In this article, I would like to describe possible types of gliders for new entrants. I will advise you what to focus on when choosing a kite and equipment. I will dispel some myths about the technique and settings of the glider, which are written on various websites and are not always completely ideal.

Pilots should choose the gliders according to their use. It depends on whether the modellers will only fly behind the house or they will want to visit a competition. In the first case, a cheap model with wings and tails made of laminated extruded polystyrene with a carbon fuselage is enough. These new models without equipment can be purchased for around CZK 5,500.

For those interested in the first competitions, I always recommend a model with cores, but stronger beams and a better hull. This type of model can be purchased for a price of around 7000, -CZK to 9000, -CZK.

Experienced racers use models from the best space materials that our time has to offer. The price of these models ranges from CZK 15,000 and they can climb up to CZK 50,000. The price of these models is derived from the materials used, equipment and advertising.

In any case, I would recommend newcomers to watch a competition and discuss suitable gliders with the pilots.

A home-built model will make every modeler happy. Calmly also structural.

However, everyone must realize that the kite must be very strong to bend and twist and at the same time light. Even beginning throwers can accelerate the model from 0 to 100 km / h in 1s. The best ones release the model from the hand at up to 140 km / h and they can do it in less than 1 s. Everyone must admit that the stress on all components is enormous.

Many people interested in this category write me what to look out for when designing a model, building and equipment. Although I have balsa gliders in my offer, I do not recommend them very much for a complete start. They are very fragile and soft. The slightest blow is followed by a lengthy repair. The lack of stiffness of the balsa gliders then causes low heights after the throw. This type in question throws around 25 m and does not believe that others throw it up to 70 m. The model then motorizes and the throwing is over. I do not recommend otherwise redesigned gliders for gliders. Many large importers from China began to see strange planes marked "roundabout." At first glance, it is a small slope glider with an extended rudder under the tube and a throwing pin for a round throw glued in some way. This model is at least twice as heavy and much softer. In addition, suppliers will recommend servos that have nothing to do there. The result is that the model starts to knock and rolls on its back after the throw. The destroyed model travels to the trash can or to the bazaar and it's over with throwing ambitions.

That's why I recommend a cheap kite with a carbon hull and XPS surfaces for everyone at the beginning. The knuckle is strong, durable and possibly quick to repair. The model is quite easy to make at home. All you need is a cutting template, XPS board, polystyrene cutter, glass and carbon fibers, epoxy and a vacuum pump. There are many construction instructions on the discussion servers. The only thing I do not recommend making at home is the hull. The hull must be very light and strong. I only made gondolas for the first gliders and I bought a pipe. However, the problem was that I had to glue the saddle for the GTC to the pipe and then pass it all on the gondola. The angles were always different. In addition, the commonly available pipes are very soft and I only threw the knuckle to small heights. For these reasons, I had to have the first major development in the pressurized hull. I could then use better materials and the plane with the same wings started flying a few meters higher. Plus, it was lighter.

Kites for a complete start tend to have slower AG profiles on the wings and tail surfaces.

The rudder is semi-symmetrical in order to push the tail of the model towards the thrower during the throw and thus place the model on a tangential trajectory with respect to the circle, which the model describes during the throw during the throw. Many gliders do not use a controlled rudder. With good aileron differentiation, the model can be taught to rotate flat circles as with a controlled SOP. It is necessary to choose a very strong servo for the control, even stronger than for the GTC.

Equipped with quality servos is very important even for beginner gliders. Ordinary servos have soft boxes and do not hold the flaps when thrown. There are also various copies of quality servos available on the market, which are often only slightly cheaper than the originals, but much worse. In addition to the mentioned boxes, they have problems with electronics and very poor centering. This is a big problem with gliders when you have to set the exact deflection in a small range. For these models, I recommend Dymond D47 servos for tail control and Hyperion Atlas DS09-SCD servos for flaperons. They are more expensive servos, but unfortunately the cheapest, which will safely keep the flaps on the throw. For this servo variant, I use 4x NiMh 360mAh batteries. A better variant are the KST X08 V3 servos, which I supply directly from two LiPol 500mAh.

