Solved Simple soarer stats

[OlliePackman]

Just built a simple soarer and had a couple of questions about me going slope soaring with it.
What strength of wind will it tolerate/penetrate with a 500mah 3s as weight?
How long will the 500mah 3s last bearing in mind in only has to flutter the Servos, no motor?
How hard will it be to land with no air brakes?

 

[Piotrsko]

A: no ballast probably 15 mph is tops for experienced, 10 mph otherwise. It should not jump around in your hand at launch.
B: my 30 year old stuff runs about 2 hours of flight on 600 mah so maybe 1 hr 15 min safely. Your first couple of flights shouldn't be that long.
C: depends on your site and conditions, and how well you can fly. Full size Piper cubs don't have flaps / spoilers and they land just fine. If it's a flat top, land about 100 ft behind you, if it is a very gentle slope and you can get there, 10 foot in front of you

 

[quorneng]

Ollie
If you look at this video it will give you an idea of the speed the Simple Soarer normally flies at. Its not very fast!
It would be inadvisable to fly, at least initially, in a wind even approaching it normal gliding speed.
It will fly faster but it will sink faster at the same time. Exactly what wind you can handle the Simple Soarer in will only come from "try and see" experience.
In gentle winds on a slope the issue is much more likely to be staying up than landing which is likely happen by default. Just make sure it does so directly into the wind or you will likely break it.
A 500 mAh (any reason you are using a 3s?) just driving the servos will last longer than you are likely to want to fly in one session, say an hour.

 

[OlliePackman]

Ollie
If you look at this video it will give you an idea of the speed the Simple Soarer normally flies at. Its not very fast!
It would be inadvisable to fly, at least initially, in a wind even approaching it normal gliding speed.
It will fly faster but it will sink faster at the same time. Exactly what wind you can handle the Simple Soarer in will only come from "try and see" experience.
In gentle winds on a slope the issue is much more likely to be staying up than landing which is likely happen by default. Just make sure it does so directly into the wind or you will likely break it.
A 500 mAh (any reason you are using a 3s?) just driving the servos will last longer than you are likely to want to fly in one session, say an hour.

3s is for balance.

 

[OlliePackman]

A: no ballast probably 15 mph is tops for experienced, 10 mph otherwise. It should not jump around in your hand at launch.
B: my 30 year old stuff runs about 2 hours of flight on 600 mah so maybe 1 hr 15 min safely. Your first couple of flights shouldn't be that long.
C: depends on your site and conditions, and how well you can fly. Full size Piper cubs don't have flaps / spoilers and they land just fine. If it's a flat top, land about 100 ft behind you, if it is a very gentle slope and you can get there, 10 foot in front of you

The site has probably between 50 and 70 degree gradient depending in the day with about 30 to 50 foot behind me

 

[Piotrsko]

If it looks like this /--------- then behind you but it will be bumpy and turbulent. If it looks like this/----------\ land on top directly behind you or In front crosswind. Too far back will be really difficult to control.

I'm sticking with 10mph top wind speed.

 

[OlliePackman]

If it looks like this /--------- then behind you but it will be bumpy and turbulent. If it looks like this/----------\ land on top directly behind you or In front crosswind. Too far back will be really difficult to control.

I'm sticking with 10mph top wind speed.

Yeah, I fly real gliders so I have a really good understanding of where the turbulent bits are and how lift works and how it will respond to the wind but obviously I'm not used to landing on top of the ridge. And also having first hand experience of how powerful that lift can be, I'm worried that with no spoilers, flaps or air brakes I will not be able to get down. Also, you mentioned ballast earlier, how would I go about adding ballast in my rc to penetrate better?

 

[Piotrsko]

Cool. it's difficult to gauge experience online. I favor stick on tire weight strips, marked in 1/2 oz, but anything will work stuck at CG*, pennies, fish weight, small flat rocks. 10 mph will result in very light lift so stock should be ok. Somewhere I saw a video flying one with about 3 ounces under the battery pack on a 20 mph day.

First couple flights are probably going to be short with a fetch involved, which is optimal considering your site. Pictures would help, calm warm day for orientation is good too. Bit of thermal activity, perhaps.

*I once flew with a 10"Crescent wrench duck taped on the bottom, but don't do that, it wasn't pretty.

 

[OlliePackman]

Cool. it's difficult to gauge experience online. I favor stick on tire weight strips, marked in 1/2 oz, but anything will work stuck at CG*, pennies, fish weight, small flat rocks. 10 mph will result in very light lift so stock should be ok. Somewhere I saw a video flying one with about 3 ounces under the battery pack on a 20 mph day.

First couple flights are probably going to be short with a fetch involved, which is optimal considering your site. Pictures would help, calm warm day for orientation is good too. Bit of thermal activity, perhaps.

*I once flew with a 10"Crescent wrench duck taped on the bottom, but don't do that, it wasn't pretty.

Well it's going to be a while before I go anyway with corona virus so it will probably be a thermic summers day any way.

 

[Piotrsko]

Take a couple of paper airplanes to see how strong the lift / wind is.

 

[quorneng]

Ollie
Have you 'sloped' a full size?
The technique with a model is exactly the same although usually in relatively higher wind speeds. If 10 mph is say 80% of the Simple Soarer's stall speed then that is the equivalent to flying in a 35 mph 'ground speed' wind for full size which I doubt you would do.

If you fly any sort of modern full glider remember that the L/D of the Simple Soarer will be about the same as a full size with its brakes out.
The issue is thus not how to land so much as trying to accurately judge where it happens.

 

[OlliePackman]

Ollie
Have you 'sloped' a full size?
The technique with a model is exactly the same although usually in relatively higher wind speeds. If 10 mph is say 80% of the Simple Soarer's stall speed then that is the equivalent to flying in a 35 mph 'ground speed' wind for full size which I doubt you would do.

If you fly any sort of modern full glider remember that the L/D of the Simple Soarer will be about the same as a full size with its brakes out.
The issue is thus not how to land so much as trying to accurately judge where it happens.

Yeah I fly in the Brecon Beacons, Wales sometimes to get some slope flying in. You have made it clear for me now and I understand how the poor L/D ratio of a model (comparatively with a full size) is balanced by an increase in scale windspeed. It is all starting to click as to how I might go about it. 👍