RADIO CONTROL: SOARING
Byron Blakeslee 3134 N. Winnebago Dr., Sedalia, CO 80135
Airtronics teams up with Flite Lite Composites (FLC)
Airtronics announced in March that it will assume responsibility for marketing the complete line of Flite Lite Composites sailplanes, including the Falcon, the Thermal Eagle, and other sailplane and electric kits.
Flite Lite will continue manufacturing fuselages, wings, stabs, and other parts in its Windsor, northern California shop. In southern California, Airtronics Specialty Division (ASD), under the direction of Tim Renaud, will handle kit accessories, drawings, instructions, packaging, and shipping.
A new toll-free number, (800) 621-3072, will put you in touch with an Airtronics sailplane specialist (probably Tim). Kits can be ordered by phone using Visa or MasterCard.
I believe the evolutionary process leads to better things, and this partnership should benefit the soaring hobby: more variety of designs, nicer kits, better flight performance, improved service, and more choices. Airtronics, long known as the Cadillac of sailplane kits, combined with Flite Lite should mark another big step forward.
It was a milestone in 1989 when Mark Allen, then owner of Flite Lite Composites, introduced the Falcon 880. The Falcon was the forerunner of the "new breed" of competition sailplanes—wingspans between 112 and 118 inches and four servos in the wings. The Falcon was a tremendous hit, and demand outpaced Mark's production capacity, creating long waiting lists.
Mark preferred design and development, so he sold Flite Lite to Ron Vann, a northern California slope-racing specialist. Ron moved to a larger shop, increased production, and caught up with demand. Mark continued with design work and has several new ships in the works.
To strengthen manufacturing, Ron teamed up with Fred Weaver, a top California sailplane competition pilot. Fred is committed to investing in improved production tooling to build higher quality and greater durability into FLC kits.
Mark Allen retained the rights to the all-molded F3B Eagle and is manufacturing and selling this design under his new company, Allen Development. The entire U.S. F3B Team will fly F3B Eagles in the upcoming World Championships in Israel. The F3B Eagle lists for $900. Mark can be reached at (707) 778-2252.
Airtronics press release (excerpt)
Airtronics announced it will be selling high-performance sailplanes and electric aircraft manufactured by Flite Lite Composites. The combination of Airtronics' quality and engineering with Flite Lite's composite construction technology is intended to set a new standard for quality and performance.
Each kit will include an epoxy fiberglass fuselage made with a unique wet-seaming process that eliminates the usual joining tape, resulting in lighter and stronger parts. Wings and stabs will be pre-sheeted foam cores with obechi veneer epoxied at the factory. Spars, root ribs, and joiner tubes are installed, and wings include carbon-fiber reinforcement and glass or carbon cloth where required. Servo pockets and hingelines are machine-routed to reduce building time.
The package includes hardware such as control cables and linkages, hinging tape, wing and stab fittings, tow hooks, and custom composite control horns. Detailed plans and comprehensive instructions cover assembly, radio installation, electric motor and battery combinations, and flight setup.
"We're excited about providing you with the finest in electric and soaring performance."
RnR Genesis flight report (Rich Beardsley)
RnR Products' new Genesis 113-inch-span sailplane (introduced by Steve Condon) was flight-tested by Rich Beardsley of Vacaville, CA.
Rich reports that the Genesis is based on RnR's F3B Synergy III but is smaller and much lighter, using the SD7037 thermal airfoil on a 113-inch wing. The prototype weighed 72 ounces with Airtronics 141 servos in the wings and standard-size servos in the fuselage; lighter servos can bring weight below 70 ounces.
The Genesis launches straight even in breezy conditions and can stay up in marginal lift. Rich found it unusually stable in turns, requiring almost no top aileron to stay in a medium-banked turn. It will stand on a wingtip with full up without hint of tip-stalling, and straight-ahead stalls are benign. It slows and accelerates without losing much altitude.
