Gentle Lady Build & Flight

[@simonsutherland814]

Best slope soarer ever IMO. Carl Goldberg design perfection. Fab build video 👌🏻

[@keithfreeman5204]

1976 first Radio and this was my FIRST Scratch built Airplane. First flown as a Glider then as a R/C Engine powered Glider, OS .15. 1 -1 1/2 ounce of fuel. Climb to altitude engine runs out of fuel and shuts down. Go look for lift or just glide down, land at your feet. This is the plane that got me started in R/C. I build and fly 2 channel 1/2A;s, a couple of .25 powered planes, a couple .46 powered planes a High wing and a low wing. My 5 channel ones. It's a HOBBY. I like to build, I like flying. Keeps my brain busy.

[@johnnyboyupnorth]

A Gentle Lady was my first RC project 35 years ago. You brought back a lot of fond memories, thank you.

[@SkidzFPV]

My first too, had a Cox .049 on a motor pod on the wing. Such a great glider.

[@zhotdune]

Yeah! Me too. Mine is Electra, I completed it in 90s something but never flown. Since I'm leaving in the city and doesn't have any means of transportation to go where there's a vast area to fly then my Electra collecting a dust for years and at the end I scrapped it. So sad.....now I'm flying small foamie like F3p in the small park available.

[@jimmcewen8446]

@@SkidzFPV I had one with a 0.51 pod mount about 32 years ago. and then a sophisticated Lady after that. I still have one hanging in my garage.

[@prestonshute7243]

Reminds me of the good old days back in the early 70’s. Cheers

[@mikeadams7829]

I also built a Gentle Lady from outerzone plans a few years ago, modified for electric power using an old Radian motor a friend gave me , I made the wing in two parts ,joined in the center and attached it to the fuselage with 3mm screws . I enjoyed flying it so much I scaled the plans up to 2.5 metre and made a bigger one , which flys just as well and is easier to see at a distance !

[@timhynde8611]

Was my second kit around 1986 flew it up and down the coast of Orange Co. CA. I wasn't that experienced but got it trimmed out and balanced where I could park it in the sky with a light breeze and not touch the controls for a min or more, that really blew me away. Really enjoyed those days. Just started building again, I think a GL is first on the list.

[@davidbeem184]

Back in the early 80's I won a glider comp with this bird! Great glider

[@mpschaefer1]

Love the GL. I have done a couple and have one now flyable, same small electric, can literally fly it for hours. Great airplane, beautiful, and a gas to fly......✌️

[@omkarsheral73]

Appreciate you putting "Flight videos at 4:54"

[@crashrr2993]

My first r/c aeroplane, I made it ultra light, with split ribs and 1/32” fuselage. It flew beautifully but finally the wings succumbed to, er, beginner landings…💥 I then built new, heavier wings, these trashed the lightweight fuz, so I built a new pod and boom fuz using an old fishing rod. Once again, she is such a happy flier, and become one of my go-to favourites.

[@poloshobbies]

G. Lady with pod and boom fuse?! Wow, that’s awsome! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@crashrr2993]

@@poloshobbies Thanks, I decided on a pod and boom because my next build is a ultra-light Esprit. I thought it would be a good idea to practise that style of construction. I wasn’t expecting the success it turned out to be. I also added 5mm nav LEDs but these are barely visible in flight, so all but useless!🙁 Btw, I like your removable outer wings. I’ve long thought that is a better idea than a centre-split wing. 👍

[@poloshobbies]

Thanks! Actually, the original plans call for removable outer panel. No wonder, it has always been said that the center joint of the wing is the design Achilles heel. The first lady I've built, some 40 years ago, did brake there while being towed (no hi-start, my dad was running on the other end of the wire, jaja!). However, where I did get creative, is in moving the joint from the rib just in the polyedral angle (as suggested in the plan), one "rib section" inwards, as can be seen at 4:08 & 4:20 in the vid. It´s really easier to build it that way, because you don´t have to deal with angled positioning of the joiner tube & wire, as you can sit it flat on the workbench surface for alignment.

