What would be a good thermal glider for a beginner?

ChrisFeole · Jun 25, 2001, 05:27 PM

I have a gp spirit. It feels like a tank and I had to add about 2.5 oz. to the nose just to get it to balance. I have flown it and am not that impressed with the performance. My whindstar ep has alot more control authority. Do I have this ship too tail heavy. It is just 7mm behind the cg in the instruction book. Chris

Andy W · Jun 25, 2001, 06:32 PM

Do you like building? The Bird of Time is reported to be about the best kit out there. Otherwise, there are a lot of ARF's out there - the Filip from Hobby Lobby gets lots of attention..
..a

SchiessCo · Jun 25, 2001, 06:57 PM

My Spirit was a pretty nice flying airplane. It was plenty responsive for a R/E ship and had a wide c.g. range. I’d recheck your set-up before moving on to a new plane.

Pete

Ray Lowinski · Jun 25, 2001, 07:50 PM

You want to change the wing? Get a hold of a Gentle/Sophisticated Lady wing and strap it on. My Spirit was good, stock, for windy conditions but became a real floater with the SL wing. Same CG, just changed the wing.

Ray

ChrisFeole · Jun 26, 2001, 07:03 PM

What about a wing from a windstar from Thunder Tiger? I already have one of those.

ChrisFeole · Jun 26, 2001, 07:04 PM

[Did you have to add alot of weight to the nose? to Fok thanks chris

ChrisFeole · Jun 26, 2001, 07:09 PM

Thanks for all the help I do belive I should join a glider club, there is just so much to learn. How do you guys manage to fly with kids and work. Thats why I am really interested in thermal gliding. I can escape to the school yard with my plane DLG or High start and have fun. I just can't seem to get that first thermal under my belt.

wiley · Jun 26, 2001, 09:29 PM

for a rank beginner get yourself a bowman's javiln, and mad aircraft highlander, a dave's handlaunch glider, a trick floater. do your self a favor and go epp for the first plane.

SchiessCo · Jun 27, 2001, 12:38 AM

Yup, I had a pretty big chunk of lead in the nose. I don't know the weight, but it was about 1"x1"x0.3".

You might try dropping the nose and flying it a little faster. As Ray alluded, it's not a real floater like a Gentle Lady.

Pete

Hans · Jun 27, 2001, 04:36 AM

ChrisFeole

You must be doing something wrong, a Spirit is a very very good plane. I´ve had one and it was the best termal hunter I´ve ever had. I made a second fuse with an e-motor and it became a Spectra, and it still could beat all other 2m planes in our club.
You´ll have to move the CG up front were the instruction says and fly it a little faster, and you´ll get more control. If you just hang up there, it´ll come down, you have to fly it, and when you do that it´ll stay up for ever. My record is allmost 2 hours. Don´t worry about the extra weight, in the e-version (spectra) I used 8 1700Mah cells, ESC, and a geared speed 600, so an oz. more or less doesn´t matter, but get the CG were it has to be.
Go fore the Spirit it´s a Great Plane

hans

ChrisFeole · Jun 27, 2001, 06:38 PM

Thanks for the replies on the spirit. I am experienced pilot,just not good at thermal hunting. I suspect that my plane has to be tail heavy,even though it is within the directions inteded balance point. My thunder tiger ep has alot more authority so I will move the cg forward on the spirit and see how it goes.

Sparky Paul · Jun 28, 2001, 12:34 AM

Your Spirit should be a good flier.. but if it gives you problems, the Gentle Lady might be a good choice to get a better feel for the way things are supposed to fly.
The Spirit will outperform the GL, so maybe you just need to fly it more, possibly with some assistance from an -experienced- glider flier.
And it makes a good e-plane! I put the motor and things in my Spirit, and it is a super thermaller..
.

