R/C Glider High Start Tutorial With Mike Smith 

The vane on the nose is a yaw indicator we were testing to demonstrate how changes in aileron differential and rudder mixes create adverse or proverse yaw while turning. We used the vane in the Soaring Master Class 3 training DVD, with the air cam and ground camera synched together for the flight demos. -Paul RCA productions.

My method (I'm right-handed): 1. Tx & tray on lanyard around neck. 2. Walk back gripping glider and parachute ahead of LE, waist height and fuse and wing against body, me on right forward root of glider. 3. Count paces about 3 x length of rubber. 4. Transfer model to left hand, the put right hand on Tx. Rotate to face forward and lift glider up with left hand. 5. Toggle stick(s) to check servos are working. 6. Throw with left hand, right hand on Tx and appropriate stick (I fly RES, so right stick). The model can be instantly controlled this way; launching right-handed while holding the Tx with the left leaves the glider uncontrolled for a second or two. The left hand can now control camber/rudder stick and flght condition switches if full house. 7. If wind is blowing, can zoom off stretched line (not for wooden oldies). I used to right-hand launch for years with a loose Tx (good when launching into the Sun), but putting the Tx on a lanyard, better yet in a tray to avoid snagging the switches, and launching with the left hand I find so much better, particularly since I like an aggressive hook position, getting full extension at release even in still air. Hi-starts are coming back into vogue thanks to F3-RES/F3L. 15 m of rubber, 100 m of line, 4 kg pull at stretched length = 3 x relaxed (i.e. adding 2 x relaxed length walking back). that's a lot of pull for a typical 400 g (14 oz) 2 metre glider. 4 kg is ideal for a typical oldie 2 metre such as a Spirit (weighs 1 kg). For my 400 gram 58" Thornburg Sunbird, I find a 2 kg pull works great. I used to fly a Paragon very well on an approx. 4 kg pull. Rubber is surgical or exercise latex or silicone tubing.

Excellent video !!

I prefer to have my tx on a lanyard around my neck so I've got two hands for the glider when I'm pulling it back - usually one on the nose and the other under the fuse. I've got the el-cheapo HK 8mm silicon tubing which seem to work well and is very cost friendly. Great vids, btw, thanks!

This plane Mike is flying is the Aspire, available from soaring USA. The Soaring Master Class series with Mike Smith is now available as a digital video download from the Radio Carbon Art productions website.

Thanks so much!

one hundred feet of surgical tubing, 400 feet of trilene fishing line and you have a fantstic high start. I used this with my glider, "The Wanderer" back in the seventies, oh and a good size field.

Large diameter? Small diameter? Light? Heavy? I need numbers. How much maximum/minimum pull for MY glider? How much pull are the various tubing diameters? This video was good for form and technique, but not for specifications.

Informative video, thanks! What make and model plane are you launching in the video?

Hey. What´s the "flag" in the front´s purpose?

Wondering what size / length of rubber tubing to use for a High - Start... Starting with 4' Walmart F / F foam glider, then working up....

#1 mistake is throwing your platform without having your Tx on a neck strap

Hi: I think safety is good.

And i think that my 78 inch is huge!!!

how do you find thermals on a flat piece of land ?