A Guide to Silent Flight
Feeling down? Petrol prices, mortgage and credit card payments all going up? Get a lift back up in the air. Get an eco-friendly model sailplane.
Sailplanes, also called gliders, fly atop rising air. There is no engine noise, only the sound of your heartbeat as you watch your model sailplane become a speck in the sky. How do you get your model sailplane back? How did you get it up there in the first place? What sort of things can you do with your model sailplane when it is in the air?
A model sailplane, just like the real thing, is constantly flying downwards through the air. It must do so to maintain airspeed to provide lift for the wings and airflow over the control surfaces to give the pilot control.
But when the air is rising faster than the sailplane is falling then the sailplane can also rise, riding atop the rising air.
Rising air occurs either through thermal lift or slope lift. Thermal lift involves heat. Even in the winter months, there are occasions when the ground warms to temperatures higher than the air above. As you know with a hot-air balloon, warm air rises. These pockets of air make perfect elevators for a model sailplane to rise on.
But such rising columns of air are invisible. So the art of thermal soaring is to find a strong thermal, and then to stay in it to rise as far as you can. If you are flying 'point to point' then to leave that thermal to fly in the direction you want to go while at the same time seeking out your next thermal to lift you up again before the prevailing force of gravity brings your model sailplane inevitably back to earth.
Slope lift, by contrast, relies on the wind and a hill. The hill forces the approaching wind upwards, along with your plane. Great slope soaring sites are invariably found where there is a prevailing wind and a long ridge to create a smooth and constant upward wave of air.
Without thermal lift or slope lift, a model sailplane will fall inexorably back to earth.
The radio controls allow you to guide your plane to seek out lift and if you are flying from point to point, to move from one source of lift to another in the direction you want to go. And eventually, of course, to bring your sky warrior down to a smooth landing.
There are several methods of launching a model sailplane for a ride on air. The most basic and obvious method is to simply throw the plane with either a javelin or discus style launch. The plane gains about 50 feet of altitude from the momentum of the throw ? then you have to hope like crazy that you are going to find lift before gravity brings it inevitably earthward again. This is where slope soaring has a major advantage because as you launch your model sailplane off the slope you know the lift is there from the oncoming breeze.
Bungee, or hi-start, launching sends a model sailplane skywards like an arrow. The plane is attached to a line connected to elastic tubing that is secured to the ground, or to a winch. Pull the plane back, let it zoom into the air, and grab the radio control. Better, of course to have two people involved so you have control at all times.
Another launch method which emulates full size gliders involves a second powered model airplane to tow the sailplane up and away.
This is a nice way of combining a number of modelling and flying disciplines with the towline released by a separate servo actuation.
And yes, though some view it as cheating, there are model sailplanes that feature an electric motor for initial launching and for regaining altitude whenever required. The motor has folding propeller blades that fold back when the motor is not running to remove the propeller blades from the airflow where they would otherwise contribute nothing but drag.
Though it is quite thrilling to watch your model sailplane soar ever upwards, and to remain there due to your skill in seeking out new thermals, there is still more your model sailplane can show you. Slope soaring off a hill usually involves a constant wind and lift, so flyers are not so concerned about losing altitude in a hurry. So diving from altitude makes for speeds up to 100 mph.
Then that competitive edge creeps in again and the slope is where most gliders compete.
Racing is either done "F3F" style where your plane's flight is timed, or man-on-man style where you actually race another plane. Sailplane combat, (SSC), is something else again where your objective is to knock your opponent out of the sky and score a ?kill'. Because they obviously crash often, combat sailplanes are made out of foam for easy rebuilds and will literally bounce off the ground due to their forgiving and robust construction.
The Academy of Model Aeronautics, (AMA), features several Special Interest Groups to assist the silent flier.
The League of Silent Flight (LSF) provides rules for racing, aerobatics, and a series of thermal tasks. The RCCA offers combat guidance and events. The NEAC offers guidance for electric-powered sailplanes.
(LSF) League of Silent Flight: http://www.silentflight.org
(RCCA) Radio Control Combat Association, http://www.rccombat.com
(NEAC) National Electric Aircraft Council, http://www.electricaircraft.org
So there you have it, beautiful, elegant, thermal soaring model sailplanes or robust, knock 'em down combat kills with cheap, quick to build foamies. Model sailplane soaring is just as exciting as powered flight.
So get yourself a model sailplane and get out there and give it a go.
.
His blog frequently contains hints and tips for model airplane enthusiasts.
