Speedfreeks is a group of committed Dynamic Soaring (DS) enthusiasts that have just one goal in mind............. to be competitive in the World of DS with both EPP and composite planes. 

The Foamie World Record currently stands at about 205mph (329 kph) which was recorded by Nick Strong at Weldon in the US with a 60" JW.

The outright World DS Record currently stands at 357mph (575 kph) and was obtained with a 100" Kinetic designed, built and flown by Spencer Lisenby also at Weldon, California.

Armed with a speed gun, video cam, an arsenal of arguably the world's best DS planes, and an insane desire to push planes beyond their limits, Speedfreeks intends to lead the charge into this exciting new sport in Australia.

In doing this, Speedfreeks will incorporate performance reviews and articles on different planes, together with suggested enhancements/modifications for increased performance.

What is Dynamic Soaring?

The following was written by Andy Ellison (http://www.tmfc.org.uk/).

So I turned to the Dark Side No, not a reference to Star Wars but to the phenomenon of Dynamic Soaring or DS as it is better known. Not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination, DS has long been associated with Albatross flight. They and other seabirds, as masters of the air , extract energy from the wind gradient by alternating climbing and diving, upwind and downwind flight between air moving at differing velocities over the sea. The concept is really quite simple but practically impossible for model sailplanes to emulate .

It is widely acknowledged that the first person to recognise a similar phenomenon whilst flying a model glider, was the American Joe Wurts who has won just about every model gliding championships there is to win. Joe recognised the phenomenon in 1995 du ring a foamie 'combat' session at Parker Mountain in California. Parker is a ridge with a rounded, but narrow top. Pilots had long since known about the turbulent backside air and knew to keep well away during landing. Joe Wurts however noticed that whe n his combat wing was knocked down the back of the hill, he turned it around and flew it out again with more energy than it had when it entered. The engineer in him began to theorise the reasons behind this, and subsequently experiment to derive Dynamic Soaring as we know it today. The acceleration in flight of model gliders on the opposite side of a hill to the 'front-side' lift, by extracting energy from two adjacent air masses moving at different velocities. Basically, Dynamic Soaring is fast. Very fast. In fact it is possible to soar a glider so fast that it will far exceed the speeds that you may be able to achieve flying on the frontside of the hill.

It is true that sometimes this can cause the models or equipment within to fail, but if you approach DS sensibly with the right equipment, suitable site and correct frame of mind then it should be no more dangerous than any other form of 'conventional' high energy model glider flying. Please however always show consideration towards the other slope users and the wishes of your fellow fliers. DS is known to exploit weaknesses in your model and installation so extra care must be taken. Metal geared servos and total elimination of control surface slop would be the norm as would be better control over spectators because believe me, you will get some! To give you some idea of what is possible during DS it is worth noting that the fastest speed actually recorded by radar gun during DS to date is over 300mph.

So, do you fancy a go?

It is essential that you approach your first foray into DS with the correct mind set and the correct model for the job. Foamies are very good for your first flights behind the hill and some like the JW pictured are even purpose built for the job. At all times though, safety must come first. Lookouts should always be posted in areas known for public access. Local club rules must be followed, and other pilots must be made aware of your presence, as you will probably be flying on a different part of t he hill to them. I have often found that the best form of learning is watching others and then doing it yourself.

If you can find someone local to you to go and watch dynamic soaring, your learning curve will be much, much steeper. Aside from the speed, the one thing that hits you when you first see someone DS'ing a model, is the noise that it makes as it moves around the circuit. Sound is very important to the prospective DS pilot anyway, but the sheer noise made by a hollow moulded model travelling at speeds between 100 and 200mph is simply awesome. Couple this with the hollow Whuumpp! as the model crosses the boundary layer between the two air masses and you can get a sound that you can physically feel in your chest! Before I go on to describe what is happening during DS, I feel that some kind of health warning is appropriate. DS will change your life!

It is extremely addictive. You will never ever look at your favourite slope sites in the same way again. Small mounds of grass, Dams, banks of trees and even rooftops that you spy from your car window on the way to work will al l become new slope soaring possibilities. You will develop a sudden urge to construct one of those foamie gliders that you previously abhorred. You will travel immense distances for a few laps on the backside of nationally known DS sites in like minded company. But worse of all, flying around on the front of the hill, which until now was perhaps your favourite pastime, will become just something to pass the time with while you're waiting for the wind to turn onto your local DS site. You have been warn ed. Now, read on if you dare! DS differs from conventional soaring in that it doesn't use rising air to sustain flight. Energy is extracted from the air by flying in and out of air masses moving at different speeds.

This is similar to the wind gradient exploited by the Albatrosses
but happens in a much smaller space. If you select the right kind of hill, the two different air masses are basically adjacent to each other, and the contrasting airspeeds between them are much greater. The best sites for good DS are sharp peaked ridges like Rushup Edge in the Peak District or Cat Bells in the lake district. There are however many more smaller hills and coastal sites that work perfectly well dotted around the country. Even small ditches on the edge of the slope like the Westbury White Horse or Minera in North Wales, make small but adequate DS spots for EPP foamie models.

The following diagram gives a visual indication of what the air is doing over a typical DS hill. The path of the model takes the form of an inclined 'Loop' and crosses the boundary, or 'shear' layer behind the hill top twice in each circuit.