mred

If you are new to flying and can't tell how far you are away from your plane, then a park receiver is the last one you want in your glider. Believe me, you WILL out range your receiver at some point and it probably won't take you very long to do it.

As to how far away you can see your glider, it depends on a lot of things, but at 2100ft, I was almost straight over head. The wing on my Chrysalis is kind of wide, so it is more like a 100" or better glider and while I can see it, I don't take my eyes off of it until it is much lower. I also couldn't tell I was in a thermal and only found out after I landed and read my Eagle Tree recorder. There is no way you will see a 2M very far down wind at that altitude, so don't even try it. It was also a clear day and I have very visible colors on my glider.

As for your extra battery, I don't think you really need it. I have a CC UBEC and it has never failed me, plus I NEVER run my battery even close to low while flying. I have a 2200MAh battery and have never gone below 70% use and most of the time I only go to 50% or 60% before changing batteries. I think while a second battery is fine, it adds more weight then I care to haul around. Every ounce hurts when flying gliders and you want to save anywhere you can. I have 4 batteries that I take with me, so I can fly all day without worrying about running out of batteries.

As for the radio I use, I have a JR 9303 and use a 7 channel full range receiver and I also have an Airtronics SD 10G with a 5 channel full range receiver. I would never even think of using any kind of park radio with a glider. It's just to easy to fly out of range. I have never used a Dx6i radio, so I don't know very much about it, but if that is the park flyer radio you were talking about, then all I can say is, save it for a true park flyer, not a glider.

As for using the BEC and a separate battery, I would say don't. You only need one of them at a time. While you can set it up to use both, you really don't need them both together. As for a radio, You can get an Airtronics radio kind of cheap and it is a very good radio. You don't have to get the SD 10G set. The 6 channel is a very good radio and is as good as any of the high priced sets on the market. That is just one example. There are more, so pick one and let us know and someone will tell you if it is any good. I think if you stick to any of the name brands you can't go wrong, but don't get a park flyer radio for this glider. If you can afford it, I would say get the SD 10G, but that is not for the number of channels, but for the programing ability of that radio. You can pick one up for $440.00, but if you can't afford that or don't want to pay that much, then there are quite a few sets under that. You can get a good radio for around $200.00 and not have to worry about anything. I don't like the lower radios simply because you can get a really good one and never have to worry about running out of programing ability, where a smaller radio you are limited as to what it will do. You can always use less, but if your programing is limited, then you can run into things it will not do that you wish it could do.

As to the colors, pick out some really bright colors for everything except for the bottom of the wing. You want a dark color there, so a blue or black or a dark red is great for that. On top, use bright yellow or red or some shades of orange. NEVER use green on the leading edge, or it will blend in with the trees and other things and could very easily disappear on you during a landing. If you have any more questions, ask away. Someone will answer you.

Ed

AEAJR

the amp rating of your ESC is for the motor current only. The BEC is what supplies your receiver. It the BEC rating you have to watch in relation to servo draw.

I agree that using a separate receiver battery for a 2M eglider adds too much weight. A separate high capacity BEC is a better choice if you are concerned about over drawing the BEC.

AMA guidelines call for no more than 400 feet altitude when within 3 air miles of an airport.

mred

From the sound of things, you must live under the approach path of that airport. It also sounds like you shouldn't be flying anything there higher then about 50 feet. Those planes landing have the right of way and if they even think you are to close to them, they may file on you. That is a world of problems for you and you really don't want to go there. Normal height for small planes is 1,000 feet AGL unless they are in the pattern and then it is normally 800 Feet AGL. Once they start their decent, it could be anything depending on where you live under that flight path. Your much better off just not flying there. You should have some place to fly close by that does not interfere with their flight path. It's not very much fun flying gliders if you are restricted to 400 feet either. 400 feet is just the low altitude for release for a glider and then if you hit any kind of thermal, you will be above that pretty fast, so it is best to just get outside that 3 mile area and stay safe. I know you don't want to pay the fines if the FAA comes after you, so it is best to just stay as far away from that field as you can. I may have one plane a month that even comes close to where I fly and then they are very seldom overhead. You really need someone watching out for planes just to make sure you can get out of the way fast enough. You really don't want the trouble if you ever hit one of these planes. All I have to really watch out for are the crop dusters and if they are flying I don't, but that is only a few times a year, so I let them have the sky and go someplace else.

Ed

AEAJR

I agree completely and will add that the FAA is the least of the considerations. There are people in those planes. ANYTHING that could endanger those people, even remotely, should be avoided. When a pilot is on approach there should be nothing to interfere with that approach and landing.

prof_fate

I believe I am in an area that is classified as Class G airspace.

Class G

Class G airspace includes all airspace not otherwise classified as controlled below flight level 600. (AIM 3-3-1) There are no entry or clearance requirements for Class G airspace, even for IFR operations. Class G airspace is typically the airspace very near the ground (1200 feet or less), beneath Class E airspace.
Radio communication is not required in Class G airspace, even for IFR operations. Class G is completely uncontrolled.
VFR visibility requirements in Class G airspace are 1 mile (1.6 km) by day, and 3 miles (5 km) by night, for altitudes below 10,000 feet (3,050 m) MSL. Beginning at 10,000 feet MSL, 5 miles (8 km) of visibility are required, day and night. Cloud clearance requirements are to maintain an altitude that is 500 feet (150 m) below, 1,000 feet (300 m) above, and 2,000 feet (600 m) laterally below 10,000 feet MSL; at or above 10,000 feet MSL, they are 1,000 feet below, 1,000 feet above, and 1 mile laterally. By day at 1,200 feet (370 m) AGL and below, aircraft must remain clear of clouds, and there is no minimum lateral distance.