Warm Up the Night! Patio Heaters and Fire Pits
In some areas right now, the weather is ideal for sitting outside in the evening -- the bugs have gone and the sky is clear -- but the nights are chilly. Don't let the cool evenings send you inside -- extend your outdoor living season by heating your deck or patio. Different heaters are available for different needs and circumstances. A heater will be powered by propane, natural gas, alcohol-gel, electricity, wood, or wood substitutes such as charcoal or artificial logs. Depending on the size and the heat source, they may warm only a small space or heat a party-size yard.
For all heating units to perform optimally, they will need the right location. The ideal site is a combination of walls or fences (to radiate the heat back into your space) and overhead structures that will prevent the wind from blowing directly through your selected area. Here are some tips for effective and safe use:
- Wood-burning fireplaces and fire pits are generally the least expensive to buy and...
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The 4 Steps to Successful Goal-Setting
Successful people have always had clear, focused goals that guided them to greatness. Thomas Edison was determined to create the electric light bulb. "Lucky" Lindbergh was determined to reach Paris, and bet his life on it. Michelle Kwan had a goal to be the best skater in the world. Oprah Winfrey was an abused child who determined to make life better.Successful people always have clear goals.
Great musicians, great athletes, successful salespeople and inspiring leaders know what they want in life, and they go after it. Great parents work at it. No one becomes an astronaut by accident!And yet the great bulk of people continue to drift through life with no goals at all, or with only vague dreams, hopes and wishes. No wonder we achieve so much less than we could! For those who don't know how to set and achieve goals, here is a powerful set of principles that have worked for thousands of my clients. They will work for you, too.
I call them The 4 Steps to Successful Goal-Setting:1....
The 4 Steps to Successful Goal-Setting
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How to Generate 27 Qualified Subprime Mortgage Leads Per Day
There are several benefits to focusing on subprime mortgage leads.
One good reason for generating subprime mortgage leads is that the borrowers are less likely to shop your offer.
Also, the commissions on subprime mortgage loans can be quite lucrative.
I've found that one of the best ways to generate subprime mortgage leads is by direct mail.
So let's look at the steps involved in putting together a profitable direct mail campaign to generate subprime mortgage leads.
Prospect List
There are two sources I recommend for obtaining your mailing lists ? list companies and credit agencies.
Here are two sample criteria to request from list companies in order to target subprime borrowers:
1) Get a list of home owners who have just filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Do a cash out refinance and pay off their chapter 13 bankruptcy.
2) Get...
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KUA Employee Honored For 40 Years of Service
????KISSIMMEE, Fla., April 23, 6:30 pm - An employee of Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) was honored Wednesday evening for 40 years of service to the utility.????Journey back to April 1963. John F. Kennedy was President, the Beatles were taking Britain by storm, "Lawrence of Arabia" had just received the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Dodgers would defeat the Yankees in the World Series, and a first class postage stamp was 5 cents. And 19-year-old William N. "Bill" Groover went to work as a groundman at Kissimmee's electric utility making $1.30 an hour.
????Back then, the utility had two line crews and one bucket truck which were dispatched out of a makeshift garage located at the back end of the utility's lakefront power plant. The crews literally knew every customer on the system by name. "If you told us an address, we didn't know where it was," explained Groover. "There was a better chance of us finding it if we knew your name."????Over the next four decades, Groover...
KUA Employee Honored For 40 Years of Service
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BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Creating a checklist
If you've read my first article, BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Where do you start?, you've got a very basic overview of the process. However, there are still a number of questions I'd like to address. Again, many of these questions will come up if you build any custom home, but I'd venture to guess the log home owners find themselves deeper in the decision-making process than someone dealing with a custom builder. After all, the differences become apparent immediately as the owners have to find their own manufacturer.Unless you have a pocket full of cash, you're going to have to follow the construction loan mindset throughout the budgeting process. I plan to devote a whole article to the construction loan, but this pursuit will serve as a preliminary step before going to the bank.The biggest part of your budget will be the purchase of the land.
With today's new construction market - especially in New Jersey - the raw land constitutes 30%-40% of the total project (of course, in other...
BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Creating a checklist
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The Cringe Free iPod Giveaway
New York City, NY (ContentDesk) August 23, 2004 -- The Cringe - SCRATCH THE SURFACE (Listen Records. Listen to the energy and the passion bursting out of the speakers on "Another Day," as the pulsing guitars, the intricate harmonies, and the powerful drumming all play off each other, and you'll get it right away; you'll understand from that very first track that The Cringe is ready to break out of the clubs of New York and move on to something much bigger.
