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Goldberg Gentle Lady Glider ARF Review
Tim Wolff revisits an old favorite in a refined ARF form and remembers why so many pilots started thermal soaring with a Gentle Lady.
Introduction
Great Planes Goldberg Gentle Lady Glider ARF |
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| Wingspan: | 79" (2005 mm) |
| Wing Area: | 674 sq. in. (43.5 sq dm) |
| Weight: | 2.0-2.25 lb (910-1020 g) |
| Wing Loading: | 7-8 oz/sq. ft. (21-24 g/sq. dm) |
| Length: | 41 in (1041 mm) |
| Servos: | Futaba S3004 Standard Ball Bearing Servos (2) |
| Receiver: | Futaba R2006GS receiver |
| Transmitter: | Futaba 6J 6-Channel 2.4 GHz S-FHSS |
| Launch Equipment: | Dynaflite by Great Planes Standard Up-Start |
| Battery: | 4.8V 600mAh NIMH |
| Manufacturer: | Great Planes |
| Available From : | Carl Goldberg Products Retailers |
Now here is a sailplane that really brings back some memories. Released around 1980, the original Gentle Lady has introduced countless sailplane pilots to the art of thermal soaring. Still popular today, the Gentle Lady has seen use in one design contests, power conversions, and slope soaring. One could hand launch and catch a Gentle Lady before purpose built hand launch sailplanes were available. I built a Gentle Lady from a die cut kit when I returned to flying following my teenage hiatus from the hobby and flew it for years.
Box Contents
Included:
- Gentle Lady airframe covered in Monokote.
- Hardware Pack.
- Decal sheet.
- Instruction manual.
Nicely packed. |
Fuse packed under the wings. |
Contents of Hardware Pack. |
Requires:
- Two-channel radio with two standard servos.
- High-start or other launch device.
- 30 Minute Epoxy adhesive.
- Thin CA adhesive.
- Basic modeling tools.
Hobbico provided a Futaba 6J 6-Channel 2.4 GHz S-FHSS transmitter, Futaba R2006GS receiver, two Futaba S3004 Standard Ball Bearing Servos, and Dynaflite by Great Planes Standard Up-Start for the review.
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| Dynaflite Standard Up-Start |
Dynaflite Standard Up-Start |
Assembly
The 15 page instruction manual is loaded with clear pictures and text laid out in a logical order. Much of the assembly is already complete. Anyone capable of reading a following the detailed instructions contained in the manual should have little trouble. The manual also covers initial flights, general flying tips, and details of thermal, slope, and contest soaring.
The instruction manual suggests using a covering iron to remove any wrinkles in the covering, but fails to mention checking the flying surfaces for warps. I recall ¼” of wash-out was specified for each wing tip panel in the kit-built Gentle Lady instructions. The entire plane was virtually wrinkle-free, but each of the wing’s tip panels had different amounts of wash-in. To correct the wash-in condition, the inner wing panel is held between the legs (or by a helper), some wash-out twisted into the outer panel and the wrinkles in the covering shrunk out with a heat gun or covering iron. The amount of wash-out is checked periodically until the desired ¼” is reached. A standard hexagonal pencil makes a handy measurement gauge. The various colors of the finish are layered darker colors on top of lighter colors. The multiple layers of covering makes it somewhat difficult to both shrink-in the desired amount of wash-out AND keep the wing panels wrinkle free. It took several passes on each panel using both a heat gun and iron to get everything just right.
There was insufficient clearance between the pushrods and wing when using the “Z”-bend specified in the instructions. I used a solder-on threaded coupler and 2-56 clevis in place of each “Z”-bend. The result is a neater, more compact, and adjustable control rod. There is plenty of room for the battery, receiver, and switch forward of the wing. I installed the switch under the hatch. Doing so keeps the exterior of the fuselage neat and protects the switch from being tripped inadvertently. The hatch latch facilitates easy removal and replacement of the hatch; making the internal switch location practical. I attached a Hobbico Volt Watch RX battery monitor to the receiver battery with clear heat shrink tubing and plugged it into an unused receiver channel. I used hook and loop material to retain the receiver and battery and padded the battery with foam.
