Some questions about gliding!

[DL8698]

I just got a Mini Storm Launcher for my birthday and I'm hooked on RC flying (Again!). It's really incredible how a little styrofoam thing like the Mini Storm Launcher can really fly! I saw it in stores before but never thought they can actually fly.

I did a bit of RC gliding with a electric motor powered Goldberg Electra many years ago on a little resort island in Maldives when I was posted there to work for a year. Unfortunately after a few flights and before I could really fly it that well, it crashed into a coconut tree and I could not mend it properly to fly straight, so now it is lying in the hangar (my attic).

I would like to take up RC gliding again but so far have not had the guts to try it on my own here in Singapore with houses, houses everywhere. (Fear of crashing into someone's bedroom)

I have flown solo in real gliders before (long, long ago) and I think Gliding is the purest form of flying, be it RC or in the real thing. In fact I always think flying RC is harder than flying from the cockpit, due to orientation problem. Sometimes it gets real hard to see if the RC plane is heading to or from you.

I wonder if I may join any of you who fly at Bedok Reservoir or any area on the east side when you fly.

Please leave a note here on this forum or to my email if this is possible.

[DL8698]

A little info about Thermals

If you fly gliders near large bodies of water, like Bedok Reservoir, keep in mind that water heats up more slowly than land. This means that when the sun is blazing hot, the rising air (ie thermals) tends to be over the land, especially roads, buildings, etc.

However, if you are flying when the sun is setting, land loses heat much faster than water, thus the thermals will now be over the body of water.

Also, watch out for soaring birds, like eagles. They are soaring in thermals, go and join them. If the eagles attack your glider, run for it!

If your glider does not have spoilers or speed brakes, try side slipping to lose altitude in strong thermals or trying to land but you think you are going to overshoot. (Side slipping is where you point the nose of the plane slightly away from the line of flight with rudder and push the nose down slightly to increase speed and compensate for the slight loss of lift. Sometimes this is referred to as crossed controls)

[DL8698]

(Side slipping is where you point the nose of the plane slightly away from the line of flight with rudder and push the nose down slightly to increase speed and compensate for the slight loss of lift. Sometimes this is referred to as crossed controls)

I should mention that side slipping may not be possible if your plane does not have ailerons, as you need to put in OPPOSITE aileron input during side slipping, eg right rudder and left roll control to prevent the left wing from rising (thus the term "crossed controls")

[viper1990]

Thanks for these infomations which makes me kinda have an urge to fly glider planes.

Well,i do have a few questions about thermals.

Firstly , how do you catch a thermal.., let me rephrase.., how do you find something that is invisible?

I saw some websites giving tips on how to catch thermals..but its pretty complicated stuffs. Flying eagles are a dead give away that thermals are present
but what if there are no eagles? Do i search patterns in the clouds so i can deduce where the thermals are located?

I read a thread in RC groups about someone catching their first thermal, he flown it for around 45mins powerless.(i got excited as i carry on reading).


Qoute from the very excited guy
"Just wanted to share an experience. Yesterday, I was flying my miss2 good wind, wanted a long flight(testing newly installed air scoop to handle motor cooling) so I figured I would take her up really high. As I was on the way up I noticed two buzzards over head and figured I would join 'em. I must have had it up around 500 feet or so. The miss2 has a really huge wing (54 1/3") and I could hardly see it. Weather was crystal clear, bright sunshine. Maybe I was over 500 feet, anyway, started getting a little worried, now, getting even higher. Well, started giving it some down stick hoping it would come down a little. The buzzards were now below the plane and it was still climbing,,,WITH NO THROTTLE. I was getting really worried by this time, could hardly see it. Started dialing in down trim to get it down. I was up for about 45+ minutes (1700mah) and still had battery when I landed. The air scoop worked. The motor was cool to the touch,,no problem, worked like a champ. Can say my first thermal was a little scary,,way cool though. Cruz"


If catching a thermal and flying for 30+minutes powerless is possible in singapore, i would really love to give it a shot! free energy flying!

[joe yap]

It is not easy to find a good one. But when you got a good one, you'll start to get worried when it got really high and you really wish that your plane is equipped with spoilers.

[Sunstorm]

Well, you need to see if thermals are present, I guess.

Check for cumulus clouds.



