A few weekends ago, I spent time and money travelling to our local westerly slope on the promise from the met office of a half decent blow.
On arrival and rigging, I discover the 9mph is probably more like 5-6 and my discus being a little heavy would very likely struggle. I waited for half an hour then bottled it, packed up and went home. If i had taken my little ASW28 with motor in the nose, I could have had a couple of hours of gliding time, safe in the knowledge that if the wind was a bit tricksy, then my well loved model could be saved from the rocks and ocean below.
Every model I own, scale or not will be getting a motor if it's viable, technology has saved our already 'niche of a niche' hobby from the abyss as far as I'm concerned.
I realise this discussion centres on the scale nature of the hobby and that's why we're all members of scale soaring, but I do think that the ability to fly pretty much anywhere with added safety must have a great bearing on the promotion and hopefully expansion of this side of model aeronautics.
I am able to fly scale gliders pretty much any decent day now, in the field over the road, I don't need a bungee (not terribly scale) just a pocket full of lipos and the absence of enquiring cows; it's really put some pep back into my aeromodelling.
I've just ordered a scale profile spinner from Schambeck to adapt my Let Ash26 (1/3 scale) which will be very scale once I've found a real one with a FES on t'internet
As an aside, do the scale police take issue with say a 1/4 scale tug pulling up a 1/3 scale glider?
Ell.