MEDINA RES Glider - 2 hour flight from a hand launch

Monday 19th September 2022 | F3L | Medina | 2 hours 8 minutes 35 seconds | Hand launch
Good day to break my UK RES duration record. Flying with the angels.
Overcast skies, 4 mph winds, light lift, minimal sink and infill. 18 degrees C. Hand launched my Medina F3L RES model and hooked up some light lift. Slowly worked it to 300 meters as the sun started to peak out. Hit some strong lift taking me close to 500 meters which needed spoilers.
Rest of the flight was a case of being patient with the weak lift and waiting for the sun to reappear. Following the drought, there is an abundance of insects and house martins feeding on them, each time I got low, I was able to look around the sky, locate the birds and head towards them, hooking up the lift again.
At the 2 hour mark, the wind direction changed as a cold front moved in.
2 meter span
455g AUW
A08 KST servos
Recommended CG and throws, no differential currently dialled in.
Original music by Savfk ( / savfkmusic savfkmusic)

[@alistairclark6814]

This is absolutely amazing! I am addicted to slope soaring but it is videos like this that inspire me to get into thermal soaring. This type of flying is definitely in my very near future. Subbed and belled.

[@CirrusRC]

Thanks - appreciate the comment. I've done very little slope soaring. Thermal is my passion - it's very addictive.

[@wa389]

I'm not sure I would trust my transmitter battery for a 2 hour flight, but I'd be willing to try it if I could soar for that length of time. Nice video, thanks for sharing.

[@CirrusRC]

thankfully my transmitter battery will easily last a whole days flying.

[@helithopter]

Super video, thanks.

[@robhumphris]

Great flying, you must really dislike setting up and winding up the bungee! lol

[@goldenfish77]

Wow, fantastic raisings and flights! I liked when You show us the altitudes. Very nice flight video with amazing music. I am thinking about that when I won't be able to toss my gliders I will make a RES. It was very inspiring!

[@CirrusRC]

Thank you - glad you enjoyed it. RES gliders are a lot of fun.

[@goldenfish77]

@@CirrusRC The V-tail is perfect for thermal flights, I like it very much. Awesome that this glider can catch thermals from a hand launch, OMG! For easy thermals, I need a motor starter now, because the nearby park is smaller and smaller and I can not the right maneuvers from the trees.

[@mikebell9536]

Excellent video David I’ve just started back in the hobby now I’m a OAP got the Madina powered glider not done much flying with it yet waiting for some good weather I’m in Ormskirk area looking forward to seeing your next video 👍

[@CirrusRC]

Great Mike. Mine started as the powered version but I had a little accident so converted it to bungee only. I have another Medina powered which I need to put together. Fingers crossed you get some good weather - these models excel in light wind conditions.

[@mikebell9536]

@@CirrusRC yes hopefully some good weather to come the club near me don’t do gliders so I’m on my own but I’m enjoying it 👍

[@JimNicholls]

That's amazing, David. As I'm sure you know, NZ is a great location for piloted gliders and many records get broken here. Did you get to Omarama on your travels here in 2019? That's the main take-off point for most record flights, I think. Your smaller versions are a lot more affordable and I guess just as much fun.

[@CirrusRC]

Thanks Jim. Yes I drove past. Would love to have stopped and had a flight, but my tight schedule did not allow it.

[@Twobarpsi]

Great flight and beautiful plane! I've lost a plane in heavy lift because it didn't have spoilers.

[@CirrusRC]

Yep - spoilers are very useful. Particularly for models which cannot survive a vertical dive and pull out.

[@ЛЬВИНИ]

Nice video, Like!!!

[@johnparker4203]

Excellent work! Lovely music too. When are you going to give the rest of us RES postal competitors a chance!😉

[@CirrusRC]

Thanks John. I'm struggling this month, so now's your chance!

[@heartsoul4386]

Is this an aerobatic glider at all, or more for thermals? I know it's really strong, so I imagine slope and loops, KE might actually be ok stresswise?

[@CirrusRC]

It's a light weight glider - mainly for thermals. It can do loops and slope in light winds, but better for flat field thermalling.

[@johnw5154]

Impressive. Model certainly seems to fly well and be well trimmed. Seems to be doing fine without the expo programming. Would it have just added extra drag in turns?

[@CirrusRC]

thanks. Do you mean the reverse differential on the V-tail? This involves having less elevator movement than rudder, which can help in the turns. Would be less drag too.

[@bleak0218]

Gorgeous flight with this nice glider! What vario logger do You have installed?

[@CirrusRC]

Hi - Frsky GRX-6 has inbuilt logger but I also use an Altis Nano. Thanks for watching and your comment.

[@kiteflyingdownunder....car6272]

That's impressive flying David. For two or more hours of flying do you ever sit down? Does your glider come ready to fly or do you have some construction before it is ready?

[@CirrusRC]

Thanks Carl. You can sit or lie down but I fly better when stood up. I've hurt my back, so I'd never get back up again if I lay down :) This kit is ARF (Almost Ready to Fly), very little assembly is needed. Sadly my building skills are far behind my flying skills.

[@garychaney5484]

Where I'm from it's a big VIOLATION not to catch your glider when landing!

[@CirrusRC]

:) Yes, I normally do but for competitions it's useful to practice spot landing bonus.

[@garychaney5484]

@@CirrusRC I live too far out in the country and need to get out more often. And in that case, great landing!

[@CRRC81]

What Altimeter are you using for graphing altitude?

[@CirrusRC]

frsky GRx6 receiver with built in altimeter. I use an Altis nano in F5RES.

[@paweduraj6577]

What radio and vario / telemetry are you using?

[@CirrusRC]

Taranis X9D with a G-RX6 receiver.

[@PanyingPilot]

David, happy holidays! Here is a link with someone who does gliders kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmXPh4B9psaBnaM He does eagle kites which is why I am interested.

[@CirrusRC]

Happy New Year Glenn. Thanks for the link - some good stuff there.