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zagi zagi thl stiletto siesta filip400 simply the best nano floh skorpion
I was originally not very impressed by gliders, as they seemed to involve a
lot of running about, for not much air time.
My dad used to run regular BARCS
thermal soaring competitions, but interest in these has
reduced, probably mostly due to the running, although these days winches are
allowed.
Also because of the cost of some of the state of the art aircraft.
More popular now are various electric powered formula
competitions.
Modern brushless motor and battery technology can pull a glider up to height
quite easily, and fast.
The glide performance is not going to be as good, due to extra weight, but no
running - just turn on and go.
Some time ago cadmac used
to run a monthly minibus outing to the Long Mynd to go slope
soaring, but this disappeared once we no loger had the use of a minibus.
The thing with slope soaring is a continuous updraft allowing
you to stay up as long as you like.
1 of the nice things about gliders is that it is a very pure form of flight
- no torque reaction from a motor/propellor, no weight/balance change as fuel
is used up, low wing loading.
I think you also learn more about flight e.g. the importance of maintaining
airspeed.
Epp "combat" flying wing.
Lightweight version of the zagi.
Pylon racer, but really just a nice sports model.
Thermal soarer adapted for light winds on the slope.
artf electric glider.
world class electric glider.
tiny slope glider.
f3f speed competition glider
We're a bit short of decent hills in the midlands.
There are the burton dassett and
edge
hill sites as used by the smsa.
These are still a fair distance and not ideal.
Also bradgate park to
the north.
We used to go monthly to the long mynd in shropshire,
which has good slopes for most wind directions.
I measured it as 85 miles away.
It's looked after by the lmsa (another £3/year).
Here are some photos.
Dad with John, and Carol (on a very rare trip to the Long Mynd) standing by mark's bag at Ashes Hollow.
Mark at Long Mynd Ashes Hollow, getting ready to fly the stiletto.
The stiletto after a successful flight and soft landing at Long Mynd 1999.
The stiletto after a successful flight and soft landing at Long Mynd 1999.
The zagi and stiletto at the Long Mynd Darnford slope March 2000.
Dad about to fly his vampire launched by Baz. Long Mynd Pole Cot June 2000.
Dad with vampire after successful flight. Long Mynd Pole Cot June 2000.
A look up the hill on a CADMAC outing to the Long Mynd Ashes Hollow August 2001.
The gliders in the garden 2001 zagi, stiletto, siesta
The 3 gliders siesta, stiletto (upside down to stop it
blowing away), zagi on Long Mynd
Darnford slope Sept 2001.
Dad has a Santa Claus hat on due to misplacing the other.
The siesta after a successful 1st flight Long Mynd Darnford slope Sept 2001. Shropshire in the distance.
The siesta after a rather
unsatisfactory flight during a damp, misty and virtually windless session at
Long Mynd Ashes Hollow Jan 2002.
Yes it looks like I tilted the camera over, but the slope and the tree really
are at that angle.
The "car park" at Long Mynd Pole Cot Mar 2002.
Peugeot minibus.
The stiletto and siesta ready to go.
siesta wing tips still banded to the
centre section for transport to the slope (on the horizon).
zagi still in the car.
Loads of zagis - Lee's (yellow), mine (red), Graham's
(blue).
I think dad's (green) is in the air
somewhere.
Long Mynd Pole Cot Mar 2002.
That's Lee sitting in front of his zagi.
The siesta in the air during excellent session at Long Mynd Pole Cot Mar 2002.
The siesta in the air during excellent session at Long Mynd Pole Cot Mar 2002. Photo by Lee.
zagi thl in the mist on a miserable damp day.Long Mynd reservoir slope May 2002. Can you see the other?
zagi thl after the ground appeared out of the mist unexpectedly on a miserable damp day.Long Mynd reservoir slope May 2002
The siesta carrying the new Oregon Scientific DShot III camera at Long Mynd reservoir slope Sept 2002.
The reservoir from camera on the siesta in flight at Long Mynd reservoir slope Sept 2002.
The stiletto and siesta on a not very windy day at Long
Mynd pole cot slope Dec 2002.
The siesta carrying the remains of the
camera mounting plate.
Mark about to launch zagi in cold snowy conditions. Long Mynd Darnford February 2003. Photo by Lee.
The stiletto in the sunshine on
pole cott May 2003.
Also my frequency control system.
The zagi at pole cott on an excellent day in January 2004.
The zagi being flown inverted by Lee while I got some photos at pole cott March 2007.
The skorpion on its 1st flight November 2007.
The skorpion on its 2nd flight February 2008.