The reasons I suspect I see so many aircraft flying low is I'm between 2 airports - a large commercial one about 20 miles south and a smaller one 5 or so miles north. Class G is space under 1200 ft.
The smaller one is the home base for the county's aviation school and they have several pilot (from nothing to full commercial ratings) as well as ATC school there and an air museum - so there's lots of 'regular' joes flying about.


In the past I've seen some odd things fly overhead - the goodyear blimp (headquartered about 70 miles west of here), a gyrocopter, an L4 is a common site as it's at the air museum, heli's several times a week, and odd stuff now and then like 1/2 dozen blackhawks in formation once, a skycrane type heli carrying something large every morning at 8 am for a week straight, a vietnam era huey earlier this year.

mred

Even in class G airspace, there are rules that govern what altitude you may fly at from structures. That is anything that can house people such as houses and parks where people normally go, work or live. I may have the backwards because it's been a long time, but I believe it is 1,000 feet vertical and 500 feet horizontal from any structure. Outside that, you are free to fly anywhere you want to as long as it is not to close to animals (cows and such) and it is only your life at risk. If you want to kill yourself flying stupidly, then that is your choice, but you can't in-danger anyone on the ground with stupid flying. Also there are special rules regarding Crop Dusters when they are flying and working.

Given that you live in some part of town, then I would guess that they are restricted to 1,000 feet unless they are landing of taking off. They are also restricted from flying in a control zone unless equipped with a radio. There are rules for that too, but most of the time it is just stay away.

So in the end, you are much better off just not flying there. You may never kill someone, but there is that possibility and even if small, I would never take that chance. Even if you just damage their plane, they would for sure make you pay for the rest of your life and that isn't even the FAA and what they will do to you. Even flying a real airplane, you are restricted to how close you can fly to another aircraft unless you have prior understanding between both pilots.

Forgetting all of that, I just would not fly there for the simple reason that I don't want to take any chances with something going wrong. I would rather be safe then sorry.

Ed

AEAJR

Any new electric conversions going on?

Bub Steve

New Gentle lady is getting a flightpack, flatting the tips of my 26 year old one and add'in ailerons and spoilers, worked on um today,, I'll get some pixs up
bubsteve

Bub Steve

480 1000KV, Got the wings flat ailerons cut in and new flight-pack, fly her this week weather permitting, bubsteve

Bub Steve

she's done,,,,,,,,,,,,, windy here but she'll be hunting sky soon enough
bubsteve

mred

HI Ed; I am putting a motor in my Nubula II and am about half finished with it. It's a 126" span glider and an all wood kit. I have lots and lots of sanding to do on the fuselage since it is a very shapely little critter. I am putting a Turnegy 3548-800 motor in it and more then likely a 13X6.5 folding prop on 3S. It is a simple RE glider, but I am installing spoilers in it too. Since I can build them in easy enough during the build I may as well. Besides, I hate gliders that don't have spoilers or flaps on them, but that is just me. With spoilers I can pick my landing spot, but without them I always over shoot. That ground effect gets me every time and I just watch as it floats on by a foot off the ground. It has some fantastic laser cutting and great wood selection in it.

I'm not in a big hurry to finish it since we are having some really rotten weather here right now. Cold and windy. That should go away pretty soon, but I also have other things to fly and I am a slow builder these days.

Ed

AEAJR

I am a big fan of spoilers or flaps. I have gliders that have neither and enjoy them very much but if I was building a kit I would add spoilers or flaps too.

Bub Steve

I've been have'in a ball flying her,, it's been to many years in the hanger and had a big tad of wing-warp,, I tortured the wing back over a radiator heat on low over night and with-out heat today, she's back to her sweet self but now I can flat turn and keep lift in lighter updrafts flatting out the tip's has made her even floaty'er
bubsteve

AEAJR

MOTORS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR GLIDER CONVERSIONS

A lot of people want to convert their gliders but have a problem figuring out how to get a motor inside. Here are some motors that are specifically targeted for gliders. Among them is a class of "outrunner" that is actually inside a can so that you don't have to worry about the spinning can and you don't have to play with gearboxes.

Here are some examples:

MVVS has a very popular line of high quality motors made for gliders that are basically an outrunner inside a can.
http://www.espritmodel.com/mvvs-sail...ss-motors.aspx

Hyperian has a line of motors that are tapered to fit into a glider's nose.
http://www.espritmodel.com/hyperion-...ss-motors.aspx

For you HobbyKing fans, they also have a set of brushless outrunners "inside a can" so there is no spinning parts outside.
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...ch=gliderdrive

Gearboxes

Motors integrated with Gearboxes
http://www.soaringusa.com/Multiplex-...1-gearbox.html

Promax Geared motors
http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-10a.html