Jun 25, 2001, 05:27 PM	#1
ChrisFeole Registered User reynoldsburg Oh,43068. Joined Mar 2001 93 Posts	What would be a good thermal glider for a beginner? I have a gp spirit. It feels like a tank and I had to add about 2.5 oz. to the nose just to get it to balance. I have flown it and am not that impressed with the performance. My whindstar ep has alot more control authority. Do I have this ship too tail heavy. It is just 7mm behind the cg in the instruction book. Chris

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Jun 25, 2001, 06:32 PM	#2
Andy W RIP Ric Marietta, GA Joined Jun 1999 43,272 Posts	Do you like building? The Bird of Time is reported to be about the best kit out there. Otherwise, there are a lot of ARF's out there - the Filip from Hobby Lobby gets lots of attention.. ..a

Jun 25, 2001, 06:57 PM	#3
SchiessCo Uber Alles Again North Hills Joined Nov 1999 6,044 Posts	My Spirit was a pretty nice flying airplane. It was plenty responsive for a R/E ship and had a wide c.g. range. I’d recheck your set-up before moving on to a new plane. Pete

Jun 25, 2001, 07:50 PM	#4
Ray Lowinski Registered User Napoleon, Ohio Joined Dec 1996 728 Posts	You want to change the wing? Get a hold of a Gentle/Sophisticated Lady wing and strap it on. My Spirit was good, stock, for windy conditions but became a real floater with the SL wing. Same CG, just changed the wing. Ray

Jun 26, 2001, 07:03 PM	#5
ChrisFeole Registered User reynoldsburg Oh,43068. Joined Mar 2001 93 Posts	What about a wing from a windstar from Thunder Tiger? I already have one of those.

Jun 26, 2001, 07:04 PM	#6
ChrisFeole Registered User reynoldsburg Oh,43068. Joined Mar 2001 93 Posts	[Did you have to add alot of weight to the nose? to Fok thanks chris

Jun 26, 2001, 07:09 PM	#7
ChrisFeole Registered User reynoldsburg Oh,43068. Joined Mar 2001 93 Posts	Thanks for all the help I do belive I should join a glider club, there is just so much to learn. How do you guys manage to fly with kids and work. Thats why I am really interested in thermal gliding. I can escape to the school yard with my plane DLG or High start and have fun. I just can't seem to get that first thermal under my belt.

Jun 26, 2001, 09:29 PM	#8
wiley Registered User owosso, mich Joined Mar 1999 416 Posts	for a rank beginner get yourself a bowman's javiln, and mad aircraft highlander, a dave's handlaunch glider, a trick floater. do your self a favor and go epp for the first plane.

Jun 27, 2001, 12:38 AM	#9
SchiessCo Uber Alles Again North Hills Joined Nov 1999 6,044 Posts	Yup, I had a pretty big chunk of lead in the nose. I don't know the weight, but it was about 1"x1"x0.3". You might try dropping the nose and flying it a little faster. As Ray alluded, it's not a real floater like a Gentle Lady. Pete

Jun 27, 2001, 04:36 AM	#10
Hans Registered User Thisted, Denmark Joined Jul 2000 251 Posts	ChrisFeole You must be doing something wrong, a Spirit is a very very good plane. I´ve had one and it was the best termal hunter I´ve ever had. I made a second fuse with an e-motor and it became a Spectra, and it still could beat all other 2m planes in our club. You´ll have to move the CG up front were the instruction says and fly it a little faster, and you´ll get more control. If you just hang up there, it´ll come down, you have to fly it, and when you do that it´ll stay up for ever. My record is allmost 2 hours. Don´t worry about the extra weight, in the e-version (spectra) I used 8 1700Mah cells, ESC, and a geared speed 600, so an oz. more or less doesn´t matter, but get the CG were it has to be. Go fore the Spirit it´s a Great Plane hans

Jun 27, 2001, 06:38 PM	#11
ChrisFeole Registered User reynoldsburg Oh,43068. Joined Mar 2001 93 Posts	Thanks for the replies on the spirit. I am experienced pilot,just not good at thermal hunting. I suspect that my plane has to be tail heavy,even though it is within the directions inteded balance point. My thunder tiger ep has alot more authority so I will move the cg forward on the spirit and see how it goes.

Jun 28, 2001, 12:34 AM	#12
Sparky Paul Ascended Master Palmdale, CA Joined Oct 2000 12,681 Posts	Your Spirit should be a good flier.. but if it gives you problems, the Gentle Lady might be a good choice to get a better feel for the way things are supposed to fly. The Spirit will outperform the GL, so maybe you just need to fly it more, possibly with some assistance from an -experienced- glider flier. And it makes a good e-plane! I put the motor and things in my Spirit, and it is a super thermaller.. .