First sailplane?

[Tim Jonas]

1975, Airtronics SquareSoar...MRC Mark V radio....think of beauty!

[Ric Duley]

Hi Tim:
Good idea for a thread. My first radio, probably about the same time as you (I can't remember :rolleyes: ) was also a MRC Mark V. I've still got it, too, and it works perfectly. :cool:
Black aluminum case, tough as nails. I think that it might have been made by Futaba. I always did like that radio.
I just dug out an old ASW 15 fuselage this week and saw the 2 black MRC servo's in it, driving a mechanical V-Tail mixer. Old stuff. Like me, except it works better. :p

My first plane was a "Doodler". I can't even remember who made it. It had an optional .049 power assist on it, and I flew the heck out of that plane.

My first true sailplane was a Mark's Models "Windward". I must have built 4 or 5 of those. I still have an old Windward wing hanging from the ceiling of the garage that I used for my first scratch built electric plane. It was my version of a Fournier RF4. Flew great, too. It may fly again soon, too. :D

[Tim Jonas]

I had the Windward as well. I think Mark's Models also did the Windfree (Wanderer?) The Windward has an immense fuselage, as I recall.

With the MRC servos, there wasn't much room for set up error....no splines to rotate servo arms around! Square head to mount the arms.

[Dave Seay]

Originally posted by MrMootsie
1975, Airtronics SquareSoar...MRC Mark V radio....think of beauty!

Seriously? That was mine as well, 1976. Just covered it in transparant orange monokote I put on using the wife's clothing iron.

Sturdy devil... I know, I thoroughly tested it!

Dave

[Tim Jonas]

yep...seriously. cake to build. I think I went through three of them. I liked how the dihedral at the center was formed by a piece of trailing edge stock cut to rib shape. One roll of monokote did it, and you were off. I think it ultimately became the Oly 650.

[rlt55]

My first model was a Windward. Bright Yellow. Built the left wing with smelly glue and used a hot-glue gun on the right wing.
Surprisingly, It flew great. Was a real floater if you didn't use a lot of ballast.
It flew so well, I was able to teach myself how to fly without any crash damage.
My radio gear was a 50 MHz rig from Health Kit (came as a big box of little parts).
I remember building those little PCBs and installing those little gears in the servos.
Never would have believed that servos would ever get so small!

[fprintf]

Not that anyone is interested, but my first plane is on the building board right now. A MAD Aircraft Highlander. I have posted all sorts of newbie questions since last March (2001) when I first saw a glider in action and finally got one! So exciting, but this building thing takes some precision. I hope I don't create a dog.

[Aikens]

Eh, a Kyosho Soarus, circa 2001...

I didn't know that sailplanes even existed back in the 1970's :rolleyes:

[Pud]

My first glider was an OlyII, I believe around 1976-77 or so.
Had a 3 channel Tower radio.Taught myself how to fly with that tough old bird!
Learned about thermals, and lift, and "boomers" with that Oly.
I flew every single chance I could, had literally hundreds of 2+ hour flights with it!!
Flew it several years, then my 2'nd plane was a 1/2A pylon racer--talk about two extreme's!!!
Ahh, the good old days,no resposibilities,fly any and all the time....
Pud

[NickW]

My first was the ultimate classic of first sailplanes. The Carl Goldberg Gentle Lady. What a great airplane

Nick

[R. Carver]

Mine was the good ol' GL. Built way crooked with about 4 pounds of Elmer's Carpenter glue :)

It flew for a good year before being summoned by the tree gods. It served me well, I learned a lot on it!

[lensrc]

My first sailplane was also the venerable Gentle Lady,and I still have one,my second.I dont thermal it to much,mostly sloping when the wind is to light for fast ones,or when I feel like laying down and flying from the prone position..........

[Duke58]

Ah yes that first one...........Bill Evans Silent Squire from RCM Plans with a Kraft brick ( 2 servos and the reciever in the same case). A friend had given me the radio because it was broke so I repaired it and ordered the cores from Evans in SC. I had made powered RC planes in the late 50's with rubber band escapments and Heathkit radios but that was one or two turns and they flew away into McKenzy's woods. I later added the third channel to the radio with the rudder on the stick and was tainted for life, I now have lost the ability to learn how to fly with my left thum, stuck in 80's technology unable to fulfill my true potential with computer radios, I'd like the AMA to declair single stick guys as handicaped and at least we could park in the good spots.

