!Introduction

| spec2
| @917948
|> <b>Wingspan:</b> |< 59.75"
|> <b>Wing Area:</b> |< 340 sq. in.
|> <b>Weight:</b> |< 12-14 oz. 15.8 as tested
|> <b>Length:</b> |< 39.5"
|> <b>Wing Loading:</b> |< 5.1 - 5.9 oz/sq. ft. 6.4 as tested
|> <b>Servos:</b> |< 4 HS-55
|> <b>Transmitter:</b> |< JR-8103
|> <b>Receiver:</b> |< Sombra 7 channel
|> <b>Battery:</b> |< 4cell aaa 850 NIMH
|> <b>Manufacturer:</b> |< <a href=http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/gpma1070.html>Great Planes</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href="http://www.towerhobbies.com">Tower Hobbies</a> & local Hobby Shops

The Fling DL is a beginner's DLG. This plane will appeal to a modeler looking for a high end model but not wanting to invest a lot of money while discovering if this nitch of the hobby is for them. Anyone with minor building skills can assemble the Fling DL and have it flying in a very short time. The Fling DL will definitely get more people involved in DLG sailplanes.

Some will say that DLG is the purest form of R/C Soaring. Pilot, Plane and Mother nature. I think everyone who has flown Javalin style Handlaunch has suffered from the muscle fatigue and even pain associated with an afternoon of flying. DLG flying is much better on the body. Form is more important than strength. My young son at the age of 14 can launch within 25 feet of me. His form is very good (be sure to watch the video!) and he has a long way to develop this DLG throwing skills.

For those who are new to gliders, basically, a DLG pilot holds the aircraft by a peg in the wing tip, and spins in a circle, like they're about to launch a shot or discus, then release the model at the end of the sweep, as shown in the photo below the kit contents section of this article.

If you want to try DLG, the Fling DL is the ARF to try!

!Kit Contents
@917949: The contents of the entire kit.

*Kit includes:
*Fiberglass fuselage pod with canopy
*Wood sheeted wing with throwing peg & tail
*All needed hardware
*Even steel shot to balance(!) (<i>Luckily, I didn't need to use it.</i>)

*Kit requires:
*4+ -channel radio
*Y-harness or radio with flaperon programming
*micro receiver
*4 micro servos
*micro battery pack
*assorted assembly materials

@917950:The included instructions are very complete and detailed, typical Great Planes, but with even more to offer the new DLG pilot...with a photo series and video clip (web link) to help learn the fine art of discus launching, plus 2 more pages on gliding and thermalling in general. (<i>Image courtesy of Great Planes website.</i>)

!Assembly
!!Wing

@917951: The wing assembly was very simple...I removed all the covering from the root ribs, and joined the spar boxes and the ribs with epoxy. I made sure it was in the correct position, to provide a positive dihedral.
@917952:After applying epoxy, I placed the wing on the floor and propped the wing tips up as detailed in the manual. I added tape to keep the wings tight together and let it dry.

<div class=dashed><br><br><center>
!Wing Servo Installation Safety Note!
@917953:The string to pull the servo leads through the wing was already in the wing. I did add masking tape to the servo well and used thick CA to attach the servo to the wing, so that if the servo had to be removed it would not tear the balsa skin and weaken the wing.
<b>A word of caution!</b> The manufacturer cautions to be sure to use thick CA or epoxy to glue the servos in place. Thin CA may penetrate the case and glue the gear set!<br><br></center> </div>

!!Fuselage and Tail

@917954: The tail boom was already attached to the fuse pod, so that alignment was already done. I installed the vertical stab and used thin CA to tack it into place.

!!Changing from Pull-Pull to A Pushrod
I decided I would not use the pull pull method that was suggested in the instruction book. I concluded that this change would eliminate the constant need to tighten the strings that occurs with most, especially inexpensive kits, pull-pull set-ups. I had purchased .070 carbon rod from a kite shop. This rod was a perfect fit for the pushrod tubes that were in the fuse. This was a very light and durable method to attach control rods. This method also insured a slop free control linkage. This was important during a full force DLG launch. I added a drop of CA to the control horn where the z bend went through, it acted as a bearing and made it a tight fit.

<i>Editor's Note: Great Planes indicates that they understand the concern about stretching pull-pull strings, and that they did a lot of research and were very pleased with the lack of stretch issues with the line used in the Fling DL. They recommend ARF purchasers try the stock setup before choosing to change it.</i>

@917955: I used a paper clip and made a z bend in it. It was about 1/2 inch in length. I took a piece of heat shrink about 1/2" in length and slid it over the carbon rod and the z bent paper clip.
@917956: I used a soldering iron on the heat shrink to get the paper clip and carbon rod as tight as possible. I put a drop of thin CA on both ends of the shrink.

