Radio Control: Soaring
Byron Blakeslee 3134 N. Winnebago Dr. Sedalia, CO 80135
A big part of what makes our RC soaring hobby so interesting is the freedom to continuously innovate and improve the aircraft. Most fliers develop ideas about what makes a better glider. There is nothing stopping any of us from designing and building the world's best, contest‑winning sailplane—except that most of us are too busy to get around to it!
I admire the folks who design, prove out, and actually put their gliders on the market. This month we'll feature two small manufacturers, one that has been around for a couple of years (RnR Products) and a brand new one (Fox Models). But first, a commercial on behalf of the Home Team.
United States F3B Team / Fundraising
Our U.S. F3B Team is made up of pilots Larry Jolly, Daryl Perkins and Joe Wurts, and Team Manager Randy Spencer. In August they will travel to the Netherlands to compete in the RC Soaring World Championships. F3B is presently the only FAI‑recognized class of international model sailplane competition — our Olympics!
Critics have complained that F3B is too competitive or too expensive. Yes, competitive — but sports are supposed to be. Expense is real: commercially available competitive planes run $600 to $800 each, and serious fliers figure on going through a few per season. Still, supporters feel the Team has an excellent shot at winning the Dan Pruss Memorial Team Trophy at the Champs.
Don Edberg is serving as Team Fundraising Chairman and sent this letter:
"Limited F3B Team funding comes from the AMA to cover air transportation and entry fees, but the remainder of the costs must be covered by donations. These costs include overseas car rentals, model box shipping, uniforms, on‑site shelter and other related expenses."
This year the F3B Team is holding a raffle for prizes donated by the hobby industry. Prizes have been requested from over 150 donors. The plan is to give away a round‑trip air ticket to the 1991 World Championships as the Grand Prize. Winners will be drawn at the AMA Nats in Illinois in July.
Raffle and souvenir merchandise (send orders to Soaring Team, P.O. Box 3242, Lakewood, CA 90711‑3242):
- Raffle tickets: $10 each
- Tee shirts (sizes S–XL): $12
- Caps: $10
- Pins: $3
- Patches: $5
- Add 10% onto cost of merchandise for shipping
Synergy 91 — RnR Products
RnR Products (Rich Spicer and Richard Tiltman) offers the Synergy 91, a very competitive F3B ship available for about $600. It is an all‑composite, high‑performance, all‑molded design and comes completely built. Construction highlights and assembly:
- Pre‑colored molded hollow‑core wings
- Stabilizer fabricated of glass and carbon fiber with Rohacell core
- Comes essentially ready: install tow hook, elevator bellcrank, pushrods and servos; connect control surfaces
- Assembly time: about 20–30 hours
- Includes very complete photo‑illustrated building manual
Synergy 91 specs:
- Airfoil: 52‑048
- Span: 116.75 in
- Area: 975 sq in
- Dry weight: 88 oz
- Wing loading: 13 oz/sq ft minimum; 20 oz/sq ft maximum
Other RnR offerings:
- Synergy III (original F3B design) — 120 in span ($650)
- Nova — slope/racing: $250 full kit, $125 semi‑kit
- Evolution — two‑meter: $125 full, $85 semi‑kit
Whether you're into F3B or club thermal contests, both Synergy models make excellent ships. For information and orders, contact: RnR Products 1120 Wrigley Way Milpitas, CA 95035 Tel: 408/WINGS‑51
Scorpions — Fox Models
Fox Models (Mike Fox) is a new manufacturer offering the Scorpion (standard class) and the Lil Scorpion (two‑meter). Both are intended for thermal‑duration competition.
Key features:
- Hand‑laid epoxy/glass fuselage with slip‑off nose
- Bolt‑on wings
- Standard class: three‑piece wing
- Two‑meter (Lil Scorpion): one‑piece wing
- Wing construction: foam cores with balsa sheeting
- Planform: Schuemann wing shape with up‑swept tips
- Airfoil: SD 7037
- Rudder and T‑tail stabilizer built‑up construction
- Controls: ailerons, elevator, rudder and flaps (ACE MicroPro 8000 radio used by designer for mixing)
- Kits include preformed canopy, nose block, plywood servo plates, hinges, pushrods, horns, bellcranks, wheelpants, hardware and photo‑illustrated instructions
Mike Fox's note: "I have been flying about 22 years, 15 years in soaring. Recently I took 3rd with my two‑meter and 7th with my standard class at the 1990 Nats. The designs I am producing are the standard‑class Scorpion and two‑meter Lil Scorpion... Since the Nats and the ACE contest, I have gotten several inquiries about both sailplanes. This led to the idea of kitting them, with my dad as my partner. Both kits include the items listed above and a full set of photo‑illustrated instructions."