Any charitible contributions can be sent to poorduke.org.

[Tim Jonas]

that was funny.

I used to watch the Kraft guys fly power on a single stick...by twisting the knob on the end. too many moving parts on a single stick for me, I'll tell you that.

[denete]

Mine was a Craft-Air Drifter-II. I flew it at my first NATs in Seguin, TX (81?) as a junior.

It had our (my Dad was the builder and cheif pit crew member) first Airtronics radio in it. Man I loved that plane. We used the same wing on a Piece-o-Cake fuselage, and flew it all of the time!

You can read the whole evolution of my sailplane experiences and see plenty of plane pictures at http://enete.org/david/soaring/

- David

[Soar_dude]

I was one of those try it crash give up for awhile flyers:(
my first glider was a elctra back in 86' tried to fly could not control it flew it into a powerlines "ouch" said oh well.
my second glider I got back in 90' it a kyosho Soarus figured that I did not have enough flight controls with the Electra flew it flatspinned it "Yes flatspinned a sailplane" totalled it.
Then in 00' I got a Spirit 2000 from Global finally had something that I could crash and crash till I figured it out:)
Then I got a Easy Answer from Global Learned how to thermal with it! and that was it I was hooked :D

Soar Dude

[Ron Cichowski]

I left 30++ years of IC power flying with a specific mission in mind. It was participation in "Open Class" glider competitions. Winning was not a necessary part of the formula, but I wanted a ship that would not be a handicap. This guided the choice of first glider.
I dove in seriously (one of the few advantages of being older and having more discretionaly income) with the first glider being a Victory C set up with an Airtronics Stylus with Glider Card and Memory Card and Airtronics Servos.
A good choice for me. I had enough thumb skill that I never hurt the airplane. It was never a limiting factor toward pursuing my goal and I never outgrew this plane's capabilities. I campained this plane in competition since 1998 and have only this year added a Schpotdorker to the fleet because I feel it will outperform the original Victory C in light air conditions.
Ron

[KLH]

My first true Sailplane was a Drifter II that I built many moons ago. Built lots of FF stuff prior to that, but got tired of watching them disappear over the horizion, never to be seen again. Still have the Drifter wing, but about 10+ years ago built a new fuselage and put some E power to it with landing gear and used it as a trainer for one of my sons.

Kern

[SoarNeck]

My first model was a Goldberg Electra, but it never really flew all that well (until I put an O.S. 25 on the nose, but I don't like to remember that). After messing with gas stuff for a few years, I built a Riser 100, and took it out to the local glider field. I got help with the winch pedal while flying up the line, came off into a thermal (dumb luck), and haven't looked back! I've built two Riser 100s, and for all the composite stuff I've bought and built, I still get the urge to pick up that kit again whenever it comes on sale.

[tomtom]

Flying my first now, a Great Planes Spirit, That I have been chucking off a histart. Have flown full scale, have no instructor and the Spirit has born the brunt of my shortcommings. If I had to do it all again, would chose a foamie,(Hylander). It's been ........fly - fix .....fly,fly - fix ... fly,fly,fly - fix and so on. Now catching thermals and getting flights long enough to crink the neck, what a hoot. I also have a lot of respect for the damage the Spirit can absorb.

[rick121x]

First pic: Somewhere about 1978 - my Windward and my friend.
Next two pics:Windward fuselage was crashed, and a new shape emerged, placing the wing in a shoulder location and adding an 0.051 Cox engine. It flew great. I am in that pic - and that was when I was just a lad of about 45.
Last pic: A couple of weeks ago, and 20 years later, I changed over to electric, a Komodo 283 with 9 turns, and an 11x3.8 GWS prop. With a freshly charged 1320 Thunder Power Battery, it flies vertically out of sight. Wow! And it thermals beautifully too. Takes off and lands like a dream. What a great plane!
Richard :cool:

[bobthenuke]

First RC sailplane was a Sterling Schweitzer 1-22 or something like that. A complete and total nightmare to build but it flew quite well. My first "serious" sailplane was a Dodgson Todi - lovely model...Kraft Gold Medal series radios always from 1969 - 197X.

...bob

[Stan_in_AR]

Built is myself, but had no covering experience(monokote) so, a buddy in Monticello Ar(Frank Jackson) and as friend of his from Mississippi covered it for me in one afternoon.

I didn't have a radio at that time and Frank loaned me an old Orbit(mode 1) and I self taught. Plane weighed a number of ounces more when I retired it. I kept tip stalling it(confused about down wind speed vs ground speed).