The threaded portion of the included tow hook was too short to reach the installed tee nut. I removed the factory installed tee nut using a 3 mm machine screw and a soldering gun to heat and gently push the nut out. I countersunk the mounting hole from the inside, lowering the installed position of the tee nut so the tow hook could be used. Unfortunately, the 3mm tow hook threads stripped when tightened. I used a 4-40 tow hook and tee nut in place of the factory hardware. Both stock tow hook mounts appear excessively stout. Historically, a birch plywood insert in the fuselage bottom and 1/8” birch plywood doubler on the inside of the fuselage floor have proven to be plenty strong for 2-meter (and larger) wooden sailplanes. The wings would likely give way well before the tow hook pulled out of the fuselage.
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The factory tow hook.
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The 4-40 tow hook installed.
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The rear tee nut is counter sunk. The blocks of hardwood seem significantly larger than necessary.
I added a nose skid to the nose and a tail skid to the rear. Neither of these items is included. A nose skid should be. The skid protects the bottom of the nose from landing damage and keeps the plane from sliding along the ground after touchdown. I repurposed a Great Planes nylon wing tip skid for the tail skid.
The Standard Up-Start requires some basic assembly. Special knots used to tie the various components together are clearly illustrated and easy to tie. Wind the assembled Up-Start on the provided reel starting with the parachute end.
Notable Features
There are some notable improvements in the Gentle Lady ARF over the original kit version. The use of laser cutting improves the overall fit and finish of the model and makes use of lightening holes throughout the model practical. The wing is retained with rubber bands using traditionally located dowels installed through the fuselage sides. The original kit design used centrally located dowels in the fuselage formers. The original arrangement required significantly beefier fuselage formers immediately fore and aft of the wing and required removal of the hatch to mount or remove the wing. The original kit design used only the mounted wing to retain the hatch. As a result, the hatch on the original kit design was prone to loss during storage and transport. The Gentle Lady ARF incorporates a mechanical latch that secures the hatch independent of the wing.
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Laser cut parts make lightening holes in the fuselage doublers practical.
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More lightning holes.
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The wing mounts with rubber bands on conventional dowels mounted across the fuselage.
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The hatch latch.
Completion
I programmed the Futaba 6J transmitter to the control throws specified in the product manual. I found it necessary to forcibly deflect the rudder left and right several times to “soften” the hinge line in order to obtain the 1-5/8” inch high rate rudder travel specified in the instructions. I marked and checked the specified center of gravity at 3 5/8 inches aft of the wing leading edge at the fuselage. 3.2 oz. of weight was added to the nose to obtain the recommended CG. The rear tow hook location is approximately 1/8” forward of the recommended center of gravity and should provide a steep climb and stable handling on launches. Ready to fly weight of the review model was 2.0 lbs.
Flying
A few hand throws confirmed that the center of gravity, control throws and trim were in the ballpark. Javelin style throws can result in sufficient altitude for quick low level thermal hunting followed by a hand catch or landing practice.
Notes for using the Up-Start
Select the launching location and walk directly upwind 140 paces. Stake the end of the Up-Start to the ground. Unroll the tubing and line as you walk back to the selected launch area. You should run out of line about 40 paces short of the selected launch area. Stretch the Up-Start approximately 40 paces for a full launch. Over-stretching the Up-Start will not result in higher launches, but will significantly reduce the useful life of the tubing. Use a helper if possible. There is a significant amount of tension on the line when fully stretched. Always handle the line with the chute folded in your hand. Never put your finger through the ring or wrap the line around the fingers or hands. Confirm that the radio is switched on and the aircraft is ready to launch before hooking the Up-Start to the tow hook.
Launch
The Gentle Lady launches with ease. Light winds work in the plane’s favor when launching. A five mile-per hour wind will result in a significantly higher launch then one under dead calm conditions. Throw the plane directly into the wind, firmly and slightly upward with the wings level. Thrown properly, the Gentle Lady will fly itself all the way through the launch. When the tension between the Up-Start tubing and the aircraft has equalized, the parachute will detach and fall back to earth.
The Gentle Lady can also be winch launched provided the pilot has a well trained foot. Modern winches can easily tear the wings off the Gentle Lady if the launch conditions (wind) are not considered and a very gentle touch used on the pedal. It is also worth noting that the relativity heavy line used on most of today’s winches limits the launch height attainable by smaller wooden sailplanes. The Up-Start, using a reasonable amount of tension results in a gentler, more consistent, and higher launch than those using a winch.