<b> NOTE: When heating the heat shrink, be sure to use caution if using flame, the carbon rod may bend if it gets too hot. </B>

@917957: The finished control rod end installed.

!!Radio Installation...simplicity!

@917958: The fuse already had the cut out and servo mounts glued into the fuse. I was careful not to force the screws into the wood. I found that if I drilled the hole small, that the wood would not splinter and break.
@917959: I added tape to the bottom of the servo well before installing the servo itself.
@917960: Before mounting the aileron servos, I hooked them up to the receiver to made sure they were centered. I disconnected the servos from the receiver and then turned off the transmitter. I made sure to do it this way so they would remain in the center position. (Turning off the transmitter first would have allowed them to drift slightly off center.)
@917961: Next I installed the servo horns and then glued them in. Its not as important to do this with the elevator and rudder because they are accessible.
@917962:The aileron controls were done the same way as the rudder and elevator were done. It was a light setup.
@917963: All covered and taped into place.
@917964: The servo covers bulged up a little, but not much.

!!Completion

@917965: After the servos were installed, I attached the wing and got ready to add my battery and receiver.
@917966: I chose to build my own battery from 4 aaa 850 NIMH cells. Why? <br>1) There was a lot of room in the fuse for a big battery. <br>2) I wanted to avoid using the included lead shot. <br>With the combination of Battery and Sombra receiver the balance came exactly where I wanted it, without using ANY lead.
@917967: The very last thing I installed was the throwing peg. The instructions wanted it epoxied in, but I used thin CA and it's been going strong. There were locations on both sides so it would accommodate left and right handed throwers.
@917968: Ready for decals
@917969: Orange was a good choice
@917970: On the scale ready to fly


!Flying

!!Launches
The first few flights were simple hand tosses. These were done just to check the trims. I was pleased that I only had to add a small amount of up elevator to get it to fly in a flat glide. I then started with some hard overhand tosses and then worked up to a full fledged DLG launch. I was a little concerned that the tail movement appeared short on this model. I was surprised that, when launched, it tracked straight up. It launched beautifully! Once I gained some flight time with it, I now complete full force launches. I was worried about the wing at first, but it seems to be handling the stress of the launch with no problems.

!!Landings
The first flight was uneventful, at least until I set up for landing. I had 15% down elevator programmed into the flap-elevator compensation. This was way way too much. Lets just say thankfully there was high grass. I am now flying it without any compensation.

!!General Flight Notes
The tail was surprisingly sensitive to rudder and elevator. I contribute this to the short tail movement. I thought it might have been hard to turn with such small movable surfaces, but rudder turns were no problem. The Fling DL was faster than most of the DLG models I have flown, but it was heavier than them too.

I was able to thermal it for a few 2+ minute flights. The ailerons were not over-sensitive, but did roll it with authority. The flaps, on the other hand, were not very effective. They were not very wide so they had a small effect on landing.

!!Is This For a Beginner?

If a beginner glider pilot has ever wanted a XP-4, a Taboo or Encore, even a Raptr, then the Fling DL is going to make them buy one. Its was a very good model to teach DLG. A beginner would have an absolute ball with it. Fun Fun Fun is the best description for it! For anyone stuck teetering on the top of the Sailplane fence, this DLG will help finalize the decision.

!!Flight Video/Photo Gallery
@917971: Bret just before dark. There was no lift, no wind, just having some fun.
@917948: This will give you a good look at the wing span of the Fling DL.

+917972:Both our DLG pilots discus launch the Fling DL, and enjoy her in flight!

!Conclusion

The Great Planes Fling DL is a great value. Beginners will love it. If you're thinking about sailplanes, or already flying but considering DLG's, you will be surprised by the fun that is packed into this inexpensive airplane!

*Hits:
*Price around $100.00
*Ease of building/Fast assembly
*Extremely well packed

*Misses:
*Pull-Pull controls
*A little heavy
*Small flap surfaces (other surfaces seemed small but were actually surprisingly effective.)

Boy talk about timing. My wife bought me a Fling DLG for X-mas, I had read lots of threads on here and figured it would be a good intro plane to DLG, and in the current issue of Quiet Flyer there is a review of this plane. Now I sign on here today and I see this review. Both reviews seem to praise the Fling for what it is, a intro to DLG. I am glad to read some more info on this plane. It leads me to belive it should get me going into the world of DLG...


Thanks for the great review..
Chris

The picture looks like the same plane but the description sounds like a completely different craft then the one I bought, built and crashed.