Then I built a Windward which was a lot easier to fly. Oh those were the days.

Stan in AR

[jjscott]

Jetco towliners were my first while I was in high school:

1) Thermic 72 - had lots of great flights, but the fuse was heavy
2) Nordic 72 - my brother-in-law and I built it in 23 hours nonstop, flew great
3) Sterling Schweizer 1:34 - used my dad's Micro Avionics radio with 2 monster servos. Never had any luck with it until I put a Cox 09 on the nose

Jim

[erich]

Sig Riser, which took a week to build and ten minutes to destroy. After rekiting plane and a little crying, got a GL kit. With that GL and another, me and a friend taught ourselves to fly. Went through at least 2 more GL's (each) before we stopped all that crashing stuff. After that went nuts, with: Metrick, Icarus, Windfree, Sagitta 900, Ridge Rat, Paragon, BOT, Windsong, Pixy, Pivot. All done between 1984-1988.

erich

[LVsoaring]

Drifter II.... ahhh, the memories. No CA, no CF. Banana shaped fuselage, warped wings and H stab, and she still flew. Built 3 of 'em in the early 80's, each one a little better than the last.

[lincoln]

Oly 650 bought used with Kraft 76 radio. Flew away in a thermal while messing around after my first contest. ('84)
Got it back a week later, had landed 5 miles or so away. First one I built was a HOB Two Tee. Not bad except the t tail was fragile, and in retrospect I think a bit more moment for the fin and rudder would have been useful.

[helibasher]

Carl Goldberg Electra, lasted one flight. First successful sailplane was a Gentle Lady.

[Rhathid]

1991 at age 13 - Carl Goldberg Electra. Built it 100% on my own and added a servo to turn the throttle on and off. Built it on the weekends when I was visiting my dad in January I believe, which means I was just barely 13.

First flight resulted in a loop right at take off (Thanks for throwing it nose up Dad) which impacted a parking lot at the side of the field.

Spent the rest of the day/night fixing it to fly it the next day. She actually flew. However I had no idea what trimming was so she looked more like a roller coaster going up and down and gradually came around to get stuck in a tree 50 feet up. Power on and off until she worked loose and she came crashing down.

Can't remember if I fixed her up or was just so mad I launched her over and over until she was nose first 8 inches deep in dirt? Well... I was 13.

Just this passed Christmas I build a new one I had bought off ebay 1 or 2 years ago. I finally got around to building it and I can tell you I sure missed out on a lot of fun by not being more careful when I was 13.

Somewhere someplace is a picture of me at age 13 standing in snow with earmuffs on holding a white and red Electra. Until I find it, here's a pic of my current one before switching to a folding prop and other mods.

[ejett]

My first sailplane was a Jetco Themic 72. FF. Then after I learned to fly using a couple glow powered trainers, I built a Spirit 100 with the advanced wing. See my avatar. Still have it. Most of my sailplanes since that one have been RES or just RE including a Spectra that I pulled the anemic stock drive out of and flew as a pure sailplane.

Have built a fair amount of stuff since the Spriit 100, including Legend, BOT, Aquila, Genesis, Gambler +, Gremlin, Spirit, Oly III. Mostly fllying the Aquila at the moment. Have to build another BOT depending on how the Skybird comes out this summer.

EJ

[reylf_gnijieB]

My first was a Windward, scratch built from plans, with an 1973 EK Logictrol brick.

I used very hard balsa for the spars. There were no notes on the plan about spruce spars. After a lot of flying, I folded a wing trying to get out of a boomer. It spiraled down hundreds of feet, and landed nose first in a gopher mound, in a field of rocks. I was very lucky. Repaired the wing, added strapping tape, and flew it a few more years.

Great plane, and great radio.

In 1976, I flew it in a contest in Sacramento. Some guy named Thornburg with a beautiful plane called Bird of Time beat everyone.

[DLD]

My first sailplane (or any plane, for that matter) was an Archaeopterix Avion "Petrel", about 1981. Obscure, but I wanted to be different. I had two of them, the only two I ever saw. Anyone else have one?

David Layne

[Mark Miller]

Mark's Models Wanderer with a EK Logictrol brick on 27 mhz.

Mark Miller

[Trisquire]

The "Tadpole". Free plans in a '70s issue of RCM. Designed for Ace single channel pulse proportional. I used to throw it off the top of a hill at my school, or ski slopes in the summer.

