From: dqwelch@sgidq4.sdrc.com (Mike Welch)
Newsgroups: rec.models.rc
Subject: Torrey Pines Visit and Canard review
Date: 21 Dec 92 20:15:36 GMT
Organization: SDRC

About a month ago, I asked for some information about Torrey Pines.
Since then, I have posted a couple more pieces about my trip and 
the plane I took with me. 

This past week I spent some time at Torrey Pines in San Diego.  Here is my 
report : 

I brought with me a plane that looks alot like an Astro-Blaster.  But with
a different airfoil (E374), more wing area( Slightly) and smaller Fuselage
(No blunt tail)  It is a swept wing canard, with full ailerons for roll.

First Day : 

 Thursday 12/17  - I went looking for the Glider Port in the morning, before 
work.  I found it!  The sign to the glider port is difficult to see at night.
It is very close to the intersection of Genesee and North Torrey Pines Drive.

Winds from the East, site was closed.  Boy is this Cliff high!  I went to work.

  Friday 12/18  - The weather channel says the wind is from the west at 15MPH!
I arrive at the Glider Port at 7:05 A.M.  No one else will be here, right?
NOT!  There's two high school kids flying already,  the Sun has been up
for only 20 minutes.  It is very breezy.

I bring my Astro-Blaster away from the edge for some hand tosses.  If you are
familiar with the site,  I went back to the carpets.  The CG has been moved 
back, so it is a little more responsive to elevator.  The wind is so strong,
I throw and kind of hover.  I am able to penetrate, when I put the nose down.

I finally get up enough nerve to throw it of the edge.  If it goes down, it's
a long walk.  I throw it out, and it goes up.  The lift is SO strong!  Plane
seems to hang on the canard.  It seems that when the plane is slowed, the 
canard will stall first, (as designed) then  pick up speed again.  But 
I can't do a loop.  It's too stable in pitch.  With a little speed, it is 
easy to roll it.  It doesn't want to fly inverted.  I guess I don't have 
enough down throw.

When I dive, it will pick up a little speed, but not much energy.

I get it up real high, 200 feet above the cliff and then bring it 
back to the carpets to land.  The first flight was easy.  But my knees
were still shaking.  After 10-15 minutes,  I needed a rest.  

By the time I leave to go to work, 8:10, there are a couple more people 
there to fly.  


Friday 12/18 - Lunch Time -   By this time, the wind had decreased a little.
There were several hang-gliders and paragliders in the air, along with several
RC slopers.

This time, the lift isn't as strong and I find out that my plane doesn't have
a very good glide.  I was prepared and didn't have to walk, I was able to land
it on top.  The other plane have very little problems.  When the wind
picked up, I was able to fly, but I had to stay in the area of maximum 
lift.  The other planes are flying as they like.


Saturday 12/19 - I arrive before the wind started to blow.  But I did get
to watch some paragliding lessons.  As the wind picks up, the hang-gliders
para gliders and RC slopers appear.

On Saturday, Torrey Pines can get pretty busy.  There is alot of airtraffic.
The 'window' is supposed to be reserved for the RC people, but the HG and
PG'ers pass through alot.  You have to remain calm and fly around them.
It's not easy at first.  For me it was easier to just land.

I saw some amazing flying.  A fifth scale Grob,  an A10, a sagitta and
some other floaters.  The most amazing were the slope racers.

I guess the hottest sloper racer is the Contender.  There were two 
flying that day. High aspect ratio, very thin airfoil(  Selig thinned 
to 7%) and wingeron controlled.  Very, very fast and very little drag.  

The two of them  resulted in the only mid-air.  They were kind of playing 
follow the leader.  At the top of stall turn, they struck.  It looked like 
one of the hot-dog pilots was going to recover inverted.  Just to make 
it interesting.  Well apparently, his elevator had come off, when he 
rolled over, he tucked under again and went into the side of the cliff.  
The plane slid down a couple hundred feet.  He was able to retrieve it.  
Not very much damage.  Mainly a loose elevator.

The lift at Torrey Pines can be described as Infinite when the wind is 
blowing.  With a very slight on shore breeze, a floater will stay up all
day.

If you get a chance to go, take it.  And take a plane.  It would break 
your heart to see everyone else having so much fun.

Now to get back to my plane, I was disappointed in the performance.  It
was responsive to roll, but the elevator was  very sluggish.  I had to
put alot a ballast on the wing tips to move the CG back.

When I moved the CG back, it was more responsive to elevator, but then
it was very 'rocky' in roll.  No pun intended.  Plane would seem to 
rock back and forth in roll.  I guess, I should have build a conventional
plane for such a great site.  Next time I will.



				Thanks,

				Mike

P.S.  Our site, now receives this news group!

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  Mike Welch                 * "Gun laws go against Darwin's Theory.
  SDRC                       *  Let stupid people kill each other."
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  Email: Mike.Welch@sdrc.com *  Selection work."  - me
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