[@crashrr2993]

@@poloshobbies Yes, I noticed that and thought it was a very cool solution. I will defo be copying it! Got back late tonight just as it was getting dumpsy, but decided to chuck my Gentle Lady up anyway. The lights worked really well in the poor light but, best of all, the Gods blessed my flight with some awesome lift despite the barely perceptible wind. I found myself sloping ten yards from my back door! I tried to video it and, if it’s any good, I’ll post it, later. Time to get on, and build that Esprit. Cheers🍻

[@crashrr2993]

Heads up! I did manage to put together a wee video on my Gentle Lady. Cheers!

[@LordMarinade]

adorable plane and a very nice flight

[@johnmajane3731]

I still have mine that I built in the early 80s. The wing is one piece. The only issue I had was the fuselage with the original wood was flimsy and broke. I built a new one in about 3 hours and it has been fine ever since. Won a few soaring contests with it long ago. The choice of making the wings three piece with the joint where you located was interesting but I understand the rationale behind it.

[@StrangerInAStrange]

IIRC, that three piece wing option is called out in the plans/instructions. I think my choice would be to build it two piece, like my Olympic II broke down. A little easier to transport; though, this wing would be an improvement over one-piece as well. Who knows, one day I may break mine down and split it.

[@johnmajane3731]

@@StrangerInAStrange I built mine in the early 1980s so I cannot remember what the plans showed. It sits in my basement ready to fly to this day.

[@AdamArndt]

The gentle lady was the first RC plane I ever built. That was at least 30 years ago!

[@Zuloff]

Had a Gentle Lady circa 1988 I'd modified with a replaceable nose with either glider or .049 Cox engine configurations. Ended up using an old Cox Black Widow from my control line days that was worn out and pretty unreliable. Had a wire at the radio's power switch go open near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with the rudder over in a turn. Death spiral into the street. /sigh.

[@samuelcruz9258]

Mi segundo proyecto. Un verdadero (trainer) y excelente para los fines de semana.

[@qksmith]

that was my first plane ever, I rebuilt it many times

[@StrangerInAStrange]

NICE scratch build and conversion to electric. I have a Gentle Lady, a Sophisticated Lady and my original Gentle Lady from about 25 years ago, now a 'Franken Lady' with a pod/CF boom fuse. May have to build a fuse with electric. How did you determine your firewall location and C.G.? Did you just use the original forward former as your firewall? I could see flying this like I fly my Volantec Phoenix 2000 - power up for 15-20 seconds and cruise for thermals.

[@gavinlundie2310]

I love the colors and covering. Is it Monokote or HK? Or something else?

[@poloshobbies]

Hi! Black & translucent yellow are original TF Monokote. Translucent red is some generic substitute, altough its color is pretty close to Monokote translucent red. Regards!

[@gavinlundie2310]

@@poloshobbies Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.

[@ross5307]

I purchased a thunder tiger 20t Olympic .40 with an OS Max .40 for $110. All electronics, 12 volt starter, monocote iron, and the dude through this beautiful gentle lady in. I cannot believe he let go of all this for $110 dollars a the gentle lady had a built fuse, and the wings were completed as well, just needed to install the polyhedral right and left winglets. I saw this kit selling on eBay for $299. That’s why I’m so insanely happy. It came with the original Cox engine, but I’m gonna make it electric like you. My question is: what I have is what I have and I was wondering if you made your own servo tray for the rudder and elevator or if your kit came with a servo tray. Just curious before I fabricate one. Thanks mate!

[@poloshobbies]

Hi Ross, look's like an awesome deal! I've used plywood rails glued to the fuselage sides for the servos. Although I've build it from scratch, if I remember correctly the plan suggests that method. Anyhow, consider that this design is dated before mini/micro servos were available. I advice you to use those weight-wise. Regards!

[@sainteyegor]

I have a couple of these in partially built condition… I really need to finish them off. Time to go electric, I think.

[@poloshobbies]

Electric is the way to go! I use it pretty much as a hi-start: the motor is in a flip swich (without proportional throttle), I turn it on for a "launch", and the off for the glide...

[@modelmakingmaniacs8600]

Nice build and video. What size motor and prop did you end up using? Sorry, just saw your subtitles. :-)

[@poloshobbies]

Thank You!