Very cool video Jon, I have two of these gliders, instead of doing a DLG launch I installed a tow hook on one and use a small high start to launch it, this gets it up to about 350 feet AGL, the other one we have, we are launching it via rocket motors, after the glider reaches maximum burn altitude the rocket motor pod separates from the glider and parachutes back to the ground. We had to play around with different size motors to keep it from going over 400 feet AGL. On the right conditions we have kept it airborne for over an hour...
I was the one who assisted Jon with his launching technique in the video, and in the video I am flying a Flitzebogen 2 1.5 DLG. You don't really need to launch that high to catch thermals. The key in DLGs is making sure your CG is spot on (just 1 or 2 mm of adjustment of the CG will give you a TOTALLY different plane-they have FAR less CG range than your typical foamie warbird or EDF). Proper setup is a must. For cruise mode, I use zero camber. For thermal, I use about 2 mm of down flaps, which can be lowered to about 5 mm. I also use snap flaps (when my elevator is pulled all the way up, flaps go down 3 mm and vice versa). Aileron is 6 mm up, 4 down, and elevator is 6 mm up and down. This is all the throw you need. Launch preset is about 2 mm of aileron camber and about 2 mm of up elevator controlled by a momentary switch. When released, the ailerons go to 2 mm of reflex for speed, and the elevator goes to neutral. Also, in DLGs it's best to use a flat, ergonomic throwing blade. Those tube blades are soooo 2000's and, when I had a Sidewinder 2 DLG back in 2011, that tube like blade just gave me blisters. How critical is weight? My green nose cone weighs 3 grams and with it, it's necessary to add a penny to the battery to have an optimal CG. With my yellow nose cone (weighs 4 grams), the plane is perfect without any additional nose weight. See? Only 1 gram makes all the difference. You spin making sure that the wings are level-the preset will make the DLG go almost vertical the instant you launch. Keep the thermal turns rather flat-imitate the hawks. My Flitz is able to core tight tthermals by performing very tight turns because of both the thermal setting and the snap flap. But once I am rather high, I lower the bank angle because the thermals high above ground are more spread out. As for motors, there are electric versions of the F3K ships like the Flitzebogen, Snipe, Concept X5 and the like. They are the F5K ones. They weigh maybe one more ounce but they give you the same performance as the F3K ones.
that is quite the plane and launch technique. I was doing similar things with planes when I was your age but at the time r/c was out of the reach of us kids. we had rubber band flight, gas powered u control and free flight planes. we also built a glider with a 4ft wingspan that I used tow up with my bicycle. thnx for the show and the update on what is going on now. i'm 75 years old and all that now is a fun memory.
I have a libelle, got one like 12 years ago, or longer, they had just came out. It’s a great glider. Definitely the best option for DLG without breaking the bank. A little advice for you in thermal flight, thermal flying is all about efficiency, every control input is causing drag and taking away from the lift created by the glider, so get into a smooth turn and try to do it while using the least amount of stick input possible, obviously you have to control the glider and sometimes tighten up the turn or widen it out to search for the strongest lift, but always remember that doing less is more. Your doing good, looks like you started thermal hunting a little bit; just keep practicing you’ll get there in no time.
I've had one for about 3 or 4 years now and still fly it! (of course with some repairs... 😁) It was my first DLG also since the carbon fiber price point was a bit steep. You're gonna love this little plane man.
Good job brother for the first hand lunch! that was very nice of that man to help you now now days you can't find anybody to help anybody do anything that man can fly that glider
I've got several hundreds of hours on my Libelle (you've maybe seen "Libelle likes to Loop" vid). Here are a few tips.. Picture is worth a thousand words, but I only have words, so this is a long one.. The wing is secured to the fuse with screws that thread down into plastic mounts in the fuse surrounded by foam. With repeated sidearm launches and occasionally tip first landings, those plastic mounts compress the foam, allowing the mounts to wiggle around causing the whole wing to twist on the fuse. What I did was cut 4 little vertical slits in the foam between the plastic mounts and the edge of the fuse, and then embedded some carbon ribbons into these slits making sure they're long enough that they touch both the plastic and the fuse (I think I even cut one end of the carbon at an angle to match the side of the fuse), and then hit em with regular (not foam safe) thin CA. This distributes the load from the plastic mounts into more of the surrounding foam and fuse, and they'll hold up much longer. The carbon ribbons in the wing halves do a good job of making them individually stiff, but the wing as a whole can get a little bendy in the middle over time. So again, I cut a vertical slit in the foam on top of the wing spanning both halves just in front of the center plastic joiner about 4 inches long, expanded it slightly with the tip of a screwdriver and and pressed another carbon ribbon into that slit making sure it's recessed fully into the foam, and again hit it with regular thin CA to secure. Makes it much less bendy. If any bit of the carbon sticks up (as it may in the center), sand it down flush to the airfoil. As for for launching. I saw Tony say "keep your arm straight". Good advice, but it means wrist especially. This is the #1 thing beginners need to avoid with DLGs is trying to add power with their lower arm and a wrist snap. Can break the plane if you hook it left by curling your wrist at the end (like you're trying to throw a ball). You want to drive the whole throw by twisting and untwisting your core (planting your feet firmly and rotating upper body relative to lower), while letting your arm stay straight and lag behind your upper body and then just straighten your fingers to release. Do not try to "throw" it, just release it. You'll find that every time you try to "power up" the desire to "throw" creeps back in. Just remember.. core only. And don't stop your body at release but follow through. You may finish looking back over your shoulder but that's ok. I chose not to use any launch/thermal/land presets at all. Instead I setup my throttle stick like this. The throttle drives the flaperons through their full range, but I've set the top half of the throttle stick to only drive the flaperons about 10% of their total throw. I then adjust the center offset so that when stick is at the top it provides a little bit of reflex, and when it's halfway down it provides a few degrees of camber (used while thermaling), and then from middle to bottom stick, it drives it full speed down into full flap throw. After launch I fly the throttle stick constantly to speed up, thermal and slow down to a hand catch. I also mix the bottom half of the throttle stick into a little down elevator so that when flaps are deployed the nose doesn't balloon up. It just slows down to a crawl. When I launch, I use my left thumb on the base of the throttle stick to push the stick all the way to the top (into the reflex region) and just a little right rudder (a few degrees). The reflex minimizes drag and keeps it from ballooning up so fast at the moment of release at its max airspeed and the little right rudder keeps it from doing that large snap yaw to the left (can see it in your vid). The goal is to to get it to launch straight into the wind at 45+ degree climb angle. I also have elevator mixed into flaps at about 5% (both up and down). aka. snap flaps. This makes for quicker loops and turns, and provides some reflex when flying inverted (needed to do an inverted loop), and when pushing the nose down at the top of the launch zoom. Even with all that you'll find is that it's quite difficult to launch the Libelle from a flat field into a thermal, and climb out. It's not that it can't catch a thermal, it's just that thermals need a little height to form, and it's tough to launch the Libelle high enough to catch em consistently. Those carbon/kevlar composite DLGs are launching 2-3x higher. Where the Libelle excels is with a little bit of terrain to help. It's a fun light air sloper but even with a very small hill, or just above the edge of a long low building facing the wind, it'll provide just enough extra lift that it'll give you time and height to catch the thermals as they roll through, and then you can get up truly high. Couple more things.. Those magnets on the hatch are swell, but don't trust em alone. Nothing sucks more than having that hatch fly off somewhere and get lost. Rather than having to tape it down fully, what I did was tape one *side* of the hatch so that folds open to the side, and can't ever escape fully. Those little 300mAh NiMH batteries are just notoriously sucky (they're not used for any consumer products so they've never gotten better over the years). They don't last very long. Because it already takes that pack plus 2 lead weights to balance, what I did was carefully carve out some more foam and installed a 800mAh 4xAAA NiMH offset pack (square pack won't quite fit under the hatch, but offset will). Dunno if anyone sells offsets any more. I usually make em myself. Balances fine with that pack, and lasts many hours. Do secure the battery. One inverted push can push open the hatch and eject it from the plane.
@@davidculver5366 I don't have a good way to show one here, but the easiest way is to search for "6V NiMH hump battery" and see how they're built. It's 2 cells on top of and in between the 3 on the bottom. For a 4 cell pack, same arrangement, just 2 on top offset half a cell width from the 2 on bottom. This makes the pack slightly wider, and slightly less tall. The Libelle fuse is wider than it is tall so by removing just a little bit of foam, this type of pack will fit under the canopy. Weighs about the same as the 300mAh + 2 lead weights, but lasts more than twice as long.
I guess you are using 4 - 200 mAh cells in series. Your long post of repairs and notes is just what I wanted. I haven't even received my Libelle yet, but I'm always looking to be proactive about things that might break. Have you covered any of the wing with packing tape to protect and stiffen the it? I'll take your advice about strengthening the center wing joint. Thanks for any advice you have. I loved your video. I can only hope to be that good of a pilot someday. David
@@davidculver5366 No.. 4x 800mAh NiMH AAA cells. My preference is Duracell, but they're a little harder to find than Energizer locally these days but available on Amazon.
@@davidculver5366 I didn't do much in the way of taping. A little clear tape on the leading edge can lessen the dents it picks up, but it's a compound curve so it's tricky unless the tape has a little stretch in it.
Nice job. I've enjoyed my Libelle for over 10 years now-- mostly as a light air slope ship. I can never seem to get over 50 feet with a discuss wing tip launch compared to other higher dollar ships which launch over 100 feet but I've more than gotten my money's worth from the Libelle. Enjoy.
The LIbelle is a good DLG to introduce you to the concept of both launching and handling one in the air but no more. It was never intended to be a high launching DLG, partly because of its weight for its size (on the heavy side for a 1.2 m DLG) and because of the wing. You see....if you watch videos of Libelle launches in slow motion, you will notice that the wing flexes. This robs altitude. Eventually the wing will fail if you throw it full force all the time. It simply is not made for that kind of work. It has just a very thin carbon spar.
Hi Jon! I’m flying just almost two years. This summer I began to be super excited with Jets. But I’m always trying new stuff and tried a DLG after watching a colleague. And it’s soo much fun. At the end of the summer I was launching it almost every day for a couple of minutes. I have a very heavy wood model but I Have gotten a bit of lift too. It