Good acro gliders

[jimbo]

I was flying it in 25-30 knts today, was going like a train, I have also flown in 15knts, and it flew fine. If you get one, get flaps as the pop up airbrakes arent particularly nice to use (i only have airbrakes).

I would post a pic but this forum forces me to shrink the picture to 20pixels by 20 due to silly size contraints (guys you need to up the max file size nothing taken with a modern camera is allowed, too large).

[Peter Balcombe]

20x20 seems to be very odd Jimbo as I can resize a photo from a modern camera to something like 800 x800 or so & it works fine.

[Simon WS]

Jerry i have got a Top model Swift and a Valenta Salto and whilst i like them both very much i wouldn't contemplate doing square loops with the Swift with its foam wings whereas i think the Salto is pretty much indestructible in the air.
I've got a Purbeck 4.7m Fox which has fantastic slope presence but you do need a good launcher (we are toying with Terrys idea of bungee but we're a bit nervous!)

Simon

[Geoff Pearce]

Just a thought about bungys, would you have two stakes and a bungy rubber along the slope ? and the glider hook in the middle
Pull back to form a triangle till stretched then let er go.
Or any other suggestions ?

[RobbieB]

'................I would post a pic but this forum forces me to shrink the picture to 20pixels by 20 due to silly size contraints (guys you need to up the max file size nothing taken with a modern camera is allowed, too large).

The forum does not have any restriction on physical image dimensions - no matter what size the submitted image is the forum software is set to automatically reduce it to a max. of 1350 x 900px - whichever is the larger.

There is a file size restriction of 400Kb per image and that is to conserve server space.

I think you are confusing the maximum thumbnail size of 20 x 20 pixels here and that is also done automatically by the forum software.

[Jerry]

i have got a Top model Swift Simon

Thanks Simon, which Swift do you have? 3.14m or 3.73m? How do you find it goes? Nice axial rolls, holds momentum etc? Any problems or vices? Decent quality?
I've done square loops with my 4M Fox with foam wings, maybe I shouldn't call them square, the corners are sensibly rounded. I'm also curious how well it stays up when the lift isn't so great, which I suspect the 3.74m should be slightly better, but probably also less sensible for doing anything too aggressive with. Curious to know how much I'll be able to use one, if it is a 15mph (on our slopes which aren't great) model, or if it will still be usable on slightly less windy days.
Also which Salto? Carbon, D-box or glass?

would you have two stakes and a bungy rubber along the slope ?

For us anything on the ground is a no go. Either risk of sheep etc., eating it (so they say) or public tripping over it. Also these days the grass is anything but smooth, not sure I'd want to risk hitting a tussock with nose or a wingtip with a load of tension still in the bunjee.

get flaps as the pop up airbrakes aren't particularly nice to use

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know there was a choice. Makes sense.

Thanks,
Jerry

[jimbo]

Hi jerry, I also have a 4m s2g fox. Is this the one you have? I love the fox but if you want some something more aerobatic, responsive, you need to reduce the span which the l213 does 2,8m or so. Tbh the fox and the l213 excel in similar wind strengths. I doubt a salto of a similar span would be much different to your fox. The larger models have more presence but the shorter span have presence but are better to chuck about.

[VinceC]

Have you considered the free plan on this site for the Inteco L-213 which performs well
http://www.scalesoaring.co.uk/VINTAGE/D ... Plans.html

[Jerry]

Hi jerry, I also have a 4m s2g fox. Is this the one you have?

How did you guess that - I guess there aren't that many foam winged 4m Fox!

S2G Fox

I do also have a VoltiJ which I use for the more aerobatic flying, but the Fox as you say has the presence. I'm looking for something between them really, which I can launch myself, but still has the presence which is why I was thinking along the lines of a 3.1m Swift - which I suspect would be flown in similar conditions to the Fox - just I can launch it myself. The L213 is a tad smaller, but would still work.
I think the Valenta Salto should go in lighter conditions - certainly I saw one flying last week on a day I wouldn't consider taking the Fox. Certainly according to Phil at http://www.glidermania.co.uk/products/salto.html

does offer excellent all round performance be it slope, thermal, speed or aerobatics.

Have you considered the free plan on this site for the Inteco L-213

That's not me I'm afraid. The only model I've built is my ex Phase6 (I enjoyed that until someone flew into me while I was flying it - distracted me enough to loose it).
Even my ex Rippin 2.2m Fox http://www.rc-tronics-topp-rippin.de/Sh ... 934k5c1e70 was a challenge for me to build - again, flew great - never did work out what happened to that, lost elevator control. The wheel on that now lives on in the 4m Fox! I didn't realise they were still available until I just checked - hmmm.. not quite what I was after, but...
Jerry

[jimbo]

It depends on the wing section generally. Some better in lighter some in stronger. My 2,9m lunak has thermally section and goes better than the l213 in light air. Prolly my favourite scalie, a joy to fly, and a real looker. No one makes a kit in 3m size, this is a scratch built.