Kann jemand etwas berichten uber die thermikleistung der Alien bitte? Habe interesse aber fliege nur in der ebene. Die starken von das modell scheinen mir vor allem am hang zu liegen. Oder bin ich da falsch?
Hi Scheppy270, It's quite simple.
I don't know if you use to fly DLGs, but the RTF Alien flies from 14.5gr/dm² to 15.5gr/dm² if the model is fatly built.
Our actual DLGs start flying at 10-11 gr/dm². 12gr/dm² for FAI light F5J . The Alien minimum wing loading is corresponding to a modern half Ballasted DLG.
The sink rate (and the average flight speed) in thermal mode is tightly increased . You can take thermals, but you can't ask the model to compare with "feather weights" models. Resuming, it's a model for having fun everywhere, on the flat field or on the slope, but it's not high end performance thermal model. For this, one need to invest differently. But One can really have fun chasing the thermal with it.
As a useful competition training exercise, I use to fly my DLGs overbalasted , to help felling better the usable lift/speed factor in reserve while chasing thermals. All is done faster, and your success is here when you understand that you must fly as if you were walking on eggs.
For sure, this Lift range is the most exploitable when the glider is as light as possible.
But on an other way, any model needs energy to fly, and the gravity transforms the weight of the glider in energy.
The Alien was designed to be nice to fly , with good behavior at slow speed with the highest Angle of attack possible, without forgetting to reduce the foils thichness for nice speeds and low drag for handlaunch starts. That been said, with a simple flying wing, having a good compromise is a really harder and more tricky project than on a classic glider.
Anyway, we must compare what we can compare.
I wait pilots comments about the slope soaring abilities; this glider is wanted to be versatile first. Not excellent on a special parameter, but all in the up average as possible, to have a fun companion. Our experience in DLGs compromises and technologies were useful and profitable. But i let the guys be judge :-)
Please, have fun,
Chris