Hi-starts Session Part 3 - George Stringwell's 'Vedette' Thermal Glider/Slope Soarer - 1st Dec 2020

[@ChrisEvansNodd]

I built a Vedette back in 1977. I believe I was around 10 years old. It was my first RC model after building several free flight gliders including a Keil Kraft Invader. Unfortunately I was introduced to some twit who insisted I had my Vedette's V tail mixing setup backwards. He'd never seen a V tail before, looked at the control surfaces from the rear & concluded they would work like ailerons & cause the glider to roll in the wrong direction. So he sent me home & told me to swap the linkages over. As you might expect, the maiden flight a few days later didn't go well. He destroyed my model & refused to believe he was wrong about the control surfaces. So I never got to fly my Vedette. Thanks for the videos you yours Carl. You may have inspired me to build another one, some 46 years later :-)

[@luisjesus5877]

Fantastic cunning, for people that does not have Radios for V Tail.

[@Eatherbreather]

A long transmitter aerial, balsa wood and an English flying site. Exactly as nature and George Stringwell intended. As I sit here I have a copy of George's "Thermal soaring" in front of me. I still refer to it when refreshing my knowledge. Most recently I've been reading it to make a small bungee for my own "Fling" (actually a crappy HK knock off). Great video, well done! 😁

[@RCSoaringUK]

Thanks for your comment 👍 It's nice to fly 'old school' some of the time. I just tried my Fling on a 50m hi-start (10m surgical rubber + 40m line). It was very breezy, so the flights were short but was getting some great height from the launches 👍 Hope to get the Vedette onto a big hi-start soon.

[@IansRCExploits]

Very interesting Carl that mechanical tail mixing!! And it flew very well, I do enjoy looking at and watching your vintage gliders!! Great video👍😄

[@RCSoaringUK]

Thanks Ian. It's a fascinating aspect of the hobby going back seeing how things were done 40-50 yrs ago. It's also nice to fly a little RC history too. Glad you're enjoying the vintage glider videos.

[@IansRCExploits]

Yes they are very interesting Carl, thanks for sharing 👍😄

[@wingnutzster]

In 30something years of flying RC I’ve never seen that method of mechanical V-tail - ingenious!

[@RCSoaringUK]

That's why I've kept this original. It's a little slow on response but I allow for that in flight. They use to do something similar for flying wings before electronic mixing became available. After lockdown is lifted in England I want to try this on a bigger slope with a bit more room.

[@kev4354]

I do like a V-Tail the retro mechanical mixing looks great although I will stick with TX mixing, Loving the retro gliders.

[@RCSoaringUK]

I like v-tails too and have a few, also a few to build.... It's great to have one glider with mechanical mixing, but it is a little slower on response. This glider was designed primarily as a thermal glider, so I want to get it up on the hi-start again soon....

[@janveverka83veverka21]

mechanical mixer - nice retro

[@RCSoaringUK]

Glad you like it. It's great to own and fly some proper old school gliders 😎