Hi guysI’m a new member from Kerry, thought I’d just introduce myself!I'm a relative newbie to RC.  I did some free-flight and control line stunt models as a kid, I only got back into modeling at the age of 50, through an impulse buy of the DeAgostini Spitfire part magazine! That model clearly is not for learners, so I started exploring what else is out there.  I find that I am leaning more and more towards gliders, although I have a weakness for jet-type models as well.  I use Reflex XTR sim, and I find that more and more I tend to only do the slope flying on that, the rest doesn't hold my interest very long!  That, plus the discovery of some really great slopes around here points towards a definite trend! 

 

My other sport is windsurfing/wavesailing, so there is a commonality there in the concept of harnessing natural energy. I've now realised that my ambition and building skills have gone way past my flying skills, and so I am hanging up a number of my "crunchier" models for now, to go back a bit and concentrate on EPP foam for a while! 

Things aeromodelling here in Kerry are pretty lonesome, but I have been lucky recently to meet up with Brian Coombs who is a slope man (I think he has also just joined ISR).  He’s going to be building a house in Tousist (near Kenmare) shortly, as well as a new moulded glass ship! 

I have already built a house in Ballymacelligott, where I stay with my wife and 3 cats, no kids.  We are of the “new Irish”, being economic migrants from South Africa, and have lived here for 5½ years.  I’m a Town Planner with Kerry County Council.  (Don’t ask me about planning in Ireland!!).

I have discovered a few great sloping sites in Kerry already.  There are coastal dunes and cliffs that point in just about all the directions, plus a few good inland slopes.  Mweelin near Kilgarvan is the most spectacular, it’s a huge bowl and very high, I think it’s known by guys in Cork, it’s also mentioned on the Irish Mountains RC Slope Soaring & PSS Resource website.A couple of local slopes I have discovered are: Rosscurrow near Currow, which faces the SW wind, with a small curve in the cliff to help funnel the updraft.  I already have the landowners’ permission to fly here, there is an excellent road to the top, parking, and a landing zone pasture as flat as a table-top:

 

 

Rossbehy hill is above Rossbeigh beach (close to Glenbeigh, on the Ring of Kerry road).  This slope faces the sea, and works very well in a north-westerly.  There is a gravel track to the very top, the gate is usually open, not sure who owns it.  The drop-off to the right of the picture is really steep!:

 

 

Today I got permission from another landowner to use a small headland that is only 2.5 km from my house in Ballymacelligott. It’s also got a perfect shape and a flat field LZ, and works in both SW and S winds due to the shape of the valley!  I’m obviously really excited about this one, pics will follow!

If anyone’s interested, here’s my current fleet:
 
•    Logo 10 heli (30-size electric).  Awaiting a fairly long list of replacement parts!
•    Spitfire (90% finished, going to fit retracts + electric power, so no hurry there)
•    Scorpio Magic 2.9m span semi-scale glider, electric powered, glass fuse and built-up wings.  Has had one re-build, now pristine and ready to go, but hanging in the hangar for a bit!
•    FX-27. Russian all glass one-piece stand-off jet, electric front-mounted prop, 1.1m span.  Way, way too fast for me, gets out of sight too soon, but would be an excellent PSS sloper one day.  Currently a few inches too short in the nose area!
•    F-16 DepronJet electric pusher prop jet, 1,5m long!  Huge but very light (mostly Depron construction), so can slow right down. Not a sloper!!  Finished and ready except for painting.
•    Windrider EasyPro 1.5m sloper EPP.  This is my new slope trainer! At EUR 50 landed, it can be replaced fairly painlessly!  Just waiting for the right wind to maiden her (it’s been way too strong lately).
•    Robbe ARCUS 1.8m foam electric glider.  This is still to be assembled, replaces the very similar and well-known MPX EasyGlider that was my trainer, I just prefer the subtly different shape of the wings and fuse of the ARCUS.  All the bits from the EasyGlider will just slot in.  This will serve as my back-to-basics general hack, plus light wind slope trainer.  Surprised to see the box includes a complete bungee launch system, which will be great for practicing with the EasyPro!
 
Boxes in the attic:
 
•    Low-wing conventional aerobatic trainer, bought to teach myself how to take-off and land on wheels (only the Spit above has an U/C), with an eye to flying the Spit one day!  Will also be electric, I think the beaches at low tide are the only place I can use this here.

•    2SG ASW 28 3.4m span glider with flaps and airbrakes.  Not yet, but one day - Whoo hoo!!!
 
Ambitions:  Even larger scale gliders, all-moulded slopers, and a JART!! (have you heard of Jarts, Jartiness, The World According To Jart?).  I’m also thinking that the next plane might be a Thorn, a tough all wood (!) sloper  (see http://www.planeinsanemodels.com/prototype.htm) for heavy wind conditions - which can be quite common here.

Well that’s my story, I’m looking forward to meeting other like-minded folks at the various events planned for this year!

Cheers

Chris