraft capable of stable unpowered flight, even over just a short distance. RC gliders can offer the beginner a very gentle introduction to the radio control flying hobby, but can also offer the experienced rc pilot some truly exhilarating aerobatic and racing opportunities - such is the diversity of radio control gliding.īut what's the difference between the names glider and sailplane ? ![]() Sailplanes) Relaxing or Exhilarating - Your Choice! Home Site search Site Map About Me Contact Me Site FAQ Privacy/Cookie Info Testimonials
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