Since weather remains awful, i've decided to slightly extend the building season and building a kit...
Well lads...I can't remember wich was the last kit i bought....but i know i quitted buying because every time I was'nt happy about something.
It's been a while since i wanted to enter in the thermal duration world, those big gliders really have appeal.
So I looked for an entry level RES ship over here and the response was Art Hobby Thermic RES.
This is an impressive piece of kit and the building is pretty straightforward, but i wanted to customize it for my requirements: lightness .
I replaced those non airfoiled tailfeathers with some slightly enlarged ones made of contest 5mm balsa: 9g weight saving with a bigger K and no deadband problems.
I also discarded those bowdens and replaced with dyneema/carp fishing elastic.
Now the model is 95% done, i'm waiting for a synthetized receiver and should make some battery packs.
Planned weight is 670g...should float

Nice plane! I'm very impressed with the Art Hobby selection. I really want to get a pure thermal ship too. I currently fly a powered glider, but I just find powerless gliding so majestic. I'm thinking of getting the Ibis 3m from Art Hobby. Are you able to provide more detail about your experience with an Art Hobby kit? What problems (if any) did you encounter? What servos did you use? How are you launching it? Did you achieve the target weight?

Sorry to bomb you with questions, but you clearly wanted interest, and you got it! Please keep us informed with how it goes.

Cheers,
Straight Up

Straight Up,
No problem with question bombing
I find ArtHobby about perfect for my requirements, every piece is sold separately thus enabling you to have whatever spare part you want: infact i plan to purchase another wing set for full house... if only they would use Drela airfoils...
Anyway, i made some changes in the didheral by augmenting it on the central panel and diminishing the last break.
The wing is very robust and goes together with no problems at all.
I used Hs 56 Hb - Karbonite and i find them perfect for the task.
Also the Dyneema-carp fishing elastic system is holding very well.
I'm having a ball by launching it with Dynaflite DYFP8306 Up-Start Standard 3/16" Rubber.
Current weight is exactly as planned and it floats forever indeed
I'm havig some mild dutch roll problems and i plan to cure it by adding some expo to rudder, move CG slightly backwards and lighten the outer panels by replacing those hard balsa tip blocks with some lighter ones.
Anyway it handles like a DLG and you can wrap it on the mildest thermals.
I will post other photos soon, so stay tuned!

Best regards,

Francesco

P.S. On Ibis i would not use that FG fin...but i'm lightness addicted!

I too love the art hobbies planes, thats really a beautiful glider! I hope she treats you well!

Thank you FairlyFaded,
I've followed your thread about your 30ft glider: don't be discouraged about bad comments...they are just envious!
I suggest you to make a Rogallo wing just for testing.

Best regards and good luck!

Francesco