GliderGuider
Junior Member
I know you folks at Flite Test are more into powered aircraft, and I know you've already done a couple of episodes on (unpowered) gliders, but perhaps you could do some more. I liked the episodes with David W's DLG, and the KA-8 review since these also explored more than just the aircraft themselves, but touched on aspects of glider flying (launching, etc.) in general.
There is a fairly commonly held opinion out there that flying RC gliders will actually make one a better RC powered aircraft pilot, since you have to learn to trim and "fly" a glider; you can't just drag it around the sky under power; this might be something to mention to viewers. Beginners also get a lot of landing practice with gliders. Floater type gliders can also be a very inexpensive way for folks to start in the RC flying hobby (by the way, I do commend FT for the Simple Soarer; well done).
There are lots of things to explore in RC gliders, such as glider-enabled Tx flight mode settings (the KA-8 episode missed out on discussing glider launch mode settings when David was talking about getting higher launches by holding a little up elevator), thermal theory as well as finding and flying thermals, different types of gliders and flying (i.e., thermal, slope [including combat], hand launch & DLG), high-starts and short-starts and winches, glider set up (crow, air brakes, flaperons, and tail mixes).
I recognize that many of the popular RC sailplanes are highly specialized and expensive, and this is not what you folks are about (even though you don't seem concerned about multirotor FPV in this regard, which is also quite expensive, but admittedly, I enjoy those episodes too), but there are plenty of good entry-level sailplanes out there as well, and these latter models would be a logical starting place.
You've already moved beyond airplanes, and into multirotors, so why not cover even more of the flying hobby to give folks a broader perspective of the hobby's possibilities?
There is a fairly commonly held opinion out there that flying RC gliders will actually make one a better RC powered aircraft pilot, since you have to learn to trim and "fly" a glider; you can't just drag it around the sky under power; this might be something to mention to viewers. Beginners also get a lot of landing practice with gliders. Floater type gliders can also be a very inexpensive way for folks to start in the RC flying hobby (by the way, I do commend FT for the Simple Soarer; well done).
There are lots of things to explore in RC gliders, such as glider-enabled Tx flight mode settings (the KA-8 episode missed out on discussing glider launch mode settings when David was talking about getting higher launches by holding a little up elevator), thermal theory as well as finding and flying thermals, different types of gliders and flying (i.e., thermal, slope [including combat], hand launch & DLG), high-starts and short-starts and winches, glider set up (crow, air brakes, flaperons, and tail mixes).
I recognize that many of the popular RC sailplanes are highly specialized and expensive, and this is not what you folks are about (even though you don't seem concerned about multirotor FPV in this regard, which is also quite expensive, but admittedly, I enjoy those episodes too), but there are plenty of good entry-level sailplanes out there as well, and these latter models would be a logical starting place.
You've already moved beyond airplanes, and into multirotors, so why not cover even more of the flying hobby to give folks a broader perspective of the hobby's possibilities?