Stable, Strong, Full House

[asat]

Hi everybody, I am in the market for a nice 3meter + moldie or the like - I already have a Super Ava, and a 2 meter Astra from SUSA - what I would like to know is do the latest, greatest 3m birds have more "Bad Tendencies" as their performance increases? (like my Cularis which bit the dust hard this weekend) Would a Supra, Shadow, JW Onyx, etc, have tip stalling characteristics to overcome at low airspeeds? I'm not an competition flyer by any means but I do like to compete with the guys I fly with...... what would be a great TD next step up (or all the way up??) Thanks ..... Lou

[regis]

No full house contest grade moldie will be able to duplicated the inherent stability of the Ava (or similar R E poly models). They are essentially a FF with RC. Properly trimmed, they fly hands off. :) The contest moldie is designed to have neutral stability. Full house control allows you to influence the models static stability - both positively and negatively. :p Not so with an Ava. Maybe you already know this. That said, the more popular new moldies (Supra, Shadow, JW Onyx), are definitely sweet stable models when properly set up. But full house provide a lot more ways to screw up. The Cularis is also full house but does not have the air speed range of a contest model - with it’s slower cruise speed it should be easier to control. ;) If not properly set up or controlled, the Supra, Shadow, JW Onyx etc., will not only bite “the dust”, but will do it quicker. :eek: Regis

[machild]

…or all the way up??

Pike Perfect. Very stable (not one bad tendency), robust and plenty of legs. Samba quality and fit and finish is top-drawer. With a fairly conservative setup, the Perfect is very pilot-friendly; and as you become more skilled with it and adjust your setup accordingly, the Perfect's performance will amaze you.

Food for thought…

Mark C.

[bundyglida]

I'd have to say the X-21 by Jiri Tuma. I've owned one now for 2 years and I still would say it's my favourite! Very stable, no bad habits.
Very stong in the UHM carbon version, it will take what ever you give it!
It will thermal as good as anything, and will go fast when ballasted (6 ballast tubes).
excellent allround sailplane in my opinion....in fact I think I will buy another one now.

[gary1201]

I have a JW ONYX and a SUPER AVA. I fly the JW 95% of the time by choice. The JW is easy to fly,forgiving and just fun to fly. It naturally wants to fly faster than you think it should, but it drops very little for the distance it covers. You will quickly adjust to that speed (compared to a a super ava). I think the key to flying and enjoying a fullhouse ship is getting it set up correctly in the beginning. It will surprise you how fast you become comfortable in flying a plane like the JW ONYX. For the money,I think its a great deal, plus it's a real competitiive plane.

[schrederman]

I second the Onyx JW... I like mine, winglets and all...

JW

[asat]

Would the Oynx and or a Supra be able to withstand the rigors of alpine (9000 ft) soaring (and landing) conditions? Not any real big rocks but lots of weeds, a dirt road if ya miss the weeds and lots of little shale type rocky outcroppings under the weeds if you overshoot the road..... I can set the Ava down nice and soft due to the prevailing winds - I would think the JW and Supra would slow even better? and just kind of hover down like the Moldies in slope lift?

[schrederman]

I'm not sure about that. I haven't flown over 6000' but I know coming from sea level that the models fly faster up here. I know a lot less ballast is needed at McIntosh, NM than at Crosby, TX. My JW does float in pretty nicely, though, even at 6000'.

JW

[glidagida]

Hi Asat

Give Tom Copp at F3X.com a call and talk to him about the Zenith 3.4. It is more stable than most mouldies as it has more dihedral and will behave more like a RES plane than most.

It is also very strong in the full carbon version. With a proper set-up [talk to Tom how to] it is a doddle to fly.

I am biased because I sell them, but in truth you will not find a mouldie that is easier to fly. <www.rc-sailplane.com.au>

Cheers
GG