Chris Foss Middle Phase 2 -- RC Glider

I first got interested in flying radio control planes over ten years ago.  I knew a bit about radio control because I had a radio control car.  My friend Chris had a thermal soaring glider, I think it was a "Gentle Lady", and I thought it would be fun to build one too.

Unfortunately I knew nothing about aircraft, model building, soaring, batteries, or anything!  I looked through a few model magazines and decided on the Middle Phase 2 for reasons that I cannot remember.  When the kit arrived I worked on it for several days.  It was complicated, involving lots of sanding, making up of fibreglass wing joiners, and covering in solarfilm.  For a first attempt at a kit, I think I did really well.  Unfortunately I didn't realise I'd bought a slope-soarer, not a thermal glider!

Launching and landing are the tough parts

Chris and I went to a local model aircraft club to see if they could help us with our gliders.  I think they though we were just some annoying teenagers, as they weren't that friendly.  One of the guys launched our planes on his bungee and gave us a bit of lead to put in the nose.  He said they flew ok, but that was about as far as we got.  We tried launching them on a bit of string in a field, and maybe got a 20 second flight out of them, but I soon realised that:

1. A slope-soarer is pointless if you don't live near any hills.
2. Just because a glider has only two channels and doesn't have a propeller doesn't mean it is more simple to fly than other planes.
3. Launching and landing are the tough parts. While it's high up in the air, very little can go wrong.

I've still got the Middle Phase 2, but I've never really flown it.  Maybe I should put some sort of motor in some sort of pod fixed above the wing in some sort of way???  Then at least I'd see if it can really fly.

Middle Phase 2 technical details:

See all my RC planes