Author: D. Garwood
Edition: Model Aviation - 1996/10
Page Numbers: 78, 80, 81
,
,

RADIO CONTROL SOARING

Dave Garwood, 5 Birch Lane, Scotia NY 12302

THE LEAGUE OF SILENT FLIGHT (LSF) has been named the Soaring Special Interest Group (SIG) by the AMA. In this role LSF will represent the interests of RC soaring pilots at the AMA, and will shoulder much of the work involved with staging the AMA/LSF National Championships.

The LSF Soaring Accomplishments Program has helped me become a more proficient pilot; this was especially true when I was starting out in RC soaring. The five-step LSF program begins with basic sailplane piloting skills; these include making an accurate landing inside a 10-foot circle, a five-minute thermal flight, and a 15-minute slope flight at Level One. The program leads up to contest wins, two-hour thermal flights, and even five-kilometer declared-goal-and-return flights at Level Five. The LSF Level Five award is a significant achievement—the mark of a competent and well-rounded sailplane pilot. There are only 87 RC soaring pilots in the world who have reached this level.

I also learned that the LSF puts on an awfully good contest, judging by the 1995 AMA/LSF Nationals in Muncie. It was well-planned, well-organized, and well-run. We didn't hear many complaints about the event, and I think many pilots are looking forward to more LSF-run contests.

Interview with Bob Steele, LSF President

Q: Bob, please summarize the LSF's objectives. A: The LSF's objectives are to recognize individual proficiency and accomplishment through a defined program of standard performance criteria (the Soaring Accomplishments Program), and also to foster and support all phases of sporting and competitive activity for RC model sailplanes.

The objectives of this particular board are to strictly adhere to the bylaws, to encourage participation in all forms of LSF activity, and to provide the best-possible service to the individual member.

Q: How will the LSF being appointed the AMA Soaring SIG benefit the LSF? How will it benefit the AMA? A: Benefit to LSF: It will probably give the LSF board some significant input to the rule-making process since all contest board members are LSFers, and we also run the Nats. It should make our job of running the very best contest possible simpler, since there is now a permanent site for such a contest and permanent logistical support for that effort.

Benefit to AMA: They now have a real, live organization supporting the Nats effort.

Q: What differences will individual RC soaring pilots see? A: Those who attend the Nats will continue to see a tightly run, yet very pleasant and enjoyable contest. We want to see costs go down and the fun go up. Those who don't attend should at least find our costs stabilized and our books always in the black. This in itself means good service.

Q: Please say a little about the individual achievement program from the point of view of the LSF leadership. A: The Soaring Accomplishments Program is the heart and soul of LSF. It is used throughout the world as the standard by which other achievement programs are measured. As such, its support is the most important thing we do. The program is virtually unchanged from when it was founded in 1969.

Q: Aside from the Nats, what kinds of support does LSF offer regional and local contests? A: For years LSF has supported LSF Regionals. Basically locally run contests, LSF supplies trophies free. Lately we have very attractive crystal mugs engraved with the LSF logo. Contests, sanctioned or unsanctioned, are recognized for LSF points. There are three chances to score; a minimum number of people must compete for a level to count toward a member trying to achieve it.

Q: What can individual fliers do to support LSF? A: Easy. Strive for Level Five. Help encourage flying buddies to participate.

Q: Thanks, Bob. What's your view of the relationship between AMA and LSF? A: Thanks also to the volunteer effort put forth by other LSF board members and contest volunteers. LSF membership is a source of pride and camaraderie. Anyone interested in soaring should join. To join you must sign a declaration of interest in LSF principles and goals. LSF is a low-overhead organization; it's run by volunteers. There aren't dues; operations are funded by transaction fees.

To join LSF you'll need to enclose $2, cash or check, and a stamped, self-addressed envelope with requests. Additional funds come from contest entry fees, sale of clothing, and other souvenir-type items.

LSF address:

  • League of Silent Flight
  • 10173 St. Joe Rd.
  • Fort Wayne, IN 46835

E-mail addresses of some LSF officers:

The LSF World Wide Web home page:

Crescent Slot How-To

A sailplane with an all-moving horizontal stabilizer has a bellcrank inside the fin. It must have an accurately cut slot to allow the positioning pin to move up and down. If you don't plan a bit and work carefully, it's easy to end up with a big ugly hole (don't ask me how I know!).

For those who want a clean, crescent-shaped slot, try this method of cutting the slot with a motor tool, taught to me by master builder Bob Powers:

  1. Install the bellcrank and the pivot wire support structure into the fin, but not the fin post, as you'll need the bellcrank to pivot out of the way while you're cutting the hole.
  1. Make a tool guide from wood. One end has a hole the diameter of the stabilizer pivot wire, and at the other end has a hole for the shank of the motor tool. The distance between the holes is the spacing between the stabilizer wires; it's easily measured by inserting the wires into one stabilizer half.
  1. Mark the upper and lower limits of the crescent slot on the fin, as estimated by the amount of travel needed. Start small—it's easy to lengthen the slot later.
  1. Fix one end of the guide by slipping it over the stabilizer pivot wire; the other end is held in working location in the fin.
  1. Carefully cut the slot using a small round cutting tool. Again, work conservatively—you can always widen the slot later. The slot width is varied by wiggling the motor tool from side to side as it cuts.
  1. The cutting tool may leave a frayed edge in fiberglass or Kevlar. After hardening the frayed edges with cyanoacrylate (CyA) glue, clean them up with a knife blade or a round file.

Pearls of Soaring Wisdom

Mark Howard, Rocky Mountain Soaring Society newsletter editor, posted "Pearls of Wisdom" on the Internet RC Soaring Exchange (RCSE). The humor of these pearls is exceeded only by their insightfulness and wisdom. Here are five examples:

  • When flying HLG, remember that the best thermals are always just beyond the range of whatever it is that you are flying.
  • The day after you buy a whiz-bang thermaller 2.87V (which has won the last 33 club contests) the club champion will announce that it's now completely obsolete.
  • The wind direction will never change while the winch line is strung out. It will not change while you prepare your ship for launch. It will change when you place the ring on your tow hook.
  • The fastest, farthest-ranging, sleekest, bestest airplanes are the hardest to see. You will discover this during a maiden flight just before your next appointment at the optometrist.
  • If you spend more on your wife than you do on your airplanes, you will fly more often than those who don't.

For the complete list of Mark's 40 pearls, send an E-mail request to Mark at MarkHo@bobndatacq.com, or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

  • Mark Howard
  • 19015 W. 62nd Ave.
  • Golden CO 80403

Cool Tool

There are some tools that you don't know you need until someone points them out to you—then you quickly find out that you can't build models without them.

I've just discovered See-Temp; it's a clear template or pattern-making material that I've joyfully used twice on my last building project, an Icare Sailplanes ASK-21. I used it to make a pattern to cut the plywood aileron mounting plates, and to locate the holes for the wing rods in the molded fuselage.

This stuff works great—it's much easier to use than opaque pattern material. For a price list, send a SASE to See-Temp at Box 105, Sussex, WI 53809; Tel.: (414) 246-3505. You can also jump in with both feet and send $14 for two 21 x 51-inch sheets of the material. You won't be sorry.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.