What plane is the most fun to fly? :)

[e-sailpilot86]

I'm having difficulty picking out a built-up floater, so I want some help with my choice. Most likely, I'll buy whatever plane is at the Puyallup model expo, or I'll buy a plane from a fellow clubmate. So, either pick a plane in the poll, or mention in the thread what floater you've had the most fun with. All need to be big floaters! :)

Go ahead and make multiple choices... :o

[Vince inTX.]

I vote for the Paragon is a fantastic floater.....but to answer your question.

It is mostly a matter of personal preference and your definition of fun. Your list is far too short to cover all of the "personal preferences" that you will encounter in this forum. And I'm sure that in the end they would all get about the same amount of votes. As for your definition of fun.... Do you like just floaters? Do you want a floater that you can stretch way down wind and still enough "legs" to get back? Are you looking for something to fly when the lift at the slope is lite? Do you want a plane that you have to fly or a glorified Freeflight. I.e. set the trims and watch it go? What is fun for one is not necessarily fun for all. I find flying my Paragon to be relaxing because there is very little "flying" happening on my part. Flying my full house 2 meter is fun because I like the challange of taking an active role in flying it.

My 2 cents

Vince

[e-sailpilot86]

I generally like to kick back, set the trims up, and watch my plane fly for a fun time. I like a plane that kinda reminds me of fishing, without hassles... :o

So, here's what I am:
-I like floaters, but I can take a plane that's just a step above floaters... better yet, how about a plane that can take ballast well?
-I like to fly something when there's little lift at the slope
-something to fly when the dew on the grass is evaporating, and the thermals are just brewing
-set the trims and watch it go
-spot lift well
I'm not:
-A person that wants to fly a technically sophisticated plane (already have that covered... ;))
-a person that flies downwind often
-a person who's heavy on the winch

(what about the Paramont? Looks like a bigger Paragon... :D)

So, hook me up! ;)

[e-sailpilot86]

BTW, paramont might be paramount, I'm not sure though....

[Ollie]

Paragon kits have produced since 1975 that has more time. That has wanted by buying kit poeple many over time. I like a Paragon with CG 3/4 inch back and 3/16 less incidence on the wing. I have better penetration into wind.


Why your needs, not our needs? Why don't you say your field conditions, eyesight, wind conditions, lift conditions, flying style, pocket book, modern design, launch equipment, plane condition, builder's quality, etc?

[BrianSmith]

An AVA....Hands down.....Brian


I'm having difficulty picking out a built-up floater, so I want some help with my choice. Most likely, I'll buy whatever plane is at the Puyallup model expo, or I'll buy a plane from a fellow clubmate. So, either pick a plane in the poll, or mention in the thread what floater you've had the most fun with. All need to be big floaters! :)

Go ahead and make multiple choices... :o

[BMatthews]

You should add the old original Esprit to that list. But I don't know if anyone has a kit for it. It was a floater that uses an undercambered free flight airfoil and was about 2 meters in span with elliptical tips. RCM plan service has the plan as "esprit5". A buddy built one back in the early 70's when it came out and it was a floater of the first order and looked SO nice in the air. Being inspired a lot by the free flight models of the day it was easily able to have the trims set and then set the TX on the ground for minutes at a time and it would free flight itself all over the sky.

Someone should laser cut the ribs for this one. A teaser for ya....

http://www.rcmmagazine.com/store/media/pl-468.jpg

If you want bigger then there was also the Grand Esprit that came out a couple of years after. It too is a real foater and at about 130 inches in span it's a biggie. Dream Catcher Hobbies was selling a kit and the tail boom but I see from their current web page that it looks like he's going out of business. So I guess this is another teaser only....

http://rcgroups.com/gallery/data/500/13218Grand_Esprit_F3-A.jpg

[e-sailpilot86]

Hmm... paragon keeps popping up on top. I've known quite a few people who have them, and really enjoy them! It's just a little smaller than I'd like (a little). Maybe I'll get a Paragon... I'll look around for a Grand Esprit too. What's it's wingloading?

These top my list

Paragon
Paramount (anybody have experience with this one?)
Grand Esprit
Sailaire

[jrgospod]

e-sailpilot86,

Its the one I just brought home from flying in one piece!

John

[e-sailpilot86]

? Paragon?

[jrgospod]

e-sailpilot86,

I don't own a Paragon or any other of the ones in your poll. But if I owned one of the Birds from Skybench.com I would vote for it. What the heck. I'll vote for it anyway.

John.

[schrederman]

I actually voted "other" because the Legionairs weren't mentioned... SAY!!! Who's pirating pictures of my Grand Esprit?? HEHE!! It was fun, too. I have 2 ordered, but I may never see them... I sure hop that's not the case. Roy... I'm having a G.E. jonesing fit... Please come through!!

Nice to see someone actually keeps pictures of my toys...

Jack Womack

[aeajr]

Funny you should ask.

I have been focusing on a 3M Legend for the last year. And I have been flying a Sagitta 600 as well. But today we had a rare calm day in December and I grabbed my 2M Spirit.

You know, I just love this plane. It was my first sailplane, barely 18 months ago. I now have 3 flying and a bunch in the rack waiting to be set-up including a 3.6M scale plane. But I just love the Spirit.

It launches great on the hi-start and I have gotten pretty good with winch launching it as well. It just floats along. Several times today I just got it off the hook and let it hunt all by itself. Twice it just turned into lift and started to go up.

