How to use spoilers on a GL?

[big3dan]

Hello everyone!

Soon i'm gonna start building a new gentle lady and plan to put spoilers on it.
My question is more like what else can i use thm for apart from landing? Can use some mix to aid turns kindda like and independent aileron or something?(that if i use separate servo for each spoiler) and if used this way would it really help at all a GL?

Another question is about the set up for he spoilers. I have made my mind and i'm sure i don;t wan't to use the string method. I wan't something that'll close and open the spoilers...not a device that only opens them and rely on weights or magnets to close them....so i have kindda pondere on using kind of a torque rod system that would extend to the spoilers..would this be fine? that is if i only used 1 servo for the spoiler setup...i'm planing on putting the spoilers aprox 1 rib before the poly break...would a torque rod system that long work?

Apreciate any help guys!

[DFW_HLG_TG]

Funny you should ask for last night I posted a few pics on this. Look down a few posts under Gentle Lady. I used magnets, 30# mono line and a third servo in the fuse. Pushrod tubes made up the guides for the lines. I would not use them to aid in turning. That Idea we tried back in the early 80's and is not worth the trouble. Take a look at the picks and ask more questions.

[Sparky Paul]

You have a very specific set of requirements.. What you describe should work.
But it can be done simpler.
Pulling open with a string works for most of us.
Weights on the spoilers are sufficient to keep them closed.
Spoilers have most use for getting out of thermals.
With a GL, landings aren't usual a problem, since the GL flies so slowly anyway.
Would any of this help a GL?
Not really.
The performance envelope is so restricted that spoilers are superfluous.
Build it light, keeping the tail light, mini servos up front..
Use a larger receiver battery instead of ballast. It's useful weight.
Everyone should have a GL for relaxing with. :)

[big3dan]

Guys thanks for the prompt replies!

DFW, i noticed that your spoilers are inboard...how do they compare to ones that rae closer to the poly breaks? Do they cause the same amount of effect as the other ones? I ask because for a torque rod system this would make it easier and quite cleaner i think having them more imboard....any comments??

[DFW_HLG_TG]

More inboard should work fine. I started one bay out to stay away from the main spar stresses under launch. Torque rods should work just remember that sometimes we will get unwanted servo movement from swamping the rec. to interferance. Make it to where you won't strip gears if that happens. The magnets are used so they stay closed under launch. Just using weights, they will fly open.

Spoilers are a great idea on the GL. It is a fragile plane and spoilers are the safest way to bring one down from monster lift. Later when you get used to it you will be able to fly contest and make spot landings. Spot landings are almost impossible to do without them. Make sure you put them on your throttle stick and mix in some up elevator to compensate for the down you will get when you deploy them.

[DFW_HLG_TG]

Oh, your other questions. More inboard is best. It is hard to get them both perfectly the same angle. Being closer in the effects will be smaller. Also if you loose one, the effects will not be as dramatic. I built them into my GL when I beuilt it in 93' I did not hook them up until 98' whn I was in monster lift. My flight was over an hour and half of that was trying to get it down. Loops, inverted, nothing I did helped. You can't just dive one for fear of ripping wings off.

[big3dan]

DFW,

Thks for the reply, I'm gonna consider the option of putting them inboard...gonna have to wait till the kit arrives to plan on how i'm gonna do it..i used to have a Gl i just love to fly this glider...the reason at first i wanted to put spoilers mainly was because of the landings. THe previous one i had just floated away didn't even stall with full up elevator on landings, thats what made me put some spoiler on my next one to kinda landed it where i want and not let it float away..maybe it was just dumb thumbs :D

[DFW_HLG_TG]

Yep, I have been there also. You may have noticed the growing popularity of RES contests. I light winds you can be equal to a $500 RES plane. My #1 bird is an Icon. #2 is an Artemis. If I want to relax and have fun, I break out the GL. Like Sparky said, everone should have one.

[R. Carver]

You have a very specific set of requirements.. What you describe should work.
But it can be done simpler.
Pulling open with a string works for most of us.
Weights on the spoilers are sufficient to keep them closed.
Spoilers have most use for getting out of thermals.
With a GL, landings aren't usual a problem, since the GL flies so slowly anyway.
Would any of this help a GL?
Not really.
The performance envelope is so restricted that spoilers are superfluous.
Build it light, keeping the tail light, mini servos up front..
Use a larger receiver battery instead of ballast. It's useful weight.
Everyone should have a GL for relaxing with. :)

What Sparky said.

[flystoolow]

Just a note about getting out of killer lift...with a GL (and many other planes), you just hold the stick in a bottom corner and the ol' Lady will gently fall out of the sky like a spinning leaf...sometimes it takes five minutes...but it'll come down in one piece. If that fails, dive it, and it'll come down in two pieces. :D

[Sparky Paul]

Just a note about getting out of killer lift...with a GL (and many other planes), you just hold the stick in a bottom corner and the ol' Lady will gently fall out of the sky like a spinning leaf...sometimes it takes five minutes...but it'll come down in one piece. If that fails, dive it, and it'll come down in two pieces. :D
.
Three, actually..The wing halves came down about a 1/4 mile away, and were repaired.

[DFW_HLG_TG]

Perfect....