Basics
The Gentle Lady has a rather sedate flight envelope. Stalls are predictable and easily recoverable by simply releasing the elevator stick and allowing the plane to stabilize itself. The plane indicates lift well. Its light weight means, that when flying in light conditions, almost any unintended deviation in flight path is probably an indication of lift. Turning back into the flight path deviation and flying big flat circles will usually have the Gentle Lady gaining altitude in even the weakest lift. The low control rates were quickly dispatched in favor of the high rates. High rates provide more control when it is needed without making the plane feel too sensitive to stick movements. The Gentle Lady really shines in light wind conditions. Five to seven MPH winds are easily manageable with ten MPH winds being a reasonable upper limit for an experienced pilot using high control rates. The plane can be flown in windier conditions with the addition of ballast weight to increase the wing loading. Doing so makes pilot skill critical as the airframe will be more subject to damage on launch and landing due to both the additional weight being carried and the windy conditions.
Landing
The lack of spoilers means that energy is managed with the elevator. The airframe bleeds off excess energy (airspeed and altitude) well. An afternoon or two spent shooting landings will provide an excellent feel for how to manage the approach and landing. Flying the same landing pattern every time and adjusting all three “legs” of the pattern for conditions are keys to success. The Gentle Lady’s flight performance makes landing consistency fairly easy.
Setup Tip for landing: If the transmitter supports a mix that will mix throttle to elevator, setup a “landing mode” with the mix adding the equivalent of a click or two of down elevator trim when the throttle stick is lowered. The tad of down elevator helps the plane maintain airspeed (energy) during the approach and landing. Use of the throttle stick for the landing flight mode is standard practice for sailplanes and is a good habit to develop early on.
Is This For a Beginner?
Absolutely! The Gentle Lady is well known as an excellent thermal soaring trainer. A bit of assistance from an experienced sailplane pilot is advisable until the student is familiar with the basics of launching and energy management. Following that, the Gentle Lady makes an excellent, low cost, thermal soaring trainer. Skills acquired can be applied directly to larger and more advanced sailplanes and won’t have to be “un-learned” as the pilot chooses to advance.
Flight Video/Photo Gallery
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My son Phillip did an excellent job of shooting the following video in a single take from launch to landing. The video was taken in the mid-morning flying in variable winds of five to seven MPH.
Downloads
Conclusion
Great Planes has updated the design and made this excellent first sailplane even more accessible in a quality, affordable, Almost Ready to Fly form. The Standard Up-Start is ideally suited to the airframe and provides consistent worry-free launches. The Futaba radio gear performed flawlessly. The simple pleasure of a High-Start launched wooden sailplane can be easily lost among the costly and complex, molded, full-house sailplanes of recent years. The Gentle Lady ARF brings simplicity back in spades. The relativity small size, light weight, and affordable Up-Start launching make the Gentle Lady an ideal sailplane for park flying. The light, rugged, and time-tested design is equally at home flying at the club field.
Pluses
• Light finished weight.
• Stunning appearance and color scheme provides excellent contrast and distance visibility under various light conditions.
• Excellent flying manners.
Minuses
• Poor quality tow hook.
• Nose skid not included.
• One piece wing makes storage and transportation difficult.
Last edited by Angela H; Aug 31, 2011 at 05:15 PM..Discussion
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| Thread Tools |
Sep 19, 2011, 08:34 PM
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United States, MN, Buffalo
Joined Jul 2011
3,391 Posts
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God this plane brings back some memories, first plane I ever built. Took me all winter long to build it and did the rubber band launch with it.
Got up about 50ft I got excitted and added some rudder, it rolled over and smashed rite into the ground. Whole wing was shattered. Yeah i didn't know what I was doing but man that plane brings back some memories  I should have put a .049 cox on the nose instead of rubber launching it. |
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Sep 19, 2011, 10:53 PM
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United States, MO, Springfield
Joined Jul 2010
2,878 Posts
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my first RC aircraft as well built it from a kit when i was 11 or so (with some help)
mine had the e powered power pod add on |
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Sep 19, 2011, 11:23 PM
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United States, CA, San Jose
Joined Jul 2011
2,672 Posts
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Great, fun glider, indeed! This, too, is my first, and I'm having loads of fun flying (and repairing!) her.
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Sep 20, 2011, 05:16 AM
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lebanon, PA
Joined Dec 2000
397 Posts
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Wow, trip down memory lane for me too! My first RC airplane, i put an old O.S. 10 on a wing pod and it was flown that way. I still have the fusalage in my basement.
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Sep 20, 2011, 08:39 AM
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Hervey Bay, Sunny Qld, Australia
Joined Jun 2001
1,691 Posts
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You just can't beat a classic like this one.
