Great Planes Spirit 2-Meter Sailplane Kit - GPMA0530 - Manual (Page 36)

To fly off a slope, stand near the edge and throw the
sailplane (nose down) into the wind. As the sailplane flys out
into the "band*' of lift it will begin to gain altitude. Turn and
fly parallel to the slope and make all of your turns into the
wind (especially when you are close to the slope). You will
be surprised at the altitude you can gain just from slope lift.
Thermals will often be "popped loose" by these slopes. If
you catch a thermal and follow it downwind, be very careful
to stay high enough to make it back to the slope without flying
through the turbulent air behind the slope. If you don't have
enough altitude you may want to land a good distance behind
the slope if possible to avoid this turbulent air.
weight of your sailplane does not directly change its "glide
ratio'' but it does make it fly faster which makes it sink a pro-
portional amount faster. Because of this faster sink rate, you
need to be very cautious when ballasting for a thermal
contest. In duration type contests only use ballast on very
windy days that also have a lot of thermal activity.
Add the weight as near as possible to the CG of the
plane. 6-8 oz. will make a noticeable difference in the
sailplane's flying speed and more can be added if needed.
Make sure to recheck the CG of the plane after adding
ballast, it should remain where it was.
SLOPE LANDINGS
Landings can be very tricky on some slopes. On gentle
slopes you can often fly very close to the top of the slope and
"slide" into the top of the slope without encountering any
turbulent air. On steeper slopes you may have to be a little
more aggressive to get the plane out of the lift. In any case it
is a good idea to talk to the local flyers to plan your landing
before you launch your plane.
Have a ball! But always stay in control
and fly in a safe manner.
GOOD LUCK, WE HOPE YOU
CATCH MANY THERMALS!
BUILDING NOTES
Kit Purchase Date:
Where Purchased:
POWERED LAUNCHING
Your SPIRIT can also be launched with either an electric
motor or a fuel powered engine. "Power pods'' are available
for both electric motors and fuel powered engines and are
easily mounted on top of the wing with rubber bands. These
power pods will allow you to launch your SPIRIT from
smaller fields than would be possible with a hi-start. They do
however, cut down on the soaring performance of the
sailplane due to their added weight and aerodynamic drag.
Since each power pod has its own set of instructions
we will not explain their use any further here.
Price:
8-Digit # on End Flap of Box:
Date Construction Started:
Date Construction Finished:
Date of First Flight:
Finished Weight:
Wing Loading (Weight - 4.69):
Comments: ___________
BALLASTING
In strong wind conditions, you may want to add
ballast (weight) to the sailplane to increase its wing loading
which increases its normal flying speed. Increasing the
36