This looks like a “rescaling” Of the design used for both the smaller 3.5M plane and the larger 6M plane. Can you confirm if that is true? Or did they design this from scratch and use an actual spar in this one?

Anyone know when this will be released? I was about to.pull the trigger on a 3.5m.

Thanks
Joe

No idea on either question.

Will be interested in seeing a look inside the wing via the spoiler opening to see if they put an actual spar in this version. The 3.5M worked because it was small enough but the 6M was a disaster. At 4.5M this new one will be hit or miss as far as wing failure goes if they didn't redesign and put a real spar in the wings.

Originally Posted by SZD16

Will be interested in seeing a look inside the wing via the spoiler opening to see if they put an actual spar in this version. The 3.5M worked because it was small enough but the 6M was a disaster. At 4.5M this new one will be hit or miss as far as wing failure goes if they didn't redesign and put a real spar in the wings.

+1 The 3.5 can be made into a great aero tow thermal ship with a few minor mods, love mine. Still I would not want to perform aerobatics with it! I'm on the fence with the 4.5 till I see whats under the skin.

Originally Posted by Soarmark

+1 The 3.5 can be made into a great aero tow thermal ship with a few minor mods, love mine. Still I would not want to perform aerobatics with it! I'm on the fence with the 4.5 till I see whats under the skin.

My 6 meter is one of my favorite goto airplanes because it just plain flys fantastically! Now....that is after I striped the wings and installed actual spars in the main panel! With that done at 35lbs. it is a soaring machine!

Originally Posted by Soarmark

+1 The 3.5 can be made into a great aero tow thermal ship with a few minor mods, love mine. Still I would not want to perform aerobatics with it! I'm on the fence with the 4.5 till I see whats under the skin.

A simple fix on the 3.5m is to run a 6mm cf tube coated in epoxy up the servo channel of the wing. It will attach to anything it touches and spread the load. Then you can let her rip (see vid).

Both the 3.5 and 6m models had wing issues.

Tower was expecting to have the 4.5m available in July, but now - who knows.

Ka-8B ridge soaring (2 min 55 sec)

Originally Posted by KiwiKid

A simple fix on the 3.5m is to run a 6mm cf tube coated in epoxy up the servo channel of the wing. It will attach to anything it touches and spread the load. Then you can let her rip (see vid).

Both the 3.5 and 6m models had wing issues.

Tower was expecting to have the 4.5m available in July, but now - who knows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_wSb9JJ6hQ&t

Scary picture there of the two broken wings considering I pre-ordered the 4.5m from Tower a few days ago! At least now I know what to look for whenever it arrives. I'm amazed that there seems to be no other damage to the two sailplanes. Did the wing breaks happen in flight?

Originally Posted by KiwiKid

A simple fix on the 3.5m is to run a 6mm cf tube coated in epoxy up the servo channel of the wing. It will attach to anything it touches and spread the load. Then you can let her rip (see vid).

Both the 3.5 and 6m models had wing issues.

Tower was expecting to have the 4.5m available in July, but now - who knows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_wSb9JJ6hQ&t

I fly mine like the original was designed. The designed flight envelope is the first solo thermal non-aerobatic sailplane after one "gets their wings". Ripping back and forth on a slope is pushing the envelope beyond designed parameters. Take a look at the eastern two thirds topography for Texas and you'll understand...

OOH, and two of my aero tow buddies have the 6 meter that they "reworked" and love them as thermal ships.

Originally Posted by soareyes

Scary picture there of the two broken wings considering I pre-ordered the 4.5m from Tower a few days ago! At least now I know what to look for whenever it arrives. I'm amazed that there seems to be no other damage to the two sailplanes. Did the wing breaks happen in flight?

Yes, they were both in flight failures - caused by severe turbulence encountered when trying to get out of strong thermals. The 3.5m sycamored down into the long grass in back of where the cars are parked and the 6m was still flyable!

Whoa........that’s impressive!

The 3.5 Mtr, is my husbands - Melvyn, sorry or glad to say it didn't "sycamore down", Mel lost it coming off the aerotow by diving and pulling up with too much G and the wing gave up at the end of the wing joiners... I walked to follow the separated wing as we were flying at an MOD airfield - Middle Wallop and can't leave any FOD on the airfield at the end of meetings, plus I thought this is going to be carnage!..... as I was walking I heard Jane (one of the admin at the meeting say "Did that glider just land with one wing?..." Mel had pulled the airbrake and with full apposite aileron to the rotation, he found with a 45 degree dive the glider levelled, he just kept it stable and rounded out for a gentle landing. "Motley" Geoff was flying the 6 mtr later in the day when his wing gave up doing nothing special, the shout went out from the pilots box "If Mel can land it with one wing so can you!..." the photo was taken later in the day with two very relieved pilots who's wallets weren't about to be opened...

I rebuilt the wing with a carbon "telescopic" main spar, I turned down wood drill shanks inserted the drill into the carbon tube drilled behind the "spar" top and bottom for the length of the three sections, the carbon telescopic spar was the inserted into the holes with epoxy resin and cotton flock, the new spar finished about 100mm short of the outboard end of the aileron, the carbon tube diameters were 8, 6, and 4mm, Geoff on the other hand stripped sections of the D box off and let in a proper spruce and ply box main spar.

Both gliders are still flying here in the UK, well when we can get flying again with all these covid restrictions......

Thanks for clearing that up Antonia - a great read. The info I had was probably third hand at best

It will be interesting to see what people think of the 4.5m's wing structure - some pre-emptive strengthening would probably be worthwhile.

I really do want to see the bones of this ship. It fits right in with my requirements for transportation and storage. My 3.5 meter is a hoot to fly and it is fun flying below 1 K feet. Above that and it becomes work...too small. I've had many a flight dancing around from 300' to 1 K for over a half an hour (1 hour is my limit now). Also, on those days just had to pull the brakes and make it come down.