I built a second one. Put a power pod on it with a Tee Dee .020. I flew it on a windy day; it was gone for good.

Tom

[teddybear1]

Marks Models Windfree with a Kraft "brick" for control. Monokote covering. All from the original Sheldons Hobby Shop on Alum Rock Av. San Jose. Late 1970ish.

[kzimmerm]

My first plane was a J & J Industries American Eagle... to which I finally got a full set of plans for my next building session. I would have to say that was the early 70's.

Kurt

[infopimp]

Electra (powered Gentle lady) circa... 1988? Never flew (was scared of destroying it... )... only hung it in my room. But the seed was planted.

[kjkish]

Hobby Shack (now Hobby People) Spirit of 76 foam glider with a Cirrus 3 channel 72MHz system.

[Tshires]

Marks models Wanderer back in '78 I still have the tail feathers. I had many great flights with that plane from high start launches at the local football field.

Put the monocote on with my moms clothes iron, if she knew she would still get PO about it!

[jooNorway]

Graupner Dandy, built 1976.
Radio was Futaba 6ch proportional, Gold.
I also used my moms clothes iron to put the monocote on.

The first time I experienced the plane did LIFT and gain height on a slope is one of the best memories through my entire RC-career! :D

Since then I have had maybe 50 or more sailplanes, and the oldest still flying is my MPX Schampus from around 1989...? Still towed and thermalling some times each month.

[aeajr]

July 2003 - My first sailplane was a Great Planes Spirit Select. It came RTF with a 3 channel AM radio installed. I just loved it.

The first day I had it out, one of the club wizards was teaching me to hi-start launch it. The lift was so strong the parachute on the hi-start was hanging there for a while after launch.

I was landing the Spirit, despite plenty of lift because I wanted to get launching practice, but the lift was so strong you were guranteed a good flight every time.

I remember that day as clearly as if it was yesterday. I still have it and fly it in our club 2M RES constests.

I have since moved all the electronics forward from their original positions, which allowed me to take 3 ounces of lead out of the plane. That made a huge difference.

Followed this with a Sagitta 600, a Zagi Slope Glider, an Airtronics Legend, Another sloper and now my main plane is a Polecat aero Thermal Dancer. I also have a number of 2 and 3 meter gliders that have not seen air yet.

I love these planes!

[rabidrue1]

a paragone from rcm plans, still have the old girl- well most of it any way. I have her flying on e power for some time now but need to build new wingtip sections. Some yahoo painted the benches on the soccer field i fly from grass color green and I landed dead center under one. Never saw it!

[StevenatorLTFO]

Late 70's, First one was a Wanderer 72, sold it after a bit. Futaba 2 channel radio.

Second one, was Wanderer 99, it was HEAVY. Flew like carp.

After that, lots of homebrews, until I stopped flying to get on with life (marriage, kids n stuff)

Now getting back in, first bird is a Bot ARF , second is a spirit elite, third is a K2 Light.

Steve

[belouder]

First one was a Bob Martin Bob Cat and when I could no longer glue the T-tail back on, I saw this ad for this high-tech full house thingy called a "Lovesong", ordered it sight unseen, spent the better part of a winter in a barn fiddlin' with resin and AFARTs, and had some of the most enjoyable building I've ever had in this hobby.

First flight was a hand launch off a small hill at the hang glider landing zone on Lookout Mt in Georgia. It flew all the way across the landing zone (about a 15 acre field) and into the bushes because I was too stuned at it's hang time and too afraid to turn it. It was most amazing........

[Thermaler]

Second one, was Wanderer 99, it was HEAVY. Flew like carp.
Steve

I have one that I banged up today. Does not fly well in light air but it has been in the clouds on a 10-12 mph wind day, more than once.
Parts are cut for a new one that will be a WHOLE LOT LIGHTER than the first.

First was a 72" Wanderer that my Dad built the wing for, twenty some years ago. I was flying it about two months ago of a histart, 70 steps that's a lousey launch, 75 steps that's better, 80 steps thats much better, 90 steps right wing tip say hello the the left wing tip. It was no match for a heavy duty histart.
Knocked the tail feathers off the new one today, the glue is setting as I type, ready for tomorrow. I like the carbon sandwiched between the spar on the new wing, 95 steps, NO PROBLEM.

Joe

[Lt_Dan]

My first one was a Hobie Hawk which I flew off the San Francisco coast line in 1975.

