Or you could have posted me directly to discuss it such a fun topic :-) Its been quite a while since I wrote that article which is more a review of the programmable altitude priority motor cut off switch....but I play this game :-) The context of the article is replacing winch launches...Field are disappearing, guys are getting a bit weary of hauling winch batteries and chasing chute and pounding turnarounds....so if the day came when it made sense to bother to load up the nose of a nice quiet sailplane with a motor and batteries to replace winch launches....and as I state in the article that "if sailplaners didn't need a radio we'd get rid of them, we sure as heck don't want to bother with motors controllers etc. One more time because I know that motor heads who have found a sailplane will fit motors will want to go off on how what they do is good (and it IS by the way) but that has nothing to do with the context of the article...replacing winch launches with electric motor launches.
So with a programmable altitude shut off switch, TD pilots could have the smallest and cheapest possible motor/prop/gearbox/controller/ battery, versus electric sailplane events where the motor package is priority. Currently (no pun) electric sailplane competitors calculate, study, and spend to get the ultimate motor power in the time allotted. 3,000' ? 2,000' climbs (not launches) on a motor run is not the 'unusual' for some classes....you see its not electric launched sailplanes, its in your own words electric sailplanes...in fact electric powered airplanes with big wings. Not once did I mention that your soaring events should change, be limited, or pay any attention to my mindless ramblings....all 10 of you in the country participate should definitely continue to power up as you please. BUT those of us who will never want to willing put a motor in our sailplanes, but might have to in order to fly contests due to no room to string winches would still have the same events (well maybe minus dorking, but again considering we could use almost throw away cheap motors, just strong enough to get us all up to normal winch height (okay most of you fell asleep at this point...normal winch height cuz in this future scenario there isn't room for winches any more)...get us lazily up to normal winch height three times (you know in case there is a mis start or a fuse pop's off :-) When I wrote that piece some of us put down a buck as to how many electric powered glider guys would freak seeing as an attack on their power kingdom... No worries Bob...power up to any altitude your want, 4,000' 5000' if you can see it in 5 seconds of motor run...for as many years ahead as you'd like.... Someday, likely the year 2424, and all the open space is finally filled with soccer goals...and us guys who want to fly with out motors will have to put a cheap, weak piece of crap in our sailplanes noses in order to fly...but the cool thing will be, it will really be man on man. We'll hobble up to the CD tent, plug in our Zlog Altimeter motor shutoff setting every one to the same height...per the CD discretion and we'll launch...all together....no different that having pre-measured high starts for DLG contests. Cheap, small, disposable...but mostly lite...so that when the motor shuts off, we are back to the same weight we were flight with using only a tow hook. Enjoy your powered 'sailplanes'. No threat to them here! Gordy In a message dated 6/27/2008 7:05:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Gordy a lot of people fly electric sailplane events internationally and are really growing the events in different formats. I would not even consider explaining the flaws in your logic in the RC Digest article about soaring and electrics. But please explain this to me, why are the people who have no interest or participation in e-soaring events on any level, the experts of what the format should be. Next time I see you had better have a height limiter in your sailplane so everyone launches to the same height. ;o) RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off. Email sent from web based email such as Hotmail and AOL are generally NOT in text format **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)
