POWER SLOPE SOARER PLANS PAGE

The two main types of R/C glider flying are thermal and slope. Thermal sailplanes use the rising of air created by sunlight warming the ground to gain altitude, the same source of lift used by hawks and eagles as they circle upward without flapping their wings. Slope sailplanes fly in rising air created by wind blowing into the face of a hill and forced upward, producing lift in front of the hill or ridge. Slope lift is present when you see a gull or flock of pelicans cruise horizon-to-horizon without flapping. Models designed to fly in thermal or slope lift can stay aloft as long as battery packs and pilot stamina hold out.

Do you like models of jet aircraft? Did you know you can fly a model of a jet without the a ducted fan or a turbine propulsion system? If this sounds good to you, welcome to the world of Slope Jets. Not many things in model aviation look as good as a Navy jet flying over the ocean or a lake, unless it’s a ground-attack jet flying over terrain, or a high altitude spyplane flying high overhead. The models you see in these photos are unpowered model sailplanes flown in the lift created by wind blowing up a hill.