That was fun but the day I took it to the San Joaquin Valley and thermal soared with a Red Tail Hawk hooked me for life.

[Tony D.]

Thermik 50 in 1975, I converted it to RC and used a galloping ghost. It was quite heavy but after a while I could speck it off of a lite highstart.

After that I stepped up to the heady performance of a Gentle Lady which was a real step up in thermaling and landing ability.


T.D.

[rduder]

1979 Marks Models Wanderer, modified to a V-tail with a mechanical mixer.
It had a tendency to wobble in pitch on the hi-start. (Dutch Rolls aka Beech Bonanza). Radio was a Heath-Kit 5-channel 53.4MHz Ham-Band AM (yellow & black band) with modified circuitry. I still have the radio, love the retro look, & laugh at the thought of gutting it, & stuffing my Spektrum DX-6 guts in it.

[Esprit2]

My first sailplane was an Olympic II back around '79-'80... a great flying plane for relaxing on a sunny afternoon.

Followed by: Stretched Aquila Grande, Sagitta 900, stock Aquila Grande, Grand Esprit, Super Questor, Olympic II, Square Soar V-tail (eventually snapped the wing & replaced by a swap meet Prophet wing) and three Oly 650's. I stopped keeping track, so what & when gets a little fuzzy after that... but starts to include some non-Airtronics kits.

One 650 bit the dust in spectacular fashion, one Oly II fuse needs a minor nose job and the SqSoar/Prophet wing needs a leading edge repair. Everything else is in good shape.

I didn't grow up with the hobby and don't lust after the molded glass slippers and ballistic launching systems. I'm still stuck in the 80's, prefer built-up wood planes, Airtronics kits, non-computer radios and flying up the line. I'm not a fan of timed contests. My goal is to find lift and play it as long as possible, and getting down "on time" does not compute. Unless it means before dark.

Regards,
Tim

[ThorDesign]

My first sailplane was a Craft Air Drifter II(1974). I did not build it to 2M span, only 72". Later I performed surgery to get it out to 78". My next was a Wanderer 99. It was ok, but I found that my 3rd sailplane, Wind drifter, was much better where I was flying. Next I scratch built an 99" Aquila out of a magazine article. I still have that bird. My youngest son(11) is now building a drifter II from a kit we bought off of ebay and my oldest(13) is scratch building a Grand Esprit from Plans sent to us by our good friend Joe in Michigan.


Like Tim, I am stuck in the 1980's with my woodie sailplanes. I don't care much for the glass sleds. I like the lazy, relaxed, sailing around....

[arukum17]

First was a Spirit (still have the wreckage of fuse; wing OK)
Second was a GL (collecting dust)

Top two taught me histarting, and that wind is the DARK evil invisible force that should be avoided no matter how tempting it is to go out.

Third and current is my beloved Paragon :D (easiest to fly and has taught me the most, a real confidence builder and if I take it out again this week will become my most flown plane)

All were kit built

[johnmiii]

1. GP Spectra, 2002-2003. I learned to fly RC on it, loved it! (4ch Futaba Tx) Specked one morning back in TX on a VERY strong thermal, I panicked on the descent, went nose down, built TREMENDOUS speed, bumped some up elevator and folded the wings. :eek:

I had to use a shovel to recover the spinner/motor

2. GP Spirit Elite, 2003-2006, (purhcased my Futaba tx6a(s) for it) First full house (and then some) airplane. Finally bit the dust last summer on a basalt cliff when the wind died while sloping here in ID. :eek:

3. Mountain Models DL-50, first DLG (R/E) just maidened 4 days ago. This is my favorite airplane so far. Now I want 2 more DLGs, a 40 and a 60, both full house. I still fly park flyers and 3D (all electric) but I love soaring more than all of that. :D

[Griphon]

My first real glider: GP Spirit with a modified wing, R/E.
2nd Glider: House of Balsa 2 X 6.

First DLG: SX-4 and a Sidewinder II.

I still have every glider I've flown, except for one. Currently I'm getting back into the open/unlimited wingspans. But I still love my 2Ms, as much as my DLGs.

[dion9146]

I think it was 1977? I built a foam wing Ace, Ace High glider with a Kraft single stick 2 channel. I climbed to the top of my Parents house, threw it towards the field across the street and promptly stalled it into the street. My RC career has gone down hill from there. :p

A Gentle Lady was my first glider that actually flew....

Dion