Landing is excellent: with about 7 mph winds and full flaps, the Genesis approaches at about a 45° angle and stops where it touches down. Rich's landings scored in the high 80s to 90s on four flights. He concludes the Genesis will be hard to beat in upcoming contests and is equally suitable for sport flying.
The kit is almost-ready-to-fly: molded parts with a pre-colored gloss gelcoat finish, hollow-core wing of fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Rohacell, and a three-piece wing for easy transport. The Genesis is available for $489 plus UPS charges. Demand has created a waiting list; call RnR at (408) 946-4751 or write RnR Products, 1120 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 for the current delivery schedule.
New receivers from JR
JR radios first arrived in the U.S. in the early 1980s via Circus Hobbies. JR equipment is now imported by Horizon Hobby Distributors of Champaign, Illinois, and marketed through hobby shops and mail-order outlets.
JR introduced the thin "Credit Card" six-channel PCM and FM receivers. They measure 0.55 x 2.06 x 1.43 inches and weigh one ounce. The FM model #226 lists for $190; the PCM model #236 lists for $195. Because the receiver is small, light, and offers six channels (useful for modern sailplanes with four wing servos plus elevator and rudder), it is well suited for sailplane use.
JR uses an updated version of its anti-blocking cross-modulation and windowing circuitry in these receivers. An independent lab reportedly found the new receivers had the highest on-channel capture point recorded and excellent 3IM, 2IM, and adjacent-channel rejection.
Where to buy: Hobby Horn (Pete Young's Harbor Soaring Society newsletter noted this) carries an extensive list of JR gear. Hobby Horn, owned by Bob Sliff, has the #226 FM Credit Card receiver for $120; or offered as part of JR Max and Max 6 radio set deals. Hobby Horn is at 15173 Moran St., Westminster, CA 92683; Tel.: (714) 895-6629.
Modi Javelin hand-launch
Hand-launch gliders (60-inch max wingspan) are increasing in popularity due to their convenience for quick field flying.
Greco Technologies' first hand launcher, the Javelin, is a pod-and-boom design. The fiberglass pod has Kevlar strips for strength; the boom is a black fiberglass tube that allows the receiver antenna to be run inside. Carbon-fiber wing-joiner reinforcement is recommended.
Wings are white foam with obechi sheeting, single-taper planform with polyhedral, using the SD7037 airfoil. Stabilators and rudder are built-up tails with film covering.
Specifications:
- Weight: 14 ounces
- Wingspan: 59 inches
- Wing area: 380 in²
- Wing loading: 3.5 oz/ft²
- Fuselage length: 30.5 inches
- Aspect ratio: 8.8:1
A micro receiver and two micro servos are required. For information contact Greco Technologies, P.O. Box 10, South Pasadena, CA 91031; Tel.: (213) 680-2070.
Aero-towing sources
Robin Lehman is a leading U.S. proponent of aero-towing model gliders. Towing is more common in Europe and can be hard to visualize until you see it.
Names and contacts for towing groups:
- Robin Lehman — (212) 744-0405 or (516) 283-3313. Located near Westhampton, Long Island; tows up to 1/2-size gliders.
- Dan Trocelli — (714) 831-8013. Southern California; tows up to 1/3-size gliders.
- Richard Szabo — (414) 831-8013. Wisconsin; tows smaller gliders.
- Chuck Zabinski — (716) 223-1182. President of the Rochester Aero Model Society; tows up to 1/4-size gliders.
- Vince Lopez — (303) 234-9760. Denver-area group tows from the tail of the towplane (as full scale); they use a 1/3-scale Super Cub and tow up to 1/3-scale gliders.
Robin notes that people most interested in towing often have friends who fly power; with cooperation and frequency courtesy, gliders and motorplanes can mix. A videotape showing Robin aero-towing and releasable towline installations is available for $15 postpaid from John F. Clarke, 911 Convair Ave., New Hyde Park, NY 11040.
F.Y.I.—Model Flight 1993 (Don Edberg)
F.Y.I.—Model Flight is a comprehensive reference for modelers. Its sections include:
- Yellow pages: products sorted into 265 categories with company phone numbers.