I use almost the same rods for all types of gliders. 1.2 mm wires lead to the flaperons, terminated in Z. I do not use any pins or forks. I define the resulting clearances with CA glue. I use rubberized braided steel cables to move the tail rudders and to pull back the torsion spring. The ropes do not stretch and can handle a pull of up to 7 kg. I used to use Kevlar threads. But they were unsatisfactory because they had a lot of elasticity. Dyneem's threads were far better. These were stretched only by changes in humidity during the day. As a torsion spring I use 2 x spring wire with a diameter of 0.3 mm and a width of 50 mm for the rudder and 2 x 0.4 mm with a width of 50 mm for the elevator.

The weight of the whole model is around 280 g.

For example, the Thowt and Long Shot gaiters are suitable for these models.

These models must be much stronger and lighter than beginners. Due to frequent collisions during the first competitions, I recommend models with XPS core wings laminated with fabrics. Again, they are easy to repair and light enough. Unlike the first variant, however, they have beams and a hull made of UMS carbon fibers. XPS cores are often no longer cut with a resistance wire, but milled on a CNC. This produces a much more accurate profile.

Cheaper composite models also fall into this category. These are mostly older, time-tested types.

The hull is much smaller. Often there is not even a millimeter of space around the servo levers. It is possible to insert loads into the fuselage according to the strength of the wind and the degree of gusts. Profiles are faster and more sensitive to flaps. The model can then fly faster or slower than expensive composite gliders. Aircraft are normally equivalent to expensive composites. The proof is that in 2012 I won with the XPS Eurocontest aircraft in Vercelli, where I defeated several times more expensive Polaris and SalPeter aircraft. The height after the throw on these models is around 60 m and the weight around 260 g.

The placement of the servos is similar to the previous type, but I am more inclined to servos of the KST type.

The Maat 1 model meets these conditions. Of the composite models, Osiris 2 or Destiny.

Competition specials:

There are a large number of these models on the market. Each competitor must try which type suits him. There are gliders that fly with a large range of speeds, or others that require precise speed at a given flap setting. Very slim types are produced, which can be thrown even over 80 m, but flying with them is very demanding. Furthermore, it is possible to purchase "bus" aircraft with a large wing area, which can not be thrown so high, but have a quiet flight and forgives the mistakes of pilots.

In recent years, wings with a full milled core have prevailed. The wings made in this way have several advantages. In the event of a collision with another aircraft or an obstacle, they can be repaired much faster. They can be made lighter with the same stiffness as sandwich types. The last big advantage for manufacturers is that they speed up lamination by a day or two.

Servos are used only the strongest, fastest and most importantly trouble-free. I use MKS DS75K or KST X08 V3 servos in my machines. I also used Atlas Hyperion DS09 SCD in older types.

LiPol from 2s 550 mAh up to 1s 1500 mAh is the most used for power supply. In some older gliders I use NiMh 360 mAh, which I have to charge in the races after every third lap.

Last year, Flitz was the most visible in the competitions. At the Stockhorn Cup in Switzerland, perhaps 90% were Flitz. Snipe also has a huge representation in the competition field with various variations of fuselages and stiffness of the wings. The Fireblade and the timeless SalPeter are also widely seen in the world.

In this category of gliders, I would not recommend buying an older model without the seller showing you the model during the throw and in flight. Many times you can see recharged planes on the bazaars, which will last the new owner only a few throws. In addition, the wings get tired of throwing and after half a year of flying they do not reach such heights after the throw and it is a disappointment for the buyer. At competitions, I always carry at least four aircraft of various weights, from light with a weight of around 214 g to very heavy by 330 g. Each has its own setting for its weather conditions. The increase in the weight of the glider is made up of added material and stronger servos. I add loads to medium and heavy models according to turbulent weather. I only fly a light aircraft in complete windlessness. Under normal conditions (2-6m / s), such a light model is unstable in thermals and, in addition, such light spheres have only a limited service life. A common mistake of new people interested in composite is that they choose this lightest variant. The plane is much softer, it can't be thrown so high and there is a risk of the wing breaking in a gust of wind. A much better option is to buy a medium-sized model weighing around 240 g at the beginning. This model can be loaded without any problems, is more stable when driving, can be thrown higher and is above all more durable.