Heart of America Free Flight Association
Get Started the Right Way
Ed Wiley, HFFA
Free flight airplanes are model airplanes designed and built to fly by themselves, unassisted by control from the pilots on the ground. Because of this requirement, free flight models must be designed to be stable under a variety of aerodynamic conditions. Free flight planes range in size from tiny scales models of 9" or less in wingspan to giants of the model world, with wingspans of over 6 feet in length. Whatever their size, they are designed and built to be as light as possible (what aerodynamic engineers term "low wing loading."). While the most common building materials remain balsa wood and light "Japanese" tissue, increasing use is made of "space-age" materials such as kevlar and carbon.
Because free flight models do not need to carry radio control receivers and servos, the designer and builder have a much wider scope of subjects to model at very small scales. And, they can pick from a wide range of power.
Hand launch gliders
(HLG) use only arm power. Towline gliders are towed aloft by a line in kite-like
fashion and then set free to glide or soar.
Outdoor rubber-powered and gas-powered models combine a fast climb with a
slow and graceful (hopefully!) soaring flight at the end of the motor run.
Indoor rubber-powered models slowly climb to the top of the ceiling of a gymnasium
and then just as slowly descend with the prop turning all the time.
Outdoor power models may feature a rocket-like climb with an internal combustion
engine screaming at 25,000+ rpms. The models may be scale models, resembling
a prototype full-scale airplane. Or, they may be designed as purely functional
machines, called duration models, bearing little resemblance to any full-scale
airplane. Explore some of the different kinds of free flight models.
If you are interested in trying your hand, here is some advice.
1. Try to make contact with free flighters in your area. We are spread
thin, but most major cities have at least a few sportsmen (and women).
If you make contact, show up at flying sessions and contests, even if
you do not have a plane to fly. Most free flighters are happy to help
and happy to recommend how to get started. Protocol: do not approach someone
who is preparing to fly or flying. Free flighters expend considerable
amounts energy concentrating on doing things to prepare for a flight and
watching a flight.
2. Look in the model magazines for mail-order businesses that carry free flight
kits and supplies. Free flighters run many of these businesses. They tend
to carry quality kits that you will never find in the average model shop today.
A few dollars spent on catalogues will put you ahead of the game.
3. There are a few local model shops run by owners who know free flight and
carry quality free flight kits and supplies. If one of these shops is close
to you, thank your lucky stars, you hit the jackpot. Buy as much as you can
through this shop, even if you could save a bit by ordering through mail order.
The advice you will get will more than make up the difference. Sadly for the
free flight community, most shops cater to the R/C community. The owner may
be a very competent R/C modeler, but R/C is not free flight. Also, you might
notice that the shop carries a small line of free flight kits. Some of these
will be good (for example Peck kits), other will only be frustrating unless
you know how to modify them (see Silver Streak modification project.). Some,
such as the Guillow Lancer, are actually good flying kits.
4. Do not start with a scale model and most especially a tiny scale model.
Many hobby stores have "peanut scale" model kits. They are inexpensive and
the fact that they are scale is appealing. But, it is hard for the beginner
to get these models flying. Leave them aside until you have more experience.
Or, build one just to practice handling balsa, but don't expect it to fly
well until you gain some experience.
5. If you have absolutely no experience, buy, build, and fly several AMA Cubs,
also known as Delta Darts. The kits are cheap and Darts can be flown indoors
or outdoors. They will teach many of the basics of adjusting and flying rubber-powered
planes. Bill Kuhl's Delta
Dart site has lots of information about getting started with this plane.
Follow his building program and pay attention to his excellent explanation
of some of the technical details.
6. Buy a book on free flight models. The Ross books are excellent. The National
Free Flight Society and Hanna's Runway (mail order) carry the Ross books and
others.
7. After a few Delta Darts, catapult hand-launched gliders are great place
to continue. The advantage of this class over straight hand-launched gliders
is that you can launch them more precisely with limited experience. Campbell
makes a great models called the "Straight-up." It is easy to build and fly.
Another great kit is the "Scout," offered by Stan Buddenbohm. (Hand-launched
gliders are also fun. Believe it or not, they require careful building, adjustment,
and flying technique. If you buy one try to read as much as you can on building
and flying HLG.) If you don't want to build, there are at least two foam ready-to-fly
models on the market that I have found to be fun and good fliers. One is the
"Zing Wing" by Dare Hobby Distributors and the other is the "Sling
Wing" distributed by AllSource.
I keep one each in the car for kids to fly who seem interested.
8. P-30 is an excellent place to continue your building if you are interested
in rubber models. The major advantage is that this class of planes uses a
commercial plastic propeller. The Campbell Souper 30 is widely available and
an excellent flyer. I recommend this class because there is always a P-30
contest at outdoor meets. This is not true of some other "beginners" kits
that are not much easier to build but seldom flown at meets. (Which does not
mean that they are bad flyers or that they are not fun.)
9. If you are interested in towline gliders I highly recommend that you find
someone who knows how to fly them. Your mentor can recommend a kit and get
you started. I have greatly benefited from advice from some really good towline
sportsmen and I am not sure I could have learned the sport alone.
10. If you are interested in "gas" power, then you should find someone who
can give you some advice.
11. After two are three Delta Darts, there are also several outstanding indoor
models for beginners. The P-18 and P-24 classes offer those with beginning
skills to successfully build and fly indoor models. They use a plastic prop.
Kits are made by Indoor Model Supply and Mace Models. Planes of the A-6 class
are also excellent. There are other good indoor kits, the Peck ROG is an example.
But if you go to a contest you will probably not see these planes flown.
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The AMA Cub or Delta Dart.
If you buy a cheap plane from the discount store you can get it to fly by modifying the wing tips to give dihedral. This will help keep the plane stable during flight.
The Boddenbohm "Scout" is a great catapult glider. So is the Campbell "Straight-Up"
Launching a gas-powered F1C at Lost Hills, CA
