Cambrian Elan 100

I have been looking for a while for a suitable (easy build) 100'' glider to fly on those warm summers evenings off a bungee or those light wind slope days and came across the Cambrian Elan 100.

 

 

High Performance Thermal & Slope Soaring Plane with sturdy Plywood and Balsa Fuselage and two piece Plug in Wings.
The Elan 100 is equally at home on the slope or being bungee/tow launched from the falt.  In the hands of a competent pilot the model will seek out the slightest lift yet is docile enough to give a creditable performance in the hands of the less experienced.
Wingspan 100 ins (2.5m)
Wing Area 735 sq. ins.
Kit Contents:
Wing Ribs
Moulded Canopy /Radio hatch
Pre-Cut Plywood & Balsa Parts
Control Cables, Horns,Clevices, Etc,
Full Size 2 Sheet Plan
Detailed Instruction Book
£69.00 plus £6.00 carriage
I have bitten the bullet and purchased one of these beauties and will keep you all updated on the build through to its maiden flight and hopefully beyond. The only thing it doesn't have that would be very useful is airbrakes / spoilers. Phil R is in the process of building a Flair Sunrise (100'' glider) and has added electric airbrakes to his. This seems like a very good idea Phil. Will have to see what I can do with this glider.

I had a few responses to my email suggesting we buy a few of these and do a mass build but it seems people where already busy building their new gliders or just weren't interested. I will keep you up to date of my progress.

Paul
paulhampshire2103@gmail.com

Wales, Here We Come !

Further to my recent blog regarding our proposed 'Road Trip' to the Welsh valleys to enjoy some real big slopes to fly off - the dates have been confirmed and rooms have been booked for the guys who have committed themselves to coming along.
'Plan A' - Friday 4th April - Sunday 6th April 2014.
Travel up early Friday and return on Sunday afternoon with as much flying as possible in-between. hopefully meeting up with our friend Steve and his buddies who we met up with during our last visit in Oct 2013.
As a back up if the weather is going to be rubbish we have booked an alternative weekend of Friday 25th April - Sunday 27th April. This will give us a 'Plan B' if anything goes wrong.
I know there were others interested last time we offered this trip out to anyone looking for a weekend away slope soaring but as yet no one else other than Rob, Jack and myself have come forward. If you would like to come along and be included in what will be a very good flying three days then please let me know ASAP before the hotel rooms get booked up.
Paul
paulhampshire2013@gmail.com

Saturday 1st Feb

Hi All,
We are planning to go slope soaring this Saturday (as it stands at the moment), at Mill Hill - the wind is forecast 20 - 40 mph SW , but showers are expected from midday. We are planning to arrive by 09:00 to get some flying before the rain (60% chance), so please feel free to join us at Mill Hill. Locations can be found on Slope Hunter web site (in the list on the left below). Rob Stanley

The Long Man's SW Bowl

We turned up at Itford Hill as arranged only to find the wind was SW and not the W - WSW as was predicted. A quick chat with Rob & Marc and it was decided to go and try up at the Long Man.
Be warned, the top car park was a bog of chalky mud and huge deep puddles. You should see the state of my Land Rover! Marc parked his car further down the road which in hindsight was a good call. A short hike up the hill with a couple of other RC pilots and we were up on the edge of a huge SW facing bowl.

The take off was a problem with the wind blowing 35mph + but with a helper launching you it wasn't too bad. The landing was also Interesting as there wasn't much area to land on that wasn't in strong lift but as soon as you went anywhere near the footpath at the top of the slope your glider just fell out of the sky as I proved with my first flight - Lesson learnt I think!
I clipped on my new Contour Roam HD camera and took some video from the air. Watch the video and you will see me trying to fly with Rob's Ninja - Not easy in those conditions, I tell you!
Cant wait to try it out on a good day with loads of Ninja's up flying at the same time.

Here you can see some air to air shots of Rob's Ninja.  



 

Spring 'Road Trip' to Wales!

Rob, Jack & I had such a great time last October when we visited The Bwlch in South Wales for some serious slope soaring & plenty of well needed stick time that we decided we should arrange another trip to the 'Valleys' this Spring.