The G.L, when I started gliding decades ago, was the most popular glider to learn on and they flew so well too. |
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Sep 20, 2011, 12:04 PM
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Stockton, Ca. USA
Joined Apr 2001
8,719 Posts
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Lots of memories with the Gentle Lady for me. Built them with different groups of boy scouts. Added battery powered Christmas lights inside the wing with clear covering for my first night flyer in the 90s. Die crunch kit and some fit together better than others but they can fly great. Mike H
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Latest blog entry: New receiver packs and asking Castle for...
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Sep 20, 2011, 12:18 PM
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Norway
Joined Jul 2003
1,117 Posts
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This was actually my first plane too. My dad spent 3 years to build the kit for me. By the time it was finished I had managed to save enough money for a Futaba Skysport 4 FM. My instructor crashed it on the third flight. I put it back together and taught myself to fly from a local slope... The plane is still hanging from the ceiling back at my parents house. A great plane to learn on, and it sparked an interest for that has lead to 12 years of F3F flying and a job in the UAV business. My dad is still not to interested...
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Sep 20, 2011, 05:54 PM
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USA, KY, Louisville
Joined Oct 2002
504 Posts
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Hi Start?
Hi Guys what is funny is that we actually used high starts to get the Gentle Lady up into the sky and sometimes found lift.
Now days we just throw them into lift...no high starts needed...but back then hand launch was a fun idea, now its taken for granted. Most of us have thrown our 147" molded unlimited comp ships into lift plenty of times, I guess it was just a matter of perspective. I still fly the Genital Lady my dad built over 40 years ago in two channel competitions. Great little sailplane for sure. Gordy Louisville Ky |
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Sep 21, 2011, 10:23 AM
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Joined Oct 2006
139 Posts
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Tower has the Gentle Lady listed under Great Planes, not Goldberg if you go searching.
kj |
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Sep 21, 2011, 11:20 AM
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Bakersfield, California
Joined Jan 2007
253 Posts
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Thanks for the ARF review. I just purchased an older kit version and may use some of your tips to help clean up the build.
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Sep 21, 2011, 05:00 PM
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Tucson Avra Valley, Arizona, United States
Joined Jul 2004
5,463 Posts
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I built five of the GLs in the early 80's....brings back a lot of great memories...
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Sep 22, 2011, 08:38 AM
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Australia, SA, Adelaide
Joined Oct 2006
684 Posts
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I bought exactly this ARF version of the Gentle Lady, two years ago. The quality was so poor, especially the fuselage, that I simply threw the whole box into rubbish.
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Sep 23, 2011, 02:26 AM
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Joined Aug 2011
60 Posts
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Ahhhh, Fond Memories of the GL. I like everyone else spent hour after hour gluing my fingers to balsa, Covering then removing and recovering the fuse, tail and wings. I did splurge for the Texaco .049 and would fill the tank with just enough fuel to get it into the air. It always flew great. a year later, I would run it with the .049 fully fueled and spend about 15 minutes of powered flight. I got cocky and would fly it in winds gusting to 15 MPH. knowing all the hours I put into it, that's a thrill that ranked up there with the biggest rollercoasters or a flight in a fighterjet. I've been looking around for the kits again to get my son started with a great foundation of what it takes to build something then risk it with a cross wind landing approach.
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Oct 12, 2011, 10:42 PM
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El Dorado Hills, California, U.S.A.
Joined Mar 2000
515 Posts
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Great review, My gang of friends and myself still fly the Gentle Ladys religiously.I bring it everywhere(the original kit version) I go.
The ARF is total Junk... The original has some very ingenious design features: One piece wing-less parts-lighter wing The wing center dowel system is a marvel of engineering-makes the model more aerodynamic, but the most important feature is it makes the model crash resistant;The wing will slide off on impact.I had my receiver battery go dead after hour of continuous flight and the model fell out of the sky from several hundred feet. Damage was the hatch broke, rubber bands broke, and one of the fuselage sides unglued from the nose. Now,on the ARF the wing would have torn-up at the center section and busted up the fuse more that what happened to me. weight, 8 to 10 ounces heavier than the original;Because of weight, it cannot thermal in light lift. As Gecko said in the movie Wall Street said "A dog with flea's" Now,if they make it like the original,I'll pay double since the original is a well engineered model. Find the kit or build one from the original RCM plans... Martin |
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