- White pages: detailed listings for over 1,500 sources with addresses, phones, fax numbers, product lists, and ordering info.
- Comparative tables: statistics for six aircraft types (control line, free flight, R/C power, sailplanes, electrics, helicopters), motors, and RC systems.
- Club and shop listings: more than 2,500 model clubs and hobby shops listed alphabetically by city.
Price: $19.95 (includes U.S. shipping). California residents add $1.55 sales tax. First-class mailing is $1.40 extra. Outside the U.S., write for price. Order (item DEM102) from Dynamic Modeler, 1422 Rochelle Ave., Irvine, CA 92714. Tel.: (714) 552-1812.
National Sailplane Symposium Proceedings (1992 and back issues)
1992 Proceedings books are available for $12. The annual fall symposium, sponsored by the Madison Area R/C Club, is a premier technical gathering. Back issues are offered at reduced prices:
- 1983–84: $7
- 1985–86: $7
- 1986–87: $8
- 1987–88: $9
- 1989–90: $10
Shipping is $3 per book in the U.S., $6 elsewhere. Package deals:
- Full set (1983–1992): $75 within the U.S.; $80 elsewhere.
- Last four books ('87, '88, '89, '92) set: $45 postpaid within the U.S.; $50 elsewhere.
The 1992 volume contains 11 papers on topics from frequency management and instrumentation to sailplane aerodynamics and piloting techniques, with presenters including Walt Good, Tim Renaud, Al Doig, Martin Simons, Maynard Hill, and others.
Proceedings are distributed by Al Scidmore, 5013 Dorset Dr., Madison, WI 53711. For a full listing of topics and contents, send an SASE to Al.
League of Silent Flight (LSF) National R/C Soaring Championships
The second annual LSF National R/C Soaring Championships will be held in Vincennes, Indiana, from August 7 to August 14. Events include:
- Thermal duration (man-on-man format)
- F3B
- F3J
- Scale
- Cross Country
- Hand Launch
- Sportsman Multi-Task (SMT)
- Unofficial event: Hand Launch Golf
All events except Hand Launch Golf and Cross Country will be flown at Lincoln High School in Vincennes (a spacious site used for LSF 1992 and AMA soaring events in 1990–1991). All 50 channels will be used.
Entry limits:
- Thermal duration: 7 entries per channel
- F3B, F3J, SMT, Hand Launch: 5 entries per channel
- Hand Launch Golf and Cross Country: 1 per channel
To receive an entry form, send an SASE to Mike Stump, 607 Washington St., Cadillac, MI 49601.
Masters of Soaring (fifth annual)
The Masters of Soaring will be held September 11–12 at the Toledo Weak Signals R/C Club field (between Detroit, MI and Toledo, OH). This is the first time the Masters will be held outside southern California.
Eligibility (pilot must meet one of the following):
- Won a two-day contest and a national or regional contest
- Set a national soaring record
- Hold LSF rank of Level V
- Completed contest requirements for Level V and hold rank of Level IV
Contest Director: Art Slagle. Participants are limited to the first 100 respondents to a special invitation mailed in April. If you qualify and did not receive an invitation, call Art evenings at (313) 477-2228. Mail: Art Slagle, 26314 Kiltartan, Farmington Hills, MI 48334.
F3B/USA newsletter
F3B/USA is a nonprofit newsletter devoted to F3B multitask soaring and slope racing. Started in 1988 by Randy Reynolds, it is now edited and published by George Spitzer of Pasadena. The January/February 1993 issue features bio-sketches of the 1993 F3B Team and an "Up Close and Personal" interview with Daryl Perkins. George plans feature articles and technical content from top contributors.
Subscription rates (U.S.):
- $12 for one year (six issues)
- $22 for two years
Contact: F3B/USA, 872 N. Catalina, Pasadena, CA 91106; Tel.: (818) 796-5024.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
