Conference vmszoo::rc

    I've seen a couple of aircraft of this type being flown with pretty
    good results. One of them was a Kawasaki 'Tony' of around 50" span and
    had its motor replaced with nose ballast - i.e. it was intended to only
    be used as a slope soarer. I can't remember what the other was, but the
    guy had only removed the prop & taped some polythene over the engine to
    keep the dirt out on landing.
    
    The airfoil is a major factor. If it's symmetrical it will need much
    more lift to give a decent performance. If it's more of a 'fun flyer'
    with a semi or even flat-bottomed section it wouldn't need such a
    strong wind/high hill.
    
    In the UK there's a strong following for this type of PSS aircraft, but
    designed from the outset for slope use. Incidentally, I fly a P51C
    Mustang, designed for slope use, 55" span with an S3021 section.
    
    Hope this helps,
    
    Malcolm

There's a lot of kits available but unfortunately it seems most of the sites are
out on the west coast. A beach cliff site might work with a good prevailing 
onshore wind but we don't have any locally in Central Mass. The Northeast 
Sailplane Products catalog has an entire section devoted to PSS. They do some 
incredible stuff out in Washington state where they flew the 15' B-52 featured 
in the magazines about a year ago. Most of our slope soaring is done with floater
HLGs and 2 meters. Check out the Vern Hunt ads in the magazines.

    There are many kits and plans available for the scratch builder
    who favors Power Scale Slope Soaring.  Really you are only limited
    by your imagination - IF!!!!! and the If is is you have a place to
    fly your creation.
    
    I agree with Jim Reith that it is hard to find acceptable inland
    slopes which generate lift sufficient to keep up PSS ships on the
    East coast.
    
    If you build a light model with a high lift airfoil(E205, S3021, etc)
    as Malcom mentions you might be able to fly it on our modest east
    coast slopes.
    
    I built a Pierce-Aero Ridge Rat with Semi symmetrical airfoil and was
    never able to keep it up on the same hills that I can fly my Multiplex
    Fiesta for hours.
    
    I saw small WWII(50" wingspan) PSS ships fly at Kiona Butte in
    Richland, Washington in approx. 10 mph wind this spring.  The
    performance was awesome - 100 ft. loops(inside and outside), dives
    into the valley followed by 200 ft. vertical rolling pullups.
    There were 1/4 scale ships at this meet, including a P51, but they
    did no fly because wind of at least 30 mph is necessary to support
    these giants.  The 5 meter "glass slippers" flew very well in these
    light conditions, however.
    
    Kiona butte is 1200 ft. above the valley floor, has a slope of 60
    degrees and no trees.  If you want to go to soaring heaven - this is
    it.  If you can build it- you can fly it here.  The thermals are also
    tremendous as this is a desert environment.  You can drive to the
    top of the slope and there is a parking area and flat landing area
    behind the slope.   This is just one of several sites available
    in the  Richland area.  I am planning to take a "soaring vacation"
    here some day.  Enough rambling.
    
                                                 regards,
    
                                                 Jim 

RCM also published plans for a P-51 slope soarer about 5 years back. I built
the thing before I realized finding a place to fly it was going to be a 
problem. It's still hanging up in my shop collecting dust. I was given a 
Dynaflight Mustang  40 for Christmas last year and in comparing the two they're
just about identical in size.

    Thanks for the replies!
    
               I have never gotten into RC flying, but I have always had a 
    place in the back of my mind that took off when seeing a glider, and this 
    sounded pretty neat.   Conway NH has an airport that has full scale
    gliders that you can take lessons with.  Kind of a dream that may, or
    may not get lived out.  RC gliders seem to be the next best thing to
    being there.  :^)
               I guess my concern for a site to try it is valid.  I live in
    Maine, and have never seen anyone doing this sort of thing. 
    
               Another question......please pardon my ignorance. ;^)
    Would a high start work on this type of plane?    I was looking at a
    Dynaflight funscale mustang, or a spitfire.  The airfoils look to be
    pretty good from what little I understand so far.  I just don't want to
    try something, when I'm destined for failure....  no different than
    anyone else I guess.
    
    
                            thanks for the info,
    
                                               Gil

I built a modified Sig Ninja with twin fins to look something like an F-15. I 
put a tow hook on it and had some fun with it. This one was heavy so it didn't 
slope too well at our slope site but it was pretty impressive when it came 
screaming down in a split S after launch. Trouble was I beat the parachute down 
every flight so the fun was offset by the walking.

The Downeast Soaring Club has a slope site and does some significant slope 
soaring in Maine. The former president is Ken Baker and his phone number is 
listed in the glider contest topic. I'm not sure where they flue but it was 
almost 2 hours north of the sod farm they used to use in Biddeford. I don't 
know where this is with regards to you.

    Gil,
    
       There is a group in Maine that slope soars.  I remember reading
    about them in Radio Control Soaring Digest(I think).  This club
    group builds the same ships and holds one design funflys/competitions.
    I believe the club had built Southwinds for thermal soaring and
    was using Bob MArtin Duralene fuselages with club cut foam S3021
    wings.  As the article stated, they would build extra wings and
    stabs to have as replacements for the inevitable breakage that
    occurs when learning to slope soar.
    
    Sounds like a good group to get in touch with.
    
                                                     Regards,
    
                                                     Jim 

That's the DSC group. They wanted about $35 for the DSC-1 club kit. We used 
one of the fuselages for a baseball bat at one of the thermal contests.