I’ve found my new anti-depressant – Discus Launched Gliders and other RC aircraft

@poopscoop – for me the only sensible recommendation for a transmitter is the Radiomaster TX16S (NOT the SE version) however that may not meet your definition of ‘budget’. But it’ll be the only Tx you’ll ever need if you decide to take things further.

https://www.flyingtech.co.uk/electronics/radiomaster-tx16s-hall-gimbal-transmitter

However if that is too expensive then the Radiomaster TX12 would be my suggestion.

https://www.flyingtech.co.uk/electronics/radiomaster-tx12-opentx-24ghz-rc-compact-radio

For a receiver I’d get a Lemon RX 6ch end pin

https://www.flyingtech.co.uk/electronics/lemon-rx-6-ch-pwm-dsmx-dsm2-compatible-receiver

I’ll find out what servos people are using.

I like your comment about them evolving and that isn’t far from the truth. The older gliders are significantly more clunky but still pretty sleek but thanks in no small part to various university research facilities using the aero and CFD facilities wisely, they have been tweaked as much as possible to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible.

This is my older DLG I got second hand to learn on. It weighs a portly 320g! Can handle a bit of wind though and is very stable. Need to get it properly flying over the coming weeks.

Hi, thanks for the info mate. I’ll probably be looking at the cheaper option to fip my toes in and thanks for the continued advice.

Is the glider above a foam wing with a balsa laminate?

Vacuum bagged foam core, surface could be balsa or possibly a very thin hardwood veneer. Dates back to early 2000s, so prior to all the fancy research that happened on the airfoils used in these things. Most of the difference with the expensive carbon stuff happens at launch time – the recent ones have less drag at launch speed which basically buys you more height for the same throw.

If you just want something to fly for fun and learn on… the cheap stuff works just as well for that.

That Aurora is a piece of work and no mistake. 5g in the tail is 15g in the nose, and both together are nearly 10% of AUW… Weight in the tail is always worth losing if you can.

@mrmonkfinger – the wing on the Highlight is a hollow-core 0.8mm balsa design with some kind of very thin film covering and a single fairly agricultural carbon spar and then a thin carbon leading edge and quite a thick one on the trailing edge in front of the aileron join. If it breaks it is a real nightmare to repair!

I have now fully got it ready for flying (bar a bit of programming on the Tx but I am not going for any flight modes just yet) so will try and get it out at the weekend )

Yes the Aurora is stunning and I would not recommend it to learn on. The modern F3K’s are very slippery and can tip stall without warning if you have too much flap deployed and you try and make a tight turn say on landing. The wing is a single sheet of carbon over a Rohacell core. Incredibly stiff and very very light but overall the leading edges of the wing and tail to not take kindly to hitting anything!

I bet they do (tip stall) / don’t (like hitting things). Manhandling and crash resistance doesn’t feature in the design brief for a top contest design…

Apologies for wrong steer @ poopscoop. Is the thin film some doculam type stuff?

And the experienced guys make it look so easy to get a flight, catch it by the tip and relaunch straight-away. It isn’t!

Don’t know what the film it – just seems to be some kind of thin sticky backed plastic stuff. Doesn’t look to be heat shrunk. And it was a perfectly reasonable assumption that it was foam core, most of them were/are.

Just waiting for the shop to call me re: the Aurora as I need a fe wbits clarifying about where to cut the fuselage etc for the pushrods and then I’ll start building it.

All who have contributed….im really excited about this. I last built a glider with my father over 40 yrs ago.

Im looking forwards to an AWD Pug and using my Taranis v soon.

Thanks all, please tell me what i need to build it!

Ian

@breninbeener- to just build the kit you need a scalpel of some sort (and no need to get anything other than a Swann Morton no3 handle with 10 or 10A blades), some superglue and personally for gluing the wing tip block together and nose cone, some wood glue (it sands down easier than super glue).

If you’ve bought the deluxe kit you’ll still need some covering for the fuselage (drop me a pm – I can send you enough in either orange, silver or purple) and some kind of covering iron. For the first one I built I bought a cheap little travel iron from Amazon but now have a proper modelling one.

To complete it of course you’ll need the electrics and shout up if you need help here.

Watch the whole build series I linked to on the first page of this thread first before doing anything and it’s worth watching each one as you go along as well.

