blackshire
06-04-2009, 04:11 AM
Hello All,
I have found two books and a video on Hand-Launched Gliders (HLGs) that would help model rocketeers overcome problems with boost-gliders. The books are available from multiple sources (please see below). The books are:
TITLE: Flying Hand-Launched Gliders
AUTHOR: Kaufmann, John
PUBLISHER: Morrow (Published 1974, Illustrated, 96 pages)
ISBN: 0688201083
SUMMARY: Instructions for building, launching, and flying model gliders. Includes suggestions for contest flying.
TITLE: Throw It Out of Sight! : Building and Flying a Hand-Launched Glider
AUTHOR: Abrams, Lawrence F.
PUBLISHER: Dillon Press (Published 1984, Illustrated, 93 pages)
ISBN: 087518247X
SUMMARY: Gives instructions for building and flying a balsa wood glider including a pattern to trace or photocopy, and includes suggestions for handling such problems as breakage and finding lost planes.
Both books are available from AbeBooks.com www.abebooks.com , Alibris www.alibris.com , Amazon.com www.amazon.com , and Barnes & Noble www.barnesandnoble.com . Re-print editions of "Flying Hand-Launched Gliders" are also available from the National Free Flight Society (please see below).
Between the two of them, both books contain plans for a total of five different hand-launched glider designs (all of which are similar to conventional front-motor boost-gliders). The books contain complete building, finishing, trimming, and flying instructions for the gliders. The books also include extensive information on finding and using thermals and on repairing damaged gliders, as well as tips for finding lost gliders after “flyaways.” To prevent flyaways, both books also have chapters on building and using dethermalizers (D/Ts) on gliders.
Mr. Kaufmann's book "Flying Hand-Launched Gliders" has been re-printed by the NFFS (National Free Flight Society, see: www.freeflight.org/store/publications.htm ) and is available from them for $13 plus $5 for postage (with payment by money order, cash, or bank draft with a US bank). The NFFS also has a glider video (available on DVD and VHS) called "Techniques in Building and Flying Hand Launch and Catapult Gliders." This 60 minute video by Bob Johannes shows step-by-step building and trimming tips for Catapult-Launched Gliders and Hand-Launched Gliders. It is $20 plus $5 for postage. The NFFS's postal address is:
NFFS Publications Services
%Bob Stalick
PO Box 1775
Albany, OR 97321
Also, below are links to sources of hand-launched glider kits (these gliders are similar to boost-gliders). Here they are:
Campbell's Custom Kits www.campbellscustomkits.com has a complete line of HLG (Hand-Launched Glider) kits. (The Campbell's Custom Kits web site has few illustrations. However, Campbell's Custom Kits are also available from Radical R/C www.radicalrc.com and Penn Valley Hobby Center www.pennvalleyhobbycenter.com [among many other vendors], and their web sites have illustrations of the gliders.)
Sting Aero Products www.stingaeroproducts.com also produces numerous fine HLG kits.
Tom Martin Radio Control (TMRC) www.tmrcsailplanes.com/plans-and-patterns.html offers both plans sets and laser-cut balsa kits of classic JASCO, JETCO, and Zaic Hand-Launched Gliders. In addition, Mike Smock's Aerosente Glider Workshop www.aerosente.com contains a wealth of information (in the forms of text, illustrations, and online videos) about building, trimming, and flying Hand-Launched Gliders. They also carry selected hand-launched glider kits from several manufacturers.
I hope this information will be helpful.
I have found two books and a video on Hand-Launched Gliders (HLGs) that would help model rocketeers overcome problems with boost-gliders. The books are available from multiple sources (please see below). The books are:
TITLE: Flying Hand-Launched Gliders
AUTHOR: Kaufmann, John
PUBLISHER: Morrow (Published 1974, Illustrated, 96 pages)
ISBN: 0688201083
SUMMARY: Instructions for building, launching, and flying model gliders. Includes suggestions for contest flying.
TITLE: Throw It Out of Sight! : Building and Flying a Hand-Launched Glider
AUTHOR: Abrams, Lawrence F.
PUBLISHER: Dillon Press (Published 1984, Illustrated, 93 pages)
ISBN: 087518247X
SUMMARY: Gives instructions for building and flying a balsa wood glider including a pattern to trace or photocopy, and includes suggestions for handling such problems as breakage and finding lost planes.
Both books are available from AbeBooks.com www.abebooks.com , Alibris www.alibris.com , Amazon.com www.amazon.com , and Barnes & Noble www.barnesandnoble.com . Re-print editions of "Flying Hand-Launched Gliders" are also available from the National Free Flight Society (please see below).
Between the two of them, both books contain plans for a total of five different hand-launched glider designs (all of which are similar to conventional front-motor boost-gliders). The books contain complete building, finishing, trimming, and flying instructions for the gliders. The books also include extensive information on finding and using thermals and on repairing damaged gliders, as well as tips for finding lost gliders after “flyaways.” To prevent flyaways, both books also have chapters on building and using dethermalizers (D/Ts) on gliders.
Mr. Kaufmann's book "Flying Hand-Launched Gliders" has been re-printed by the NFFS (National Free Flight Society, see: www.freeflight.org/store/publications.htm ) and is available from them for $13 plus $5 for postage (with payment by money order, cash, or bank draft with a US bank). The NFFS also has a glider video (available on DVD and VHS) called "Techniques in Building and Flying Hand Launch and Catapult Gliders." This 60 minute video by Bob Johannes shows step-by-step building and trimming tips for Catapult-Launched Gliders and Hand-Launched Gliders. It is $20 plus $5 for postage. The NFFS's postal address is:
NFFS Publications Services
%Bob Stalick
PO Box 1775
Albany, OR 97321
Also, below are links to sources of hand-launched glider kits (these gliders are similar to boost-gliders). Here they are:
Campbell's Custom Kits www.campbellscustomkits.com has a complete line of HLG (Hand-Launched Glider) kits. (The Campbell's Custom Kits web site has few illustrations. However, Campbell's Custom Kits are also available from Radical R/C www.radicalrc.com and Penn Valley Hobby Center www.pennvalleyhobbycenter.com [among many other vendors], and their web sites have illustrations of the gliders.)
Sting Aero Products www.stingaeroproducts.com also produces numerous fine HLG kits.
Tom Martin Radio Control (TMRC) www.tmrcsailplanes.com/plans-and-patterns.html offers both plans sets and laser-cut balsa kits of classic JASCO, JETCO, and Zaic Hand-Launched Gliders. In addition, Mike Smock's Aerosente Glider Workshop www.aerosente.com contains a wealth of information (in the forms of text, illustrations, and online videos) about building, trimming, and flying Hand-Launched Gliders. They also carry selected hand-launched glider kits from several manufacturers.
I hope this information will be helpful.