It was a soft lift day, so no spec outs, but I had a 7.5 minute launch and a couple of sixes on a 40 degree overcast day. And the plane just floats along and lands so nice and easy.

I just love my Spirit!

[ejett]

Funny you should ask.

I just love my Spirit!

How about building a 140" version and letting us know how it flys? :D

But please put a little better airfoil on it than the 3010.

EJ

[ejett]

Jack:

I hope so too. I've got a GE on order.

I see that apparently no one took him up on his offer to sell rights, so he increased the price by $36% and wants a $5000, non-refundable deposit to just talk about it.

Lets me out. Besides not a single one of you sent me a donation to buy him out.

EJ

[BMatthews]

... SAY!!! Who's pirating pictures of my Grand Esprit?? HEHE!! ...Nice to see someone actually keeps pictures of my toys...

Jack Womack

Jack, you can thank RCGroups for holding that pic of your GE. I google'd for "grand esprit" and the link directly to that pic came up. However I remember when you posted it yourself. Didn't someone buy it from you or something? I seem to remember you somewhat reluctantly giving it up.

As pretty as it is the wing on the GE wasn't really very strong nor did it have the world's best airfoil. It would be great to see it updated with something a bit better. I keep bringing it up and have yet to build anything with it but here again Mark Drela's AG35 would probably make this great looking bird perk up and shame a few more modern models. Especially with that killer carbon spar system of Mark's. Or with wood spars it would be a super nice floater for lazy launches and lazy days.

I seem to remember that the GE wing loading was LIGHT. 6 to 8 oz per sq foot. Probably closer to the 6 oz mark.

E-sail, here's another thought. I gather you really have your mind set on a kit but what about modifying a plan? Could you see a Bird of Time with a different airfoil with more camber so it floats more to your goal? I know I can. Or just build it light and use that AG35 again. That way it would float but still kick up it's heels when needed.

[aeajr]

How about building a 140" version and letting us know how it flys? :D

But please put a little better airfoil on it than the 3010.

EJ

Nope, gonna leave it just as it is.

I enjoy each of my planes just as they were designed. I am not looking to redesign them. I have 2 RES 2M, 2 full house 3M. A two meter full house, A 2M waggle wing Sagitta 600 for thermal planes. The have not all been flown yet, but they will by the end of the summer.

Each will have its own characteristics and each will be unique.

Now, if I was working on a competition plane, that would be different. But this was about your favoriate floater and fun. That is my Spirit, today!

[bwanajim]

Bird of Time
Big Bird
Skybird

--Jim (Bird fan)

[thermalbum]

For my money the most fun plane I ever owned was the Larry Jolly Meteor

[ChuckA]

The one I am flying at any given time. They are all more fun than the unstable high performance models, at least until the wind picks up.

[e-sailpilot86]

Wow. I like that Skybird. Why do they look so much like the bird of time? Same designer? Jim, got any spare kits for sale? :o We're in the same club... :)

[ejett]

e-sailpilot86:

Ray Hayes is the designer and kit manufacturer of his "bird" series which includes the Skybird. There are significant differences between his bird series and Dave Thornburg's Bird of Time.

* Airfoil is different.
* Fixed horizontal stab with elevators vs. flying stab
* Wing rod passes through the fuse instead of rubber banding on the top.
* Inner wing panels are longer and tip panels are shorter than the BoT.

Maybe a couple other differences I overlooked.

Ray is offering these in HL, 2m, Std, and 3+m sizes.

Kit quality is significantly better than the Dynaflite BoT.

EJ

[schrederman]

Yes,

I sold the Grand Esprit, in a weak moment. I am sure hoping to get a couple of the last ones coming out of Dreamcatcher. I have a cad plan of my wing mods that include carbon spar caps. I am really hoping to get another ready for WC'05. Hoping but haven't received anything, yet. I guess I'll just have to fly Legionairs.....

Jack

[adtalbott]

The Gemini is tops,it is all around.I love flying mine
AD

[aeajr]

Whatever plane I am flying at the moment is the most fun!

[John Walter]

As pretty as it is the wing on the GE wasn't really very strong nor did it have the world's best airfoil. It would be great to see it updated with something a bit better. Especially with that killer carbon spar system of Mark's.

Been there, done that, flys great! I built a GE with a "Bubble Dance" spar system. Fun to zoom a GE on a Winch Doc winch with Real Balls. Too bad the airfoil is too draggy at the speed needed for a good zoom. But if you want a floater, this is the one!

It will fly hands off for long periods no problem, I've specked out from 50 feet, and had several flights over 1 hour. You can't beat its great looks either!

[TLyttle]

I voted for all of them! Build as many as you can afford and have time to build; a guy can never have too many sailplanes, and floaters just seem to be the most fun. They don't always have to be big (GL is too portable to leave home), but big sure is fun, and light can always be ballasted.

If I can afford it, I'm gonna build an old Eclipse that I've hoarded the plan for; it's 15' span...

[wakumann]

Most if the Models fly best if they let alone, once zentrized they turn itself in thermals aso, so I voted for others.
Flying a floater is a little bit like watching wall-paint drying.

Just MHO

Cheers
Thomas

[TLyttle]

Paint drying? could be, but I found true relaxation watching a sailplane on a beautiful day; recreation (re-creation) is there. I've also (on the Island) fought for long flights with a floater, using everything available to me; even the hawks were paddling around looking for lift. Seldom disappointing, and like you, this is only MHO.