Well I might have made a rash purchase in regard to the transmitter, we shall see.

In typical STW station I’ve asked for your advice danny… Them gone for something different!lol

It’s from Amazon though so it can always go back.

I’ve gone for a Flysky FS-i6X…

My main concern is that the rx might be too big. It comes with the Flysky ia10B RX as standard which is pretty big so I’ve also ordered the ia6 for an extra £14.

Should this fit? They also do other tiny rx’s designed for drones but I’m guessing they don’t fit?

This is the rx I’ve ordered:

Flysky FS-iA6 2.4G 6 Channel Remote Control Receiver with Double Antenna Compatible Flysky i4 i6 i10 GT2E GT2F GT2G Transmitter RC210 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GDZ2D8W/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_JVTRK8MGG057NMKDPCR3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Dimension: 40 * 21 * 7mm

@Poopscoop – that will be fine for a Pug. If you progress to more complex models with more channels and where you need to program flight modes etc then it may struggle but it will get you off the ground so to speak.

The small Rx you have ordered will fit fine and I recommend these batteries to go in the Pug

Linky

You will have to change the plug on them to a servo type plug (I would order a pack of cheap servo extension leads off Amazon and carve on of those up). If you are not confident at soldering then for working on lipos I would suggest finding someone who is. If you are handy enough with a soldering iron then it is an easy job but only cut, solder and heat shrink ONE WIRE AT A TIME!!

Even these small lipos can fizz something fierce if you short them. Don’t ask how I know!! They are 80C rated so will still discharge at 36A if you short them!

As well as the gliders my other real passion with RC planes is nice scale models and whilst I am not quite ready to fly them yet I have bought a couple of really good ones over the last few months. Both are ones where someone has clearly put an awful lot of time into make them.

First up is a plane that is rarely modelled but is still a peach – the Hawker Tomtit. This has a 48″ wingspan and a little .56 cubic inch 4 stroke engine in. The bottom cylinder in the front end shot is the actual motor 🙂

Next up from my scale collection, another one you do not see very often. A Velie Monocoupe modelled on a plane first built in the late 20’s and early 30’s. Currently this has an electric motor in it but I am convert it to a four stroke IC engine – we’ll see…

Lovely looking models. That Hawker especially.

Lovely looking models. That Hawker especially.

Got the Hawker off another club member who is more into electric models. Paid £!50 including a Sato FA56 four stroke. The engine alone is just about worht that second hand so couldn’t turn the offer down. Will be next year before I fly it now though I think. Be a spring treat 🙂

Hey, thanks Danny. I’ll get those batteries ordered and the servo leads. Luckily I’m pretty good with soldering so that won’t be an issue.

Best order the Pug soon! Tried last night but had a technical failure.lol

I’m actually nervous about the build as it’s been such a long time since I did anything remotely like this. A LONG time and never built a plane/glider, ever. Not helped by the fact I have little/no session in my left hand after neurosurgery years back that makes delicate work tricky. Yep, I’m left handed too.

Those models above are beautiful. That Hawker looks absolutely gorgeous! The tiny little IC engines have always fascinated me since I was a kid. There is something wondrous about them that I can’t quiet describe, I just find them fascinating.

The “hidden” 4 stroke in the radial is a lovely bit of model crafting.

Don’t think I could ever fly something like that, I’d be gutted if I destroyed it.

I love the little IC glow engines. The for stroke ones make a lovely sound too and the smell of the burnt fuel takes be right back to when I was younger and first really got interested in flying although couldn’t afford it back even.

Just take your time with the build. Its not difficult at all and just taking it slowly will more of less guarantee a good end result. Join the AngelWings Design Builders group – the owner of AWD is on there as is Nick Chitty and plenty of other people who can help with any questions.

Hoping to get mine out today for some initial flights.

Wasn’t going to go to the club field today but decided to make the trip in the end. Well Mrs BG thought I was moping round the house so made me go for a bit.

Took the Pug and trimmed her out and got some decent launches going. First time giving it the full discus twirl and it went pretty well.

Didn’t get massive height and frustratingly just kept missing get in some light lift but flights were getting longer and longer.