Prices:
- Two‑meter (Lil Scorpion): $135 + $7.50 S&H
- Standard (Scorpion): $175 + $7.50 S&H
For more information or to order: Mike Fox 115 N. Thornwood Avenue Davenport, IA 52802 Tel: 319/322‑1244
1991 Desert Classic
F3B competition requires time and money, which limits participants. Last year (1990) Seth Dawson and friends from Phoenix hosted an informal—but strictly run—F3B contest. The 1991 event (held in mid‑February) attracted 18 fliers from Chicago, San Francisco and Denver.
Highlights:
- Seth Dawson won his own contest; Bob Edson (Denver) was second; Robbie Edson third
- Over 250 flights in two days, with two rounds per day and a 25‑minute lunch break on Saturday
- Preregistration and careful planning allowed efficient flying with minimal extra help
- The event demonstrated that a full F3B contest can be run for fun and camaraderie
Bob Edson: "The most notable thing about the contest was that it was a real contest, but flown for fun and the enjoyment of spending a weekend with friends... I would encourage any club considering an F3B contest to contact Seth Dawson for advice."
The RC Channel Analyzer
The RC Channel Analyzer (aka the "Magic Wand") is a handheld device developed by Jim Hauser (Aero Spectra Corp.) to improve safety on the crowded 72 MHz band. Kurt Rosner of Boulder describes its purpose and capabilities.
Overview:
- Simplified spectrum analyzer tailored to RC frequencies
- 2.5‑inch square LCD display; handheld; powered by a 9‑volt battery
- Wideband mode displays the entire 72–73 MHz spectrum at a glance
- Zoom mode focuses on a 120 kHz portion of the band (±60 kHz)
- Mode button toggles modes, announces selected frequency and RC channel number, and shows relative signal strength alphanumerically
- Minimum resolution: 2 kHz in Zoom mode; 20 kHz in wideband mode
- Telescoping antenna used as a signal attenuator; front dial selects signal to analyze
Typical uses:
- Check impounded transmitters: wideband mode shows a sweep when a transmitter is in use; Zoom mode centers and identifies the offending channel
- Detect nearby RCers on the same or adjacent channels, and commercial stations 10 kHz from an RC channel
- Evaluate transmitters for strength, bandwidth and frequency stability (requires practice; use attenuator to keep signal strength in range)
- Learn to recognize AM, FM and PCM signals with practice
The Analyzer is useful for clubs and contest organizers to avoid interference and potential mid‑air losses. Introductory price: $500. Contact: Aero Spectra Corp. Box 3021 Boulder, CO 80307 Tel: 303/499‑2584
Sources for Composite Materials
Frank Weston (Weston Aerodesign) supplies vacuum bagging info and catalogs. He can be reached at Weston Aerodesign, 944 Placid Court, Arnold, MD 21012; Tel: 301/577‑5199. Other sources:
- Aerospace Composite Products — full line of bagging materials for modelers. Free list; send LSASE to P.O. Box 16621, Irvine, CA 92714. Tel: 714/250‑1107.
- Aircraft Spruce & Specialties — homebuilt aircraft supplies; thick catalog ($5). Box 424, Fullerton, CA 92632. Tel: 714/870‑7551.
- Channel 1 Productions — video tapes "How To Vacuum Bag" and "Cutting Foam Cores" ($34.95 + $3.50 P&H each). 19827 Bishops Gate, St. 1, Humble, TX 77338. Tel: 713/540‑3944.
- Composite Aircraft Engineering — hand‑operated "Sucker" vacuum pump, arrow shaft hinges, wood veneer, Show & Tell video. Free list; send LSASE to Box 866, Lapeer, MI 48446. Tel: 313/664‑3330.
- Composite Structures Technology — full line of bagging supplies and Rohacell foam. Free list; send LSASE to Box 4615, Lancaster, CA 93539. Tel: 805/723‑3783.
- Model Research Labs — composite materials. Free list; 25108 Marguerite #160, Mission Viejo, CA 92692.
- Wicks Aircraft Supply — similar offerings to Aircraft Spruce. Tel: 618/654‑7212.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
