Hi guys,
I saw a really cool video of a guy that installed a neat little spoiler kit on his Radian. Unfortunately, he never said where he got them. Since it is a Radian (not the Pro), I'm looking for something relatively inexpensive. Suggestions?

I ordered a pair from HobbyKing:

http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...ight_Pair.html

Fun fact. If you bring these up in your browser and let it sit there for a few mins a popup will come up and offer you them for a lower price. You can then add them to your cart.

After catching a thermal the other day and watching my radian spin up to a dot in the sky I was really questioning whether or not I would be able to get down. After a couple of really high drops I did get it back down to a more comfortable altitude but I didn't like diving that fast. You could really hear the whistle. So spoilers are on my list. I don't mind going through a couple of sets of wings to get it working either. So if the HobbyKing ones don't work I will try the ones like the guy mounted in the other radian thread.

Now I just wait for shipping.

Those are 12 inches long and are over 3 ounces which will increase the weight of a Radian by more than 10%. Just make sure you want to add that much weight.

Radian with Spoilers Added
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...22597&page=268

I saw this on youtube and did it for my Radian. Very easy to install, less hassle than spoilers on top of wing. Used as spoilers, not flaps. Works really well !


[ATTACH]5535922[/ATTACH

just practice more , really not needed ...

Yeah, thats why all the top models come with spoilers or flaps and why all the top pilots use them in competitions - they dont practice enough

Originally Posted by MrE

Yeah, thats why all the top models come with spoilers or flaps and why all the top pilots use them in competitions - they dont practice enough

Were we talking about contest flying where the landing may be scored in inches from a point, and the difference between first and 10th place can be a matter of seconds on a clock? Then a glide path tool can make a huge difference, and can be called necessary.

When you would be happy landing within 10 feet of a mark for fun flying and there is no clock running, then it is not.. At best it is a nice to have.

Originally Posted by 6Sally5

Hi guys,
I saw a really cool video of a guy that installed a neat little spoiler kit on his Radian. Unfortunately, he never said where he got them. Since it is a Radian (not the Pro), I'm looking for something relatively inexpensive. Suggestions?

It is scarey to get a glider up so high such that you start to get uncomfortable with its orientation - spoilers and flaps can help that (assuming they go up evenly and plane is trimmed with appropriate elevator comp). Oh, and the thermals seem to double in strength the second you start to get uncomfortable

However, have you tried putting the plane in a very steep turn such that it is basically at 70-90 degrees? Then use elevator to keep it in turn? If you practice this (don't honk on elevator as that will stress the wing more than necessary), you will find that you can do much of what you want to accomplish without modifying the plane. This is how I get my gentle lady (electra as well) down on those days that boomers decide to show up.

Won't help if you need a precision landing though

Scott

I think the person in the video used a set of Graupner spoilers ... not sure if they are available any more, I think I had a set in a Mini-Nimbus kit I sold last year.

It should be easy enough to set a small servo in each wing and then use an arm to push up some kind of spoiler plate ... I think the HK ones might be a bit too long for the Radian.

Excuse my ignorance about the aerodynamics of spoilers, but what is wrong with trailing edge spoilers as I have shown. Easy to cut out, and only 2 servo's needed to complete. They seem to work the same, as I remember, as on a Sig Riser I had years ago, which they were mounted on the top of the wing. As I said, installed them because of a YouTube video, so don't know the theory behind the different locations. Just trying to learn is all.

With my radian, I just did a half loop, and then held full down elevator, and it came down fairly quick, without a bunch of airframe killing airspeed. Worked wonders!

Originally Posted by Roger Rocket

Excuse my ignorance about the aerodynamics of spoilers, but what is wrong with trailing edge spoilers as I have shown. Easy to cut out, and only 2 servo's needed to complete. They seem to work the same, as I remember, as on a Sig Riser I had years ago, which they were mounted on the top of the wing. As I said, installed them because of a YouTube video, so don't know the theory behind the different locations. Just trying to learn is all.

Nothing really wrong with TE spoilers other than so much drag that the wing stops working. If you're going to butcher a Radian in order to add something, put workable flaps on it, like TrekBiker did. At least you have something that can be an asset in multiple flight regimes.

For landing control it helps some, but adds another skill to master (when/how much flap to add, how much elevator comp, etc.). Radians are pretty easy to land accurately without flaps/spoilers with a little practice.

Too bad most of the modern day fliers never learned to fly on simple (non-computer) radios with simple two channel airplanes like the Gentle Lady. You can land this kind of plane very accurately with some practice. This is the real tragedy (if I can call it that) of computer radios, ARF's, readily available moldies, and the like. Never mastering the basics of energy management.

JT

Originally Posted by jtlsf5

Nothing really wrong with TE spoilers other than so much drag that the wing stops working. If you're going to butcher a Radian in order to add something, put workable flaps on it, like TrekBiker did. At least you have something that can be an asset in multiple flight regimes.

For landing control it helps some, but adds another skill to master (when/how much flap to add, how much elevator comp, etc.). Radians are pretty easy to land accurately without flaps/spoilers with a little practice.

Too bad most of the modern day fliers never learned to fly on simple (non-computer) radios with simple two channel airplanes like the Gentle Lady. You can land this kind of plane very accurately with some practice. This is the real tragedy (if I can call it that) of computer radios, ARF's, readily available moldies, and the like. Never mastering the basics of energy management.

JT

JT,

All of the Radian pilots flying the RTF are learning to fly on a simple R/E glider, and they are doing it using a simple, non-computerized radio, the DX5e.

Originally Posted by aeajr

JT,

All of the Radian pilots flying the RTF are learning to fly on a simple R/E glider, and they are doing it using a simple, non-computerized radio, the DX5e.

Based on your post #7 above you consider flaps or spoilers necessary for effective contest type landings. Now you say a Radian is simple, 2-channel on a DX5e and implying this is sufficient to master energy management (ie landing without the aid of extra stuff on the wing). So which is it?

JT

Originally Posted by jtlsf5

Based on your post #7 above you consider flaps or spoilers necessary for effective contest type landings. Now you say a Radian is simple, 2-channel on a DX5e and implying this is sufficient to master energy management (ie landing without the aid of extra stuff on the wing). So which is it?

JT

JT, I love jousting with you. sooo much fun.

Why, both are true of course.

A Radian IS a simple 2 channel glider and the RTF comes wtih a DX5e AND you can learn to manage energy with it, just like any other simple 2 channel glider.

I never said flaps OR spoilers ARE NECESSARY, I said they COULD be called necessary if one wants a competitive edge in a contest situation where inches matter. Personally, in a contest situation where the other pilots are flying with glide path controls, and inches matter, I would call them necessary for me to be competitive.

How did I do?