RC Soaring
Mike Garton 2733 NE 95th Ave., Ankeny IA 50021 E-mail: mike@iastate.edu
The pictures this month are of a Ka 6e that Steve Betts built from a CNC Modellbautechnik kit. This column begins with a description of the museum-quality, built-up scale kits from CNC Modellbautechnik. Then I'll review two soaring videos: Lift Ticket from Dave Reese and Endless Lift 3 from Paul Naton.
CNC Modellbautechnik kits
CNC Modellbautechnik makes high-end, built-up glider kits. US distributors of these kits are Endless Mountain Models (John Derstine) in the East and ShredAir (Dieter Mahlein) in the West.
Models available (most are 1/3 scale) include:
- Ka 6e (pictured)
- Minimoa (5.66-meter kit)
- Lo 100 (aerobatic glider)
- ASK 18B
- Scheibe L-Spatz
- Ka 1
The kits have scale outlines and scale construction. Ribs are cut from birch plywood with a computer numerically controlled (CNC) router rather than laser-cut. The CNC router avoids burnt edges left by lasers, which has aesthetic benefits and results in stronger glue joints. Most kits use scale wing joiners, while the scale airfoils have been replaced by modern Quabeck airfoils to enhance performance.
Construction features designed to simplify building:
- Ribs have tabs to allow wings to be built flat on a board; tabs are removed after the wing is framed up.
- Precut shear webs lock into place.
- Wooden fuselages include building crutches to facilitate fast, straight assembly.
Kits are not inexpensive: the Ka 6e is currently selling for $1,295; the 5.66-meter Minimoa kit is $1,555. The price pays for a well-engineered, fast-building kit. Ads claim a kit can be framed up in about 150 hours; scratch-building the same aircraft could easily take ten times that amount. See additional detail pictures and specifications on the ShredAir and Endless Mountain Models websites.
Video Reviews
Lift Ticket (Dave Reese)
When Dave Reese asked me to review his first glider video, I was skeptical—Paul Naton's Radio Carbon Art videos set a high bar. The short answer: Lift Ticket competes at that level.
Dave distilled some 50 hours of raw footage into a two-hour video. There is enough material for more than one video; production quality is professional. Paul Naton is even credited as a contributing cameraman in Lift Ticket.
Content highlights:
- Many flights with high-wing-loading slope gliders that are vividly ballistic; some use smoke cartridges on the wingtips.
- Scott Hewett hand-catches his 26-ounce-wing-loading Higgins F20 and even attempts an inverted catch; the video shows failed attempts as well.
- Locations featured across the Western United States include:
- Oregon: Mt. Howard, Imnaha Canyon, Dixie Lookout, Abert Rim, Cape Blanco, Goose Lake
- Washington: Kiona Butte, Eagle Butte, Chandler Butte
- California: Golden Gate Bridge, Sunset State Park, and others
- Additional coverage of scale events in Utah and Southern California
The video includes a 29-minute segment of Scale and Power Slope Scale (PSS), with footage from:
- 1998 Los Banos South Bay Soaring Society Scale event
- Soar Utah '98 at Point of the Mountain and Francis Peak
- Inland Slope Rebels' PSS Spring Fest at Cajon Summit
PSS highlights include gliders with onboard sound systems to emulate jet or machine-gun noises, high-speed half pipes, and many unusual subjects.
There is a segment on slope combat (Los Banos Bash and Kiona Butte) including interviews with Pat Bowman and Joe Wurts. The video shows the first-ever expanded polypropylene (EPP) glider; Pat Bowman is credited with first using EPP for RC gliders around 1996.
The final 42 minutes focus on dynamic soaring (DS) in many locations with many different airplanes. Lift Ticket is currently one of the best videos for watching and learning DS. By showing many permutations of pilots, airplanes, and places, the video makes it easy to see common DS techniques.
About dynamic soaring (DS):
- DS exploits a wind gradient by flying loops or circles so the model flies downwind in fast air and turns around in slower air, gaining speed each cycle.
- The video uses a radar gun; some passes exceed 170 mph.
- Joe Wurts (interviewed) is credited with discovering that RC gliders can be dynamically soared.
- Several clips show multiple airplanes DS together in an "eggbeater" formation.
The DS footage is especially compelling—the sound and speed are thrilling. Lift Ticket is a must-buy for DS alone. This was clearly a labor of love with more quality content than most glider videos.
Endless Lift 3 (Paul Naton / Radio Carbon Art)
Endless Lift 3 differs from the first two Endless Lift videos by acting as a sampler of "what is new and exciting in RC soaring." Paul organizes the video into chapters, each focusing on a different subsport.
Featured chapters and highlights:
- F5B electric gliders: Coverage from the F5B World Championships in San Diego. High-powered electrics are flown for duration, distance, and landing tasks.
- Cross-country (XC) racing: Footage from the Montague (California) Cross Country event. XC racing emphasizes strategy and teamwork and is gaining popularity among thermal-duration pilots.
- Interview with Daryl Perkins (four-time World F3B Champion) about competing and his thoughts on slope racing and thermal-duration contests.
- Dynamic soaring: Includes Paul Naton's Speed Runner clocked at 173 mph at Kiona Butte and examples of DS using pockets of still air on slope fronts.
- Electric glider systems: Dieter Mahlein of ShredAir shows internal components of high-performance electric gliders and demonstrates using electric power to reach otherwise inaccessible flying locations.
- Discus launching history: Phil Pearson and Dick Barker discuss the evolution of discus launching, which has transformed hand-launch glider contests for 1.5-meter class models.
- Scale aerobatic highlights at Chino, California (a subset of Paul's Pro Aerotow footage).
- Alan Cocconi's fly-by-video-camera electric glider: Alan flies from a video monitor inside his van with comprehensive telemetry and navigation data—more systems information than many full-scale cockpits have.
Endless Lift 3 is a polished, professional sampler of many soaring disciplines. If you enjoy seeing different facets of RC soaring—or want broadcast-quality production—you'll appreciate Paul's work. DVDs are available.
Sources
- CNC kits — Western US distributor: ShredAir
Box 10093 Eugene OR 97440 (541) 954-6842 (evenings Pacific Time are best) www.shredair.com
- CNC kits — Eastern US distributor: Endless Mountain Models
RD#3 Box 336 Gillett PA 16925 (570) 596-2392 www.scalesoaring.net/EMM/rand.htm
- Lift Ticket video: Reese Productions
Box 3607 Santa Cruz CA 95063 (831) 475-8662 www.reeseproductions.com/index.html
- Endless Lift 3 video: Radio Carbon Art
Box 2311 Corvallis OR 97339 (541) 752-9661 (10 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific time) www.radiocarbonart.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