Combining alternative, underground rock with solid musical craftsmanship, vocalist/guitarist John Cusimano and the rest of the band have made SCRATCH THE SURFACE a truly enjoyable jolt out of the blue. Cusimano, along with Rob Levin (lead guitar), Matt Powers (bass), and Shawn Pelton (drums), has crafted thirteen powerful songs that take all of his varied influences (early U2, Television, The Beatles, to name just three) to make something original and exciting.
Fleshed out by the group, these songs have captured the...
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Will Landrum The Guitar Consultant Releases Living Digits CD
Herndon, Virginia (ContentDesk) February 27, 2006 -- Will Landrum was born just outside of Los Angeles California. He started playing guitar at age 10, lost interest, and then at 13 started playing again, inspired by rock greats such as Deep Purple and Ritchie Blackmore. Throughout his teenage years, he joined a few bands sporadically but was never happy playing cover tunes and changing his guitar sound to suit other people's taste. The foundation for the D.Y.I. spirit was already set in stone.A lot has happened since those early formative days.
Will Landrum is now the Guitar Consultant and has two albums to his credit, and most recently a gripping tribute to all of his influences in the form of rockin instrumentals on Living Digits.
When you look at the new recording in retrospect, what you get is a solid dose of classic rock, metal, and blues all wrapped into one tight package. If you love guitar instrumentals with a myriad of influences, this album will bring great...
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PayDay Loan or Cash Advance Loan - A Post Christmas Gift
December to January is the longest period of the year between pay days. Add to that the increased spending over the Christmas shopping season and many people find themselves short of cash in January. Unfortunately Santa Claus does not bring the gift of reduced liabilities and bills in January, but often these bills are even greater.
To avoid falling behind in your commitments, and to maintain your credit score and credit rating, a Payday Loan or Payday Cash Advance may provide the...
Electric generator > PayDay Loan or Cash Advance Loan - A Post Christmas Gift
Reader's Digest Looks Great at 60
Sydney, NSW (ContentDesk) July 7, 2006 -- The bikini, that outrageous little French invention, shares its 60th birthday with another classic icon, Readers Digest magazine. Yes, this surprising and enduring publication celebrates 60 years in Australia in July and has never looked better.Like the two-piece costume that created such a stir when it was first unveiled, Australian Readers Digest continues to be embraced by each new generation. At 60, it is Australias second-biggest monthly magazine,...
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Electric generator > Reader's Digest Looks Great at 60
Buying Custom Baby Bedding and Pre-made Baby Nursery Bedding,
When a new baby is on its way, the first thing a new parent thinks about is how to make the baby most comfortable when they arrive into their new world. A lot of effort goes into building the perfect ?nest;' i.e., nursery, and one of the most important items in a nursery is a baby's bedding. Because babies are so susceptible to their surrounding environment, where and how a baby sleeps can make all the difference in how they rest.
It is important to invest wisely in proper baby...
Electric generator > Buying Custom Baby Bedding and Pre-made Baby Nursery Bedding,
Poker Academy Donates $13,000 of Texas Hold?em Software to Lehigh University for Continued Research and Development in Artificial Intelligence
Poker Academy, a leading software developer of poker products, has donated $13,000 in software to Lehigh University for students in computer science and engineering to use in artificial intelligence (AI) research projects.Hector Munoz-Avila, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, said the donated software will be used in "Artificial Intelligence: Game Programming," a course offered last fall for the first time that will be taught again next fall.The goal of the students using...
Poker Academy Donates $13,000 of Texas Hold?em Software to Lehigh University for Continued Research and Development in Artificial Intelligence
Electric generator > Poker Academy Donates $13,000 of Texas Hold?em Software to Lehigh University for Continued Research and Development in Artificial Intelligence
Abazias Extends Online Offerings To Include Non-Engagement Jewelry: Expansion Offers Hundreds of Affordable Pieces in Time for Holidays
(ContentDesk) October 13, 2005 -- Abazias Diamonds (ABZS) has launched a new line of affordable, non-engagement jewelry just in time for the holidays. The new line features something for everyone with diamond stud earrings starting at just $100 a pair, and stainless steel and diamond bracelets for men, starting at just $70. Abazias has enjoyed certain financial success over the past year, states Oscar Rodriguez, CEO. We are now able to extend our jewelry selection to tap more into the market...
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Electric generator > Abazias Extends Online Offerings To Include Non-Engagement Jewelry: Expansion Offers Hundreds of Affordable Pieces in Time for Holidays