First out of the box: the covering on the wing was loose and > 50% not adhered to the balsa sheeting below. All hinges and gaps stuck together with CA to point they were difficult to losen up enough for the recommended servos. Stabilizer saddle was not square on, so until removed and reglued, stabilizer-elevator not square to the boom

Second: True, I hadn't built a plane in 16 years (2 gentle ladies + countless stick and tissue ruber powered planes) but estimate of build time of 3 hours is not realistic.

Pull-pull control wires went slack overnight before first flight. Knots had not come loose. There is no provision for adjustment other than trim on Tx. Dubro mini pull-pull adapters are worth the weight penalty.

Wing joiner is weak and not easily replacable when broken. There is no call for reinforcement of wing joint in instructions. Hit wingtip on ground at almost stall speed and only 2 feet off ground when landing. Twice now. (It has been awhile without stick time!)

Elevator area is too small to have much athority at near stall speeds.

Definitely not a beginners plane.

My ALULA...Now that deserves respect. What an easy to build and fly craft!

Originally Posted by Scoobyvroom

Boy talk about timing. My wife bought me a Fling DLG for X-mas, I had read lots of threads on here and figured it would be a good intro plane to DLG, and in the current issue of Quiet Flyer there is a review of this plane. Now I sign on here today and I see this review. Both reviews seem to praise the Fling for what it is, a intro to DLG. I am glad to read some more info on this plane. It leads me to belive it should get me going into the world of DLG...


Thanks for the great review..
Chris

Never believe a review in a magazine like Quiet Flyer. In order to get Great Plane's advertisements in the magazine, all reviews of a GP product must be slanted positive. This is true of all commercial mags and of all manufacturers. When you read such a review you have to read between the lines to figure out the problems with the plane. It's also not so much what the review says but what it doesn't say.
For instance, most dlg's weigh from 9 to 12 ounces. The reviews mention that the Fling DL weighs 15+ ounces.

A while back there was a positive review of the Bird of Time ARF. In the review the author mentioned that he highstarted the glider for the test flights. There was no mention of winching the glider. By the time the review appeared in the magazine, there had already been a number of wing failures during winch launches. These were openly discussed in the RC Forums so most ezoners who saw the review, new it was bogus.

John

I have also read a few threads here on E-zone, and for 100 bucks for just the airframe thats not too bad of a deal. I had looked at other planes like the MM and also the Edge RC, but both were pretty spendy and the MM one you have to cover and poly the wings. Thats a bit more work than I'd like to do. For a 100 bucks just to try it out I still feel you can't beat it..

Chris

P.s. Even if I use this plane just to get the hang of it and them move up to something more like a Spinner or similar its still hard to beat.

Hi Guys

I have been out tossing this around for quite a while now. Its still going strong. My son also has been flying it alot.

The time it took me to assemble this plane was just a little over 3 hours. I used CA on most of it. I did warm the epoxy to get it into the spar boxes. It oooozed out when I pushed it together. I have had no issues so far with wing failure. This was a brand new bottle of epoxy. So to assemble the plane in 3 hours is realistic.........

As for the Pull Pull I knew from the get go it would come loose. This is why I took the avenue I did. Works good and doesnt come loose. I weighed it and you can see in the pic what the final weight is. 15.8 oz.

The tail surfaces are small. I mentioned this. The tail moment is short also. This should be flown somwhat faster and above stall speed to be effective. It weighs more. Most tails are not as effective "at near stall speed" anyhow.

A beginner will only like it long enough to buy a High end DLG. This is its intended purpose.

Jeff

Actually, I've found the review and the discussion to be very helpful. It sounds like this is a serviceable entry-level DLG at a reasonably good price. Sounds like there's also lot-to-lot variability in the quality of the kit but that's not surprising - especially for this price. The reason for posting is I have a 'student' that's been e-flying and wants to try DLG (my favorite activity) and this looked to be a reasonable way for him to give it a try without spending a lot of money. Since I build and fly a lot of DLG, there are a few things that I'm curious about that might help improve things a bit. So a few questions:

Any idea about the weight of the tail feathers? Those can come in at ~11 - 12 grams. If they're a lot heavier than that, the overall weight goes up due to added nose weight, etc. It's pretty easy to mold up a new set of tails and that might help.

Flaperon cutouts on an XP4 (for instance) are around 20% of the chord. Are these significantly less than that? Is the weak flap response likely due to small flaps, high weight or limited flap throw (~ 30 degrees or so is about right)?

If the replacement pushrods are 0.070" OD, that may be adding weight, Would it be easy to pull out the existing pushrod jackets and replace them with something small so one could drop down to 0.018" or so stainless wire?

Finally, looks like the dihedral angle is a bit low. Good results are usually obtained with ~ 6" elevation when blocking up the wing for joining. Would that be possible with a little sanding of the root and possibly replacing the joiner?