Rob sent out an email last year asking whom from our merry band of slope soarers where Interested in making another visit in the spring of 2014. Back then Rob had a good response with a number of you showing Interest.

I have now started planning our ‘Spring Road Trip’ for mid March / mid April and need to get a handle on who is serious about coming along to enjoy the beauty and wonders of the Welsh valleys. The trip would be from Friday to Sunday. Leaving early on a Friday morning and getting up to the valleys around 13.00hrs. Hopefully the weather will play ball and we would go up and fly on the Friday afternoon. Fly all day Saturday and hopefully Sunday morning and return home on Sunday afternoon. This should provide you with some serious stick time going on what flying we did during our last visit.

These slopes offer slope soaring in virtually any wind direction and at over 1800ft these produce some incredible lift. 

During our last visit we stayed at a very reasonable hotel based near Bridgend (Sarn) which was about 8 miles down the valley from the flying slopes. Looking at prices you can get a double room but with single occupancy for £40 per night plus £6 for breakfast or £92 for the 2 nights. The accommodation was very comfortable and clean. When I have numbers I will make all the necessary arrangements / booking etc.

If you are Interested and want to be Included in what should be a very enjoyable flying visit to South Wales then please let me know ASAP with any specific dates you can or cannot make from mid March to Mid April 2014.

I will then arrange a meeting in February where all Interested people will be Invited to hear more about the place, the times, the costs etc......

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (either email or call me).

Slope Soaring This Weekend

Friday 24th Update - Wind looks like more SW early on Saturday morning but good WSW blow from Midday. I am now aiming to get there at 12.00 (Midday). If you are thinking about coming along email me or call me and I can text you in the morning to confirm the exact details.

I hope most of you have received your email regarding this weekends sloping opportunities?
If not and you would like to be added to our slope soaring email list then please send me your email address over and I will add you. I try and send out an email each week with the details of where we will be flying and at what time etc. Everyone is welcome to come along and join us.
This weekend seems to be a tale of two halves. Saturday flyable & Sunday not!.
Saturday has a Westerly wind blowing and strengthening during the day but as the day goes on showers and more frequent rain is forecast. For this reason I plan to get out early to get the best of the sunshine with wind 10 - 20mph Westerly.
Westerly winds don't offer a huge option of flying sites, so I will plump for Itford Hill.
For those who haven't flown at Itford Hill, the site offers great soaring and fantastic views but it does require you to park at the bottom and take a leisurely walk up the hill to the top but It is worth the effort!
I aim to get there by 9.30am and hopefully get at least a few hours slope soaring in.
Here is a map of where we meet. Park opposite the YHA on the verge. On this map you will see the access up the hill using the South Downs way.

At Last - Some Flying!

After what seems months myself and Rob took a late decision to go sloping today up at Itford Hill.
The wind was forecast to be light and variable so I didn't bother to suggest going sloping today but on looking this morning the wind was now forecast 10 - 14mph Westerly. Itford Hill then!
Me and Rob met up before 10.00 and took a lazy stroll up to near the top (by the post, you must know the post?) Well the wind was just wafting up the hill and no where near the Westerly as forecast. SW and 5 mph. After many attempts to fly and both Rob and I walking back and forth to collect our models in various locations along and under the hill top the wind suddenly played ball. 11.06am to be exactly correct. The wind blew and the thermals came through to give us half an hour of slope soaring fun. Not mega but a lot better than sitting in doors and hoping for the next slope soaring day.
Wonderful views and quite warm for this time of the year.
Roll on the next sloping session.

Happy New Year To You All

Hello and welcome to my first post of 2014.
Its been a strange Christmas with plenty of time off over Christmas but rubbish weather to get out and enjoy any slope soaring. Lets hope 2014 gives us lots of opportunities to get out and play.
Having been keeping an eye on the weather over the last few days, Saturday (my birthday) seems to be the only hope for this up and coming weekend. The wind is swinging towards the North for just one day but the wind is on the light side but sunny, so I suppose that's positive news.
I will be tied up (well not literally - honest!) in the afternoon but the morning should be my own. At this present moment I'm not sure which part of the South Downs will offer the best slope soaring but I will confirm the location very soon - just keep an eye out on the blog for further details.