Did fly the big plane once as well but was having too much fun with the Pug 🙂

One of the lads turned up with their new toy also. 126″ wingspan Slick with a two cylinder 200CC petrol engine in it. Tried to give it some scale by putting my trusty Boomerang along side it…

I’ve gone for a Flysky FS-i6X…

Poopscoop the flysky transmitters are usually good for community firmware mods. I have the RC car transmitter and with a firmware mod, it turns a 3ch basic transmitter into an 8ch programmable one.

The flysky i6 looks like it has some mods for it to turn it into a 14ch programmable tx. Worth a look anyway.

Danny, that 200cc plane is a monster. Must be something to see and hear it fly. Do you have to have special insurance or even some sort of licence to fly such things?

Is that something he built from a kit, the inside is beautifully detailed and built up? A love of love and dedication there.

I’ve joined the AW Facebook page, I’ll have to put a post on there soon to say hi to everyone on there. I see there are a couple of other STW recruits on there too.😉

I’ve been looking at the discus throw and it looks easy enough (yeah, right)… BUT I’d also kidded myself into thinking that actually flying a glider “can’t be that hard”… until I tried flying one on a simulator last night! That literally brought me back down to earth… and reality! Going to spend as much time on that as possible before I think of flying the one I build. My crashes weren’t nice little “ok, I almost had it” crashes, they were proper nose buried into the ground ones. Things go wrong fast and the actions I think correct the errors just compound them. Humbling, glad it wasn’t a real glider!

I live on the North Downs so there are some lovely slopes to fly it from as well as some nice large flat areas. I’ve noticed guys in the past flying from a picnic area called Bluebell Hill. The up draft from the slope must be great there I’m guessing as the wind always seems to hit the slope head on. The guys seem to keep the gliders in the sky as long as they want basically.

Do you only get thermals in the Summer months? That really appeals too, tying to chase the faintest whiff of one to prolong the flight a little longer.

Neb, yeah, the Flysky’s have a really healthy following online from the looks of it. Hardware mods, electronics and firmware, the lot. It should easily be good enough to dip my toes and see if the hobby is for me. I love tinkering too so that appeals. I know if I bugger it up they are pretty damned cheap to replace too.

Couldn’t sleep and went down a bit of a rabbit hole.

I’ve now bought a Eachine TX16 transmitter too…

It’s actually made by Radiomaster for Eachine and is the same as the RM TX16 with a couple of tiny improvements.

Crucially, it’s only £130 from China. If I don’t get hit with Duty, though I’ve “insured” against that with Banggood for what it’s worth.

It gets expensive when I can’t sleep at night.😆 Just ordered the PUG too.👍

Perhaps wrongly you do not *have* to have insurance etc but once you’re on models that suze, unless you own a couple of acres you need a club to fly from and then you’ll have to be a BMFA member (£39 pa) and then you get £25m liability insurance.

Also any club with any sense at all would insist you have your B certificate to fly it. The A is your basic flying test and a lot of clubs insist you have that before you fly anything on your own and is quite straightforward. My club doesn’t require you to have it but the club examiners have to sign you off anyway.

Luckily there is an in-built barrier to entry. The kid who owns that plane, and bear in mind the actual airframe is second hand, is in to about £7500 so far. There’s around £1k of servos alone as you have to use the very best out there.

Good choice on the Eachine. Are you going to return the other one? I really like my Radiomaster and as you say the Eachine is the same radio basically.

And yes, flying is quite hard at first! Tip one it is not like driving a car so you do not keep holding the stick to turn. You get into the turn you want then move the stick back to centre and then make small adjustments to keep the turn or change its angle. You will usually find the nose dip a little too so again, small corrections on the elevator but always back to centre. So correct, centre, correct, centre.

Then to ‘cancel’ the turn, a little stick movement in the opposite direction and back to centre. It doesn’t apply to gliders really but on powered planes for normal flight (ie no aerobatics) throttle is height and elevator speed. Sounds the wrong way round but to lose height you do not push down on the elevator rather reduce the throttle.

Which sim are you using and are you using your transmitter to control it? I’ll be out in a bit with the pug and maybe my bigger glider to at least trim it out

Oh and well done on the Pug purchase. Loved flying mine yesterday and you’ll enjoy building it and flying it 🙂

Totally buzzing my tits off 🙂. Took the Pug and the Highlight to the local field and had an Immense session.