And I've seen days so blistering hot that I can see the convection of the air just above the roads.

Never caught one myself, if I did I might panic.

Viper; your wing can probably handle some thermals. I've read on RCgroups that some guys can fly their Zagi's for an hour when they caught a thermal.

[viper1990]

Cool,ok , thanks for that extra info!

something interesting to do with my wing! i'll give it a try tomorrow! Fly my wing really really high up hope i catch a thermal (i don't think i will even know i caught it or not) and cut power.

I never flown my wing higher then about... 16 stories high (i know because i once fly over HDB flats )

I shall read up on guides how to catch a thermal!, if anyone has any great helping points , i'm all ears!

[Touch n Go]

Cool,ok , thanks for that extra info!

something interesting to do with my wing! i'll give it a try tomorrow! Fly my wing really really high up hope i catch a thermal (i don't think i will even know i caught it or not) and cut power.

I never flown my wing higher then about... 16 stories high (i know because i once fly over HDB flats )

I shall read up on guides how to catch a thermal!, if anyone has any great helping points , i'm all ears!

been flyin my ehawk 1.4m at tuas, abt 20over stories high (kinda low) , but i stil get abt 1hr of flight time.
i find that when u catch a thermal, the plane wil glide and gain height or it wil stay around the same area for quite awhile before it starts to drop height. at high altitude, i'm able to put down my tx and take a sip and abit of stretching.
its fun to fly gliders, been able to catch the technique is even more fun.im stil learning with my new ehawk 1.5m

[Sunstorm]

Oooh, Viper, one of these days we must go 'winging' at Jurong West field! I'm itching to try out our wings over there.

[viper1990]

haha...sure. Let me know if you are going to jurong west field! I think i can make it anydays cause i live pretty near there. Prefer weekends afternoons-evenings.

Oh ya, that is also if i didn't destory my wing before i go flying at jurong west field! haha

[Sunstorm]

I managed to get something like a thermal today, was flying at Punggol Beach, and saw one of those hawks circling overhead, then I cut power and loosed the controls, after trimming the wing to fly in a circle. Surprisingly the wing didn't loose height, and seemed to be gaining height too. Was afraid it would go too far, so after about 5 mins of circling, I took it into a dive towards me. After was more confident, so tried it again, but didn't have the nerve to fly that high. Overall I got 40 mins out of a 1800 mah battery, which was quite good, I'm also quite badly sunburnt - was flying at 11am.

[ammo]

Erm ok, i don't know what got me interested in gliding suddenly..., maybe because it can last very long in the air will good flying skills.

ok ,anyway i am creating this tread because i have questions about thermals and winds and location to fly.

I'll seen most post about gliding in this forums..states that bedok reservoir is an ideal place to fly because of the slope.

Anyway i stay at the west side of singapore so it'll be most unlikely i travel so far just to fly a glider there

My area in the west is facing Tengah airbase... yep, means lots of wind comming in from the north side. No building interference. (i'll post a pic i show facing tengah airbase which is in the forested area)

Ok..next is whether if is possible if a glider is thrown off a HDB building with wind blowing head on. Because my house is facing direactly towards a considerbly large field (what you see is 1/3 of the whole field)

It is true that building/roads give off more thermal then grass fields

Erm, those reading my tread and don't know what i'm talking about..i'll summarise haha..

1) it is possible to control a glider that is tossed off a building

The building as a cliff wall and getting 'slope' wind does work marginally.
However, it is not consistent and often have several 'pitholes' in the lift if u're near the building. I think it's due to the 'leakiness' of our HDB blocks.

[nixaad]

I managed to get something like a thermal today, was flying at Punggol Beach, and saw one of those hawks circling overhead, then I cut power and loosed the controls, after trimming the wing to fly in a circle. Surprisingly the wing didn't loose height, and seemed to be gaining height too. Was afraid it would go too far, so after about 5 mins of circling, I took it into a dive towards me. After was more confident, so tried it again, but didn't have the nerve to fly that high. Overall I got 40 mins out of a 1800 mah battery, which was quite good, I'm also quite badly sunburnt - was flying at 11am.

Don't forget this next time..

[Sunstorm]

Yes. I also recommend



this for burns treatment. Used it after canoeing trips.

Next time I wear jungle hat and sunblock to fly.

[Cycross]

For a bit of luxury