NSP Kestrel? Newbie. Hawk encounter!

[originaljoe]

I'm considering the NSP Kestrel as a first sailplane. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.


And....

I was flying my MiniMax the yesterday putt-putting around in a windy warming air situation.

I got the plane as high as I have ever then cut the power and adjusted the trim.

What fun to have the quiet.

As a layed back on the grass to contemplate my amazing abilities a Red -tail Hawk drifted over to investigate. (The bird didn't have it's motor running either.)

I came down. It stayed up.

I want to be a hawk.

[Kestrel]

Joe, I have a Kestel 2M. In my opinion, it would make a good first sailplane for you. It may not be the best choice for a pure beginner in R-C, but you are already flying power. I learned on a Wanderer and moved up to the Kestrel. It flies a little faster than the floaters. I had considered a Spirit but then settled on the Kestrel. The laser cut kit is a real plus and not that much more expensive than the Spirit. The only mod that I did was to replace the wing mounting bolt system with an epoxy block system. Which is a pad of epoxy in the fuse with epoxy blocks poured in the wings. Holes are drilled down thru the wing into the blocks in the fuse. The fuse pad is then tapped. The wing is then bolted with 8x32 nylon bolt. Works great. I can e-mail info on it if you like.

[Ollie]

Soaring birds make great thermal spotters. I have flown in thermals with black vultures, bald eagles, wood storks, swallow tailed kites, ospreys, frigate birds, anhingas, pellicans, sparrow hawks and red tailed hawks. None were agressive to my models as long as I wasn't threatening their nesting area. Circling in the same direction is the polite thing to do. To me the greatest thrill is to have a master soarer like the black vulture join you in a thermal which you discovered first.