here comes a time when you've tak- Jen your base 2-meter sailplane about-as far as it will go. Maybe you want to try the features available in advanced radios. Maybe you want to fly a more capable and versatile sailplane but maybe you're not ready to spend $300 on it. ‘The Spirit 100 made by Great Planes Model ‘Manufacturing Company (PO Box 9021, ‘Champaign, IL 61826-9021; phone 217-898. £6300) lets you far exceed the limitations of typical standard class built-up sailplanes, ‘and it does this at a relatively low cost. ‘This kit provides parts and instructions to construct your choice of polyhedral or ailerons for roll contra, and to select spoil- cers or flaps for glide path control. Two sets of wing ribs are provided: Selig 3010 ribs for higher lift, and Selig-Donovan 7037 ribs for higher speed, You can get by with a simple radio or make good use of a full-blown computer radio. In addition to personal taste and experience, finances may enter the picture, as the poly version needs only two or three servos for rudder, elevator and optional spoilers, while the aileron version with flaps takes five servos, two standard size in the fuselage and three small servos inside the wing. The aileron/Map version can take full advantage of modern computer radio toch- nology, including aileron'rudder mixing, flaplelevator mixing, full span camber con- trol, and erow landing options, The Spirit 100 gives you options. like simple radios so rudder and elevator ships have served me well over the last three contest seasons. For this project I built a polyhedral wing with flaps—not one of the suggested options, but one that works for me, as this was my third sailplane with that configuration. I modified a standard size ervo to fit in the wing, and now I have a sailplane that’s competitive in club contests with the simplest of four channel radios. Kit contents "The kit includes all the balsa, light poplar plywood, birch plywood, and much of the hardware needed to build wing version. A tow hook, stickers, a clear canopy and mold- cd pilot are included, while the builder pro- vides his choice of pushrods and hinges. Careful wood selection, quality machine cut- ting, and good die-cutting make high grade parts. The pre-cut shear webs really fit well as do the ribs and die-cut ply parts. ‘The fall size, rolled plans are particularly clear, comprehensive, and informative. The exhaustive 54-page’ instruction manual takes the builder through the construction process with 190 photogrephs and 20 dia- grams. It includes information on trim An FM Product Re: wi: Great Planes’ Spi By David Garwood rit 100 Got two meter burnout? The author reports that this new 100-inch plane may light your fire again. For standard 4-channel or computer radios. Lots of good, high-gradiebalsa and ply lumberin the Spirtkit (above left, plus basic hardware plans, anc extensive construction mana While the fn, rudder, and horizontal stabilzer are buil-up structures (above right), te elevator is @ sold balsa sheet. As seen, the plans are clear and well detailed [APRIL 1994flights, slope soaring, and thermal soaring. Great Planes has done en excellent job on the plans and the manual, making this mod- ela practical project for the less experienced builder as well as old pros, Construction With high grade parts, clear plans and outstanding instructions, Spiri¢ 100 con- struction goes quickly and easily. The model is built entirely of balsa and plywood using traditional techniques with thin, medium and thick CyA adhesive and epoxy. I used Jet CA glue and Jet epexy. (Carl Goldberg, ‘Models 4734 W. Chicago Ave., Chieago, IL £60651; phone 812-626-9950) ‘The fin, rudder, and stabilizer are built up from sticks and die-cut parts. Tapered balsa is provided for the elevater. The fuselage is a long box built up from interlocking balsa sides and doublers with light ply formers, and birch ply blocks to receive the wing rots Bee Fitted in the wing, a single servo operates the flaps (above left). A standard servo like the Airtronics 94162 needs a litle case modification i the frm of FLYING MODELS ‘mounting bolts. Compared to other similar sailplanes, this fuselage builds easy, straight and strong, especially with the gauges and clamps provided ‘The wings are built-up from belsa ribs with basswood spars and shear weks. Balsa sheeting covers the top leading edge of the inner panels (for strength and stiffness), but not on the outer panels (to lighten the tips for quicker turning). The wing leading edge stock comes shaped, but the four pieces are connected and require some pre- cise knife work to separate. Great Planes covers this in the manual, but they've done {95% ofthe milling work here, why not finish the job? One building tip is in order: the wing ‘mounting bolts are located close enough to the fuselage sides to interfere with the con- trol pushrods if you're not extremely care- ful. I suggest locating the bolt holes "or ie inch closer to the fuselage center line to give an extra margin, ‘Wing and empennage were covered with Coverite 21st Century film (420 Babylon Road, Horsham PA 19044; phone 215-672- 6720) and the fuselage was painted with spray-can enamel. Striping is Tim Tape (Pactra Hobby, 1000 Lake Road, Medina, (OH 44256; phone 216-349-4241), Strengthening the wing During the last year, reports of Spirit 100 wings breaking on hard launches appeared in the model press and in discussions on CompuServe. I contacted Paul Carlson, the model's designer, who acknowledged there hhad been wing failures in cases of “gorilla” winch launches. Paul suggested thet to pre- pare the Spirit 100 for extreme stress launches: 1. add carbon fiber to tre main spar; 2. add it to the sub trailing edge; 3. replace the balsa shear webs with unequal length Ye-inch plywood braces near the ‘wing root; and 4. enlarge the rear wing hold down plates. Paul sent me a drawing and I made these modifications to my model. ‘The factory now includes this infermation in a “Performance Addendum” sheet packed in Spirit 100 kits, or available for the ask- ing. The kit builder can chose to make the modifications or not, depending on how he expects to use the airplane, Bravo Great Planes! Even with the wing strengthening modifi- cations there's nothing complicated about building the model, but I wouldn't classify it as a beginner's kit. The process is earefully explained in the manual, and seems to me well within the capabilities of the average modeler. Construction and covering took me 55 hours over 12 evening and weekend ses- sions in less than two weeks. Radio installation and balance ‘Modern standard size radio receivers and servos fit easily in the Spirit 100 fuselage, but small servos are called for in the wings T used an Airtronies 92765 receiver with three 94102 servos, one modified to fit inside the wing by removing three of the four mounting ears. (Airtronies, Ine., 11 Autry, Invine, CA 92718; phone 714-830-8769), The elevator and rudder servos are attached to servo rails with serews, and the flaps servo is mounted to a plywood hatch with double stick servo mount tape. “My Spirit took 8.5 ounces of nose weight to balance at the point recommended on the plans. The flying weight for my flapped poly- hedral version is 59.5 ounces, yielding a wing loading of 9.06 ounces per square foot of wing area, Flying the Spirit 100: both versions On the first hand toss trim flight the Spirit 100 gave a long, smooth, stable, docile, flat glide twice the length of a soccer field. Its high-start and winch towing man- ners are impeccable. The Spirit 100 tows up straight and sure, and with flaps deployed 30 degrees, climbs as steeply as any stan- dard class glider I've seen launched. After more than 200 flights I find the Spirit 100’s Night is smooth, predictable, and efficient. Thermal turns are solid and tight with no sign of tip stall. Tt has a eub- stantial speed range, greatly enhanced with use of the optional flaps—up 3 degrees for speed, down 5 degrees for high lift, and down 90 degrees for a slow and steep land- ing approach. The model maintains exeel- lent directional control with flaps deployed. I campaigmed the Spirit 100 on the 1992 New England club contest circuit, and com: peted at the AMA Nationals in Massachu- setts. The Spirit 100 design is well suited to the task, and with it I was able to capture a third place trophy at the Wintonbury Flying Club's Fall Sailplane Challenge in Sims- bury, Connecticut. Flying buddy and master model builder ‘some mounting ug removal to fifo the Selig 2010 aol. Al the major sub- ‘assembles ated, Ue Sis vey for isa assembly (above right)Great Planes’ Spirit 100 ading edge sheeting on he inner panels keeps the wing strong, while open bays onthe outer panels keop them light. Mike Tadman gave me some time on his aileron/Map version Spirit 100. His five ser- vo sailplane weighs 72 ounces for a wing loading of 10.96 ounces per square foot. This version has two additional servos behind the center of gravity, and thus needed more com- pensating nose weight. In Mike's model the -st two nose compartments are completely [A mixed finish for Oave's Spit (above lft) consisted of painted fuselage, lled with weight, and the radio receiver is itted in the compartment under the wing. This model was also covered with Coverite st Century film. y We used the Northeast Sailplane Produ (16 Kirby Lane, Williston, VT 0: (82) large size Pinnacle ceanopyinateh removed (abo 21st Century film, and wing lettering from AMP Graphics. With the launched into a showed no wing strength problems. ‘The aileron version Sp quicker and thy Fight, yc and nose 2 100-inch sailplane into the sky, and Mike's Spirit 100 (bui instructions, no ccording to original kit mmpetition modifications) ‘mph. wind and it 100 rolls much sr than the poly. ill perform a 1 See thal there's ample space for igh. Ballast box is under the wing, APRIL. 1994pretty clean axial rol, while the poly version ‘won't. The aileron version flies faster due to its thinner wing, greater weight, and higher ‘wing loading. Both versions fly very well; take your pick based on personal prefer- ‘Summary ‘The Spirit 100’ strong points are: the kit is versatile in design. Itean be built cheap or ‘expensive: a two channel polyhedral version ‘or a five servo aileron version. The parts and wood supply are plentiful, so you won't have to buy additional materials to build these options ‘The airplane is versatile in flight. The flaps give ita wide speed range and the bal last box makes it convenient to add ballast to increase the wing loading to fly in higher winds, ‘The Spirit 100 fies great. It’s gentle and forgiving, yet provides a moderate speed range and effective glide path cortrol that experienced fliers want. Yes, I know there are those that say open-bay construction can't deliver a consistent airfoil, but hey, it wworks—and it works very well on this ai plane. Great Planes has given us the rib shapes, the dimensions and the angles to build an airplane that flies like a great plane should Compete with « balsa wing polyhedral ship? Sure, why not. They've been winning club contests, Nats, and BARCS events for decades, In 1990, Paul Carlson took first place at the Nats with the origiral Spirit 2-meter. Serious competitors may want to strengthen the wing as suggested in the “Performance Addendum” available from Great Planes. While these modifications require additional materials not provided in the kit, a design update sheet shows the manufacturer cares about his kits after the sale, If I built the Spirit 100 again Ya make ‘three changes, ‘ Substitute pine for the balsa nose block provided in the kit to add weight and tough: ness up front. T drill out the nose block to accept BBs or fishing sinkers to reduce the nose weight needed in the battery compart- ‘ment. ‘Substitute a commercial wing rod for the laminated component in the kit, perhaps a K&S #452 Wing Rod Kit (K&S Engineering, 6917 W. 59th St, Chicago IL 60638; 312-586- 8503) This would save about three hours building and fitting time in the wing joiner and joiner boxes, and would make it easier to find a replacement rod if needed. ‘© Make the flap linkage easier to set. up and take down in the field by using quick release hardware like the DuBro 180 Bolt- on Ball Link and the Sullivan 560 Ball Co nector with Locking Sleeve. Conclusion ‘The Spirit 100 is one of the good ones. It builds easy, flies great, and gives real value. For a modest investment you'll get a great fying sport model and a worthy contest ship. The kits remarkable versatility makes it suitable for four channel dichards, as well fas those working with advanced computer radios. The Spirit 100’ excellent fying abil- ity makes the kit well worth its cost in mo ey and building time. es FLYING MODELS oor LIwtdS > 2 5 2 $ = $ & es ‘Two friends, two Spirits. Author and Mike Tadman (8, above) comnpare notes about hae respective versions. ‘The author's Spint (below) responds well to the extrz measur of contol afore by its Hlaps.