Home  Site map  Search

Ways of launching RC gliders

Launching rc gliders that are of the non-powered variety can be done in a few different ways, all of which are fairly simple.


This page will give you a brief insight into how it's done, by giving a quick account of the main methods of rc glider launch.
Most of the methods can be done alone, but two of them require help from a fellow flyer.
The methods are:



Hand launching

To do a decent hand launch, you need to be standing on high ground with a steep drop in front of you ie either a cliff top or hillside.

For a first-time flight, I would recommend a hillside more than a cliff top; if there is something amiss with the model that you haven't noticed and you throw it off a cliff, you may just never see it again!

You need to point the model into wind, (which by the way needs to be blowing up the slope towards you) when you launch, so that the glider will catch the wind and stay aloft.

Me hand launching my gliderWhen hand launching your glider, it's very important to give it a firm push, from just above head-height. This is just to get the glider moving at a reasonable speed as it leaves your hand, so it won't stall and fall out of the sky. The animation to the right shows a good, definite launch.

Another important point to note is that you should make sure that the glider is horizontal as you let go. If you launch the glider with its nose pointing upwards there's a very good chance that it may stall and crash if the launch speed isn't fast enough.

Once the glider is airborne, get your launching hand back with the other one onto the tx sticks right away - your flight has begun!



Discus launching

Discus Launched Gliders (DLGs) are a fairly new breed of rc glider, designed with a particular launch method in mind.

One wingtip is held by the pilot, who then spins around 360 degrees before flinging the glider upwards - in the same way a discus is thrown in the athletic field event.
The force produced by the pre-launch spin is enough to launch the glider to a surprising height, and the design characteristics of DLGs are such that the aircraft naturally goes into a steep climb immediately after launch.

The good thing with this form of glider launching is that you don't have to be strong, because the power comes from the technique.

Discus launching

Discus launching a DLG



Bungee launching

Bungee launching rc gliders is completely different, and can either be done on a gentle hillside or level ground.

The bungee system is a long length of elastic extended further by a long length of cord (anything up to 10x the length of elastic) which is pegged into the ground at one end and attached to a hook on the bottom of the glider at the other end. A small parachute is attached to the glider end of the bungee.

To launch, the pilot walks backwards with the glider in one hand at face level and the transmitter in the other, so stretching the bungee. When a suitable stretch has been reached, the glider is released and the bungee then pulls the glider up to a good height.

With a small pull back on the elevator stick at the top of its climb, the glider releases itself from the bungee and your flight commences.
The bungee then falls back to earth, slowed by the parachute.

Flight times from a bungee launch may not be as long if flying from level ground; if the wind is not strong and consistent the glider will naturally not stay up as long.
For long duration flying of rc gliders, a steep hillside or cliff top with a steady wind is always preferable.


Bungee launching a glider

The principle of a bungee launch




Towline / aerotow

Towline launching requires either two people or a winch of some kind.
RC gliders that are launched this way are pulled up to a suitable launch height either by someone running along the ground towing the glider behind them on a long length of cord, rather like a kite, or the glider is pulled up on the cord by a winch.
The principle is the same as for a bungee launch, so flight times may be quite limited.

An aerotow follows the same principle again but the glider is towed up behind a powered rc airplane, on a long length of cord.
When a suitable altitude is reached, the cord is released from the nose of the glider and the flight begins.


Piggyback launch

Just like the Space Shuttle started off in its early days, rc gliders can also be launched from the back of a second radio control airplane.
This takes a larger sized model to do the job and an experienced pilot to do the launch flight.
Because of these requirements, launching an rc glider in this way is really only limited to operations within a model flying club, and it's not a hugely popular way of doing it, other than a great novelty factor!


Related pages

Slope flying - tips for getting the most out of the slope.

RC gliders - an overview of gliders and powered gliders.

Dynamic Soaring - adrenalin packed slope action.