Pug flew brilliant but it was just a hair breezy and really needed a few grams of ballast I didn’t have but still, just about got it properly launched and in some lift so flight times approaching a minute.

Then got the Highlight up, she was trimmed perfectly ‘out of the box’ and managed to get my first full 1.5m DLG launches done and got her sloping as a result. Still a long way to go but just getting that feel for how to say in the lift and managed to get out to about 2.30 mins. My first ‘proper’ bit of gliding 🙂

This could get seriously addictive 🙂.

Sounds like you had a great few hours there!😁 The discuss launch sound like its coming along too, great stuff.👍

The Pug looks tiny next to the Highlight.lol

I can’t even remember which SIM I used, I tried a few (on my mobile) using on screen gimbles to it was probably a little harder than it had to be. The SIM I’ll be using (I think) is 39 Dollars on PC and I’ll be connecting the controller to it.👍 Can’t remember the Sims name at the moment.lol

Got a lot to learn about the general piloting its fair to say. I’ll try and get the basics right on the SIM first!

I’ll probably send back the Flysky but I’d like to hold onto it till the Eachine arrives if poss, just in case.

Still got to buy the servos too, a few simple tools to make it and some epoxy. Can you recommend an epoxy by any chance mate?

Cheers!

Ok, I see no reason why this little Radiomaster wouldn’t pair with the Eachine? Radiomaster R86RX.

Is they’re a better choice though? R84 is 4 channel which is fine but it’s not much cheaper anyway.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RadioMaster-R86-2-4GHz-6CH-Over-1KM-PWM-Receiver-Compatible-FrSky-D8-fr-RC-Drone-/334070248297?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Yes, flying just using a touchscreen is much harder than flying with a proper controller but using a proper controller still can be tricky and then in real life it is all a bit different again. But, once you start feeling you’re controlling the plane and not the other way round it starts to click.

For now grab a copy of PicaSim. It’s free and has gliders in it, lots of gliders. Try some slope soaring – that improves your reaction time and muscle memory no end!

As for glue, you do not need epoxy for the Pug. Just some of this and some wood glue. Use the wood glue for the wingtip blocks and nose come blocks as it is easier to sand.

Linky

Now you have got the Eachine this is the Rx I would suggest

Linky

I know it fits as it’s what I use.

Do you have to have special insurance or even some sort of licence to fly such things?

There’s some extra restrictions / hoops when you get over 7.5kg, although nothing much more stringent than normal.

Anything over 25kg starts attracting full size style regulations (inspections during build process, and so on).

Don’t think I could ever fly something like that, I’d be gutted if I destroyed it.

Yes no maybe. Practice makes confidence, etc. In reality, it’s fairly rare to destroy all the expensive bits. And in a normal sort of smash a lot of stuff is usually repairable, give a bit of time and work.

Anything over 25kg starts attracting full size style regulations (inspections during build process, and so on).

Yep, +25kg airframes need full CAA type approval just as a full size aircraft does. If the model is a very large scale ARTF then approval can be sought by the manufacturer but the guys building the very large scale models from scrtach need to have a CAA aproved body (in this case the LMA) inspect the build at various points and then the pilot needs ot be assessed flying it for several hours – can’t remember the exact figure but I know some people who have been through the process and it is fairly arduous.

And yes, most model planes crash eventaully. If you are not crashing you are not flying and that goes for pilots of all abilities – shit happens. But yes, should it happen to a model you’ve poured 10’s or even 100’s of hours into building it hurts but you either repair it if it can be or move on.

If you are not crashing you are not flying and that goes for pilots of all abilities – shit happens

I’d disagree… crashes should be pretty damn rare once you’ve passed the learning curve on the beginner stage. If you’re crashing a lot then you’re pushing your skills too much and need to back off. It’s like learning to jump on a bike, you don’t wade in on your first attempt with a full road gap at 25mph on the DH rig.

Also, simulators give you zero cost smashes.

Good call on PicaSim, hasn’t come across that, cheers for info on the glues/ RX too.👍

If you’re crashing a lot then you’re pushing your skills too much and need to back off.

Not necessarily crashing a lot but if you are flying you will crash at some point. Some people crash very infrequently and some people too often but you will need to repair at least one model :). Even the very best 3D pilots crash just as the very best DH’s do. Saw a couple of big ‘uns at Weston Park this year.

And for some reason on Saturday our club field was cursed – think 4 or 5 went in but all are easily repairable. Well I say the field was cursed – all were pilot error but there did seem to be far more than usual.

“3D pilots”, does that mean lookout specialising in acrobatics or such?

Is there a site listing all the club’s across the country by the way?

‘BMFA club finder’ (don’t have the link but google will take you there).

3d is a style of aerobatics. Traditional style aerobatics tends to put maneuvers in a vertical plane running left and right, centred dead in front of pilot, prioritising accuracy and typically aiming for a continuous speed of execution. 3d is less restrictive, no left/right plane, speed is all over the place, accuracy still rewarded but also creativity in terms of maneuvre sequencing and difficulty of stitching together the various tricks goes a long way, often synchronised to a soundtrack for bonus points.

Trad style, which usually looks effortless:

3d style, which usually looks mental:

@mrmonkfinger – I love the precision of F3A. Really very skillful to be that smooth and controlled. I do like watching the full blown manic 3D stuff but not quite my style – too abrupt. IMAC I think is a nice blend of the two and is the style I hope to develop… if the gliders do not take over completely :).

Just been on the phone to the chap who runs Superfly (where I got the Aurora from) and he has offered me some proper F3K tuition which will be awesome! Setting the DLGs up just so is challenging so having some guidance will be very useful.

@poopscoop – as per the above the BMFA is your friend for finding a club and if you know where the locals go slope soaring just pop along. Most will be very friendly and will be happy to help you where they can. There’ll be the odd dick but they will be far fewer in number than the good guys.

https://bmfa.justgo.com/clubFinder.html

Note there are good clubs, OK clubs and bad clubs. Don’t feel obliged to join a bad club as it will likely put you off more than it will help. This group on Facebook is worth joining too and someone on there might be able to suggest a decent club local to you also

https://www.facebook.com/groups/20194392275/

Thanks guys, found a couple of clubs near me, one specialising in gliders.

Quick question though!

Is mCPX connector the same as a micro Molex?

Also, would this lead fit a micro servo?

Looking to make an adaptor is all and need to cannibalize a lead.

WINOMO 32cm 3-pin Male to Female Remote Control Servo Extension Lead Wire Cable – 10 pcs/Set https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06W9MRNWL/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_XXV4N0DVT07CPVP5EAZN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Cheers.

Servo connectors all use the same size as those leads. One of the few standards.

What have you got that is mCPX and micro Molex?

What have you got that is mCPX and micro Molex?

The Rx flight pack battery. Could change the plug but means cheap limo chargers are then out of the picture

@poopscoop. Pm me your address and I’ll send you a lead to use, I’ve got loads 🙂

This is a bit cool. FPV on-board an RC jet with full head tracking (so when the pilot of the ground moves their head the camera tracks it) and a full working instrument panel in the cockpit 🙂

@poopscoop. Pm me your address and I’ll send you a lead to use, I’ve got loads 🙂

Will do mate, cheers!

Hey mate! Curve ball. I think it might just be worth me buying a dearer charger and save me sodding around cutting leads? Could you suggest a charger that will do the battery you suggest and possibly batteries I might have in the future please?

@Poopscoop. This hobby gets expensive and quickly but much of what you buy is good for years 🙂 .

Even now I am accumulating bits but have a pretty comprehensive collection of tools, chargers, batteries and all many of spare bits and bobs for engines, servos, planes etc.

Something like this would be perfect and it comes with the right leads. If you are new to lipo batteries then the most important thing to remember is you NEVER charge at more than 1C. Some people push it to 2C but that is just silly IMO. If pushed they can genuinely explode.

Linky

So, the C rating is the capacity of the battery. The little packs for the Pug are 450mah so to charge at 1C you would set the charger to 450mah (or 400mah/0.4Ah if it does not increment any smaller).

My pack for my transmitter is 5000mah so I can charge that at 5000mah/5Ah.

The discharge rate is also noted on the battery so are rated at 80C/160C. So 80C is the sustained discharge rate of the battery and 160C peak discharge. So the battery can supply a constant 80x450mah to whatever needs it so 36A. Of course being so small the actual battery life at this would be very short.

Some of the bigger lipos are 5000mah/60c so can provide 300A which is quite a punch.