I'd like to see this plane come in about 13oz or less. WOuld that be possible or is the total airframe just to heavy to make a target like that?

Thanks for any feedback. If we go this route, I'll be sure and post any changes we might make.

- Dave R

Hi Dave

You are correct. The diheadral is very minimal. The wing joiner does not allow any more than what you see in the pics. You would have to make a new one.

The tail surfaces are on the heavy side. New ones could benefit this sailplane. As for the flaps. On landing they are pretty much ineffective. They are to small. They would need to be wider. This in my opinion would be out of the begginners capibilities. It would take some time consumming surgery. Really not worth the effort.

As for the push rods. I had the 070 rods and thats why they were used. These are very light to begin with. I dont think this added considerble weight to the tail. Its a simple setup and only took minutes to cut and attach the ends. There is no flexing in the rod but there is a long area without support. another reason for using 070 rod.

If you were looking at better performance then consider buying a high end DLG. This was geared for someone with minor building skills. From the sounds of it this is not the one for you.

Jeff

Jeff,

Thank you for your reply. Just to clarify, the Fling DL sounds like it is just about right for the guy I have in mind. He's interested in DLG but not sure that's where he wants to go. He can fly intro-electrics well but wants something to either discus launch or 'mini-start' in a field very near to his house (he's flown my DLG planes). Cost is an issue in that the high end planes would be a lot of $$$ to just sit on the bench after a few weeks if it doesn't work out.

I fly XP4s and build a lot of my own stuff so the mods proposed are very easy for me to do with him. Making a new joiner and tail group would be the work of a few hours and can be done with scrap materials in the shop. Changing out to the carbon rods sounds like the better option. Any weight savings in changing to smaller jackets and wire sounds like it wouldn't be worth the effort.

If we go this route, we'll post back the results. Not looking for a world beater. Just something for him to have fun in a local field, learn DLG techniques and maybe lead down the path to an XP or Taboo some day. Sounds like that's the way you saw it in the original review. The videos were particularly helpful in seeing how this plane performs (good launch form, by the way).

Thank you very much,

- Dave R

Glad to help Dave. A small hook on the bottom of the fuse would need a plywood anchor. The fuse is light so just be carful.

By the way I lived in Jenks back in 82-83 when I went to Spartan. If I remeber right there are not alot of slopes 8-)

Good luck with your friend.

Jeff

I was also a bit dissapointed at thier covering job. But I got it last winter so maybe the cold had something to do with it not adhering perfectly. But I just took my iron out and stuck it back on. No problem at all. This was my first DLG and I learned perfectly well on it! I want to get another as soon as my wallet is big enough.

Where is everyones CG on this model??
Chris

I purchased this plane and read the review. I bought it just to see what I thought about dlg. I was also disappointed in the control system thread. It is very difficult to tie the knots without getting any slack in the lines. I tried it first, but couldn't get enough tension in the lines to get enough down throws. I found out you need some down to pull out of the climb on the launch, so I tried the .070 carbon fiber rod, and it was too big. I tried .060 and it would fit, but was pretty tight. My LHS didn't have anything smaller that was long enough, so I went back to the thread. I wound up getting some upholstery thread at a fabric shop that was pretty stout for $2.00. I have flown it again, and it is much better. I think you get better with adjusting the thread lengths with experience. I made the local paper today (picture) flying at lunch with the plane.
Scoob
I used the cg from the kit instructions, I don't remember what they said, but I think it is a little nose heavy, but not bad. I think was I get comfortable with the plane, I will take some nose weight out.

Thanks, a flying buddy of mine said that is looked like it was rotating too much on launch and needed more tail weight.. Basicly move the CG back a bit.. Have to try that and fly it agian...


Chris

I own a Fling and I like it a lot !, found it to be a good quality ARF, I too opted for solid push rods, I sourced out some s/steel rod that suited the installed pushrod sheathing (to stop histeresis) this also matched the hole diameter in the control horns, I now have a DLG with absolutely no end play or slop in the control surfaces or linkages. I would like to add another suggestion as a safe gaurd for the boom, go to a flyfishing shop and buy some Kevlar thread, it comes on a small plastic spool and is pretty cheap, run some bindings around the tail boom beside the pushrod exits and also in front of the tail fin cut out, then epoxy over, I notice some of the comp. flyers in the USA are doing this to their expensive DLG's, trust me when I say FRP and especially carbon will split and run at these points when overtaxed during high loadings. Wouldn't hurt to glass the wing join as well, I've done mine as I plan to slope soar mine as well, youre right about the weight factor but maybe this is deliberate so as to add a lot more durability to the model.
Love the plane, don't care what anyone else says !
Regards, Jeff.