I don't want to stir up a mess here with this question but here goes:
I am an R/C glider guy who is primarily focused on Dynamic Soaring (DS) to achieve extreme speeds. I would never want to have my plane in the air in the vicinity of a hang glider or any other man carrying aircraft due to the risk of a collision. That being said, I would love to check out Mount Kagel in 60+mph winds when there would be no hang gliders present. I have been watching the wind maps for some time and it appears that Mt Kagel gets good winds in a big northy event. Has anyone ever been present for this kind of wind? With that kind of wind, I'm pretty certain that a new world record speed could be set. I hold the current record of 446mph at a hill near Lake Isabella.
I realize that I can't have access to the gate code since I am not a member of SHGA, but if there are any members that have an interest in DS, perhaps we could meet at the gate next time the wind is big? Otherwise, would it be a bad mtn bike ride to get to the launch site? Is this allowed? I assume the gate is for motorized vehicle access?
I appreciate your ideas / suggestions on this.
Spencer Lisenby
www.DSKinetic.com
Mount Kagel in BIG WINDS
Moderator: Chip
I suppose the location of Sylmar is likely the biggest draw for desire to get access. There are more than a few pilots that have come from the RC world and moved into HG, so maybe someone will take you up on it.
What about Parker? I thought that was also a good place for north wind events.
Like I said there is a few people in the club that may be interested. You should come to the LZ, and introduce yourself. I think you're more likely to generate some interest.
Even on windy days like today you can find a few pilots there.
What about Parker? I thought that was also a good place for north wind events.
Like I said there is a few people in the club that may be interested. You should come to the LZ, and introduce yourself. I think you're more likely to generate some interest.
Even on windy days like today you can find a few pilots there.
-
addicted2climbing
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:50 pm
Hello Spencer,
I am quite familiar with DS and use to be really into it and use to fly at Parker with Joe Wurts when DS was discovered there. I flew Thermal Duration with the SCSA club in Valencia where Joe and pat Bowman were members. I also designed and sold my own EPP scale slopers well before Zagi's were made with EPP. I just watched your videos, and Joe was fast, but never that fast. You are really pushing the envelope on DS. I am surprised to see your flying a T-Tail to such speeds. You must have one strong tailboom and rudder post to offset the added twisting moment on the elevator. Did you choose a T-Tail to get the elevater up into clean air?
Anyhow back to your question. I dont think that Kagel has the layout you need for good DS. There is quite a bit of a flat area between the front and rear ridge and the rear ridge is at a very shallow grade and covered with bushes (sort of like Grass Mountain). So shallow that launching off the rear in north winds is only reserved for the pro's since there is hardly a dropoff and it produces little lift and people rarely do it. On the front side where you would want to DS its not that steep either and where you would want to DS there is the flat HG setup area and some trees behind you that would shelter the wind you need at the top of your turn... Also the one upslope ridge where I would say it is steep enough to DS (about 500' before the HG site) and almost saddle like at Parker is quite broken terrain below and would have major turbulence. Its not a smooth and consistant landscape like Parker at all and the wind you need from behind would be broken from lots of manzanita bushes. I would imagine any heavy wind condition that would work would be working much better at Parker or Vincent than at Kagel if Kagel even worked. Also model retrieve on the front face would not be fun. Almost as bad as whitaker peak.. Figured I could give refferences to other local slope sites to give you an idea of what the terrain is like...
On another note, why not try HG. I use to stand on the ridge and watch my models fly back and forth and now I get to jump off with a wing..
Take Care,
Marc
I am quite familiar with DS and use to be really into it and use to fly at Parker with Joe Wurts when DS was discovered there. I flew Thermal Duration with the SCSA club in Valencia where Joe and pat Bowman were members. I also designed and sold my own EPP scale slopers well before Zagi's were made with EPP. I just watched your videos, and Joe was fast, but never that fast. You are really pushing the envelope on DS. I am surprised to see your flying a T-Tail to such speeds. You must have one strong tailboom and rudder post to offset the added twisting moment on the elevator. Did you choose a T-Tail to get the elevater up into clean air?
Anyhow back to your question. I dont think that Kagel has the layout you need for good DS. There is quite a bit of a flat area between the front and rear ridge and the rear ridge is at a very shallow grade and covered with bushes (sort of like Grass Mountain). So shallow that launching off the rear in north winds is only reserved for the pro's since there is hardly a dropoff and it produces little lift and people rarely do it. On the front side where you would want to DS its not that steep either and where you would want to DS there is the flat HG setup area and some trees behind you that would shelter the wind you need at the top of your turn... Also the one upslope ridge where I would say it is steep enough to DS (about 500' before the HG site) and almost saddle like at Parker is quite broken terrain below and would have major turbulence. Its not a smooth and consistant landscape like Parker at all and the wind you need from behind would be broken from lots of manzanita bushes. I would imagine any heavy wind condition that would work would be working much better at Parker or Vincent than at Kagel if Kagel even worked. Also model retrieve on the front face would not be fun. Almost as bad as whitaker peak.. Figured I could give refferences to other local slope sites to give you an idea of what the terrain is like...
On another note, why not try HG. I use to stand on the ridge and watch my models fly back and forth and now I get to jump off with a wing..
Take Care,
Marc
