Wing joiner rods for ballast source

[thermalbum]

I'm looking for sources of heavy joiner rods for my Sapphire to use as ballast when the weather is less than pleasant. Any leads wouild be appreciated.
TIA

[tomcat5109]

Hey Thermalbum,

I'm considering a Sapphire (obechi wing) as an everyday and contest ship. Can you describe how your sapphire flys and in what conditions you need ballast. I like the 7037 for my flying style but I also need the plane to fly well in 12-20 mph winds.

Ed Whyte may know of a source for ballast. Whytewings@comcast.net

Thanks,

Tommy

[TThroop]

I have one in the garage I don't use anymore. It is approximately 1# and is for the Sapphire. I will try to find it before the weekend, I am leaving for Colorado for a family reunion. If I can't find it by then, I can find it next week. I want $20.00 plus shipping from San Diego.

Terry Throop

[thermalbum]

Hey Thermalbum,

I'm considering a Sapphire (obechi wing) as an everyday and contest ship. Can you describe how your sapphire flys and in what conditions you need ballast. I like the 7037 for my flying style but I also need the plane to fly well in 12-20 mph winds.

Ed Whyte may know of a source for ballast. Whytewings@comcast.net

Thanks,

Tommy

Tommy,

I intend on using it for heavy weather as you noted or when the lift is strong but intermittent and you need to move about the sky. I have observed a flying buddies Sapphire in the wind and it performs fairly well but it won't keep up to the mouldies and so it shouldn't since it is a different technology. However it flies very well. I only have about 1 hour in total or so on it and managed to get podium finishes at my clubs annual two day last weekend and so did my buddy. There were about 4 or 5 moulded ships there as well as a Jouster and a BD.
The plane launches very well and can zoom to a most respectable height. Launch height is a matter of winch line management rather than brute strength. I have flown mouldies and home made composite ships to varying degrees of success but the Sapphire felt comfortable right off the bat. I need to set up the plane for my own personal preferences (lack of style and finese) There was only about 10 minutes of trimming prior to the contest. I beleive that the plane will perform well at any TD event the only limiting factor would be the pilot. I wouldn't enter it in a F3J event it is not strong enough for those 4 second tows. The plane thermals extremely well in light air but you can't be ham fisted on the sticks a light touch is required with the suggest settings I reduced the up elevator throw by 25% and put about 30% expo on the rudder. As far as landing go it is likely the easiest contest landing ship I have ever flown - the set up from the instr. are right on for my purposes, just need to practice the landing pattern with this particular ship as you would need to with any new plane.

Hope this helps

Thermalbum
LSF level IV for life

[tomcat5109]

Thanks.

The Sapphire I saw fly won third, or so, in the Houston Hawks Deep South Contest two years ago. The wind was steady at 18 mph and was gusting to 28mph. The Sapphire did not penetrate nearly as well as the Graphites, Thermal Eagles, Artimus, Erasers, etc., but it did hang well and was durable enough for the landings in such bad conditions. I really like the looks of the plane and would most likely not fly in winds over 20 mph now (maybe in my early years). I believe the plane would be ok for me in 20 mph or less.

The Super V 110" I flew then was also a 7037 and it weighed 76 oz. It did ok in that wind, mind you not as well as the moldies.

The best model I have ever seen fly is the hkm Space Pro, and I would love to have one except for one thing. If I ever lost sight of it for a second or two and the nose dropped a bit, it could be a quarter mile away in a flash. It handles the wind great, but its fast.

Thanks for the input. I am still considering the Sapphire.

TL

[thermalbum]

Tommy,
Your welcome I hope my 2 cents made sense. The Sapphire is by no means slow, it is just not as slippery as the mouldies. The next major event I plan on attending always has high winds- sometimes up to 30 mph. Last year, in gusty conditions, it was won by my buddy flying his Sapphire. There was the requisite percentage of Heras, Erasers etc in competion but he still won the overall by knowing what his plane could do and perhaps more important what his wouldn't do. In other words he didn't let himself get into trouble. As I mentioned before the pilot is the one who decides how the Sapphire will perform. I can easily get any composite sailplane on the market and if I am convincing enough to the wife I can get another mouldy but the Sapphire has the durability I am looking for and so far I would buy another. It is almost as rugged as Harley's Jouster/Genie series ( I'm slowly building a Jouster/Genie LTS hybrid). Good luck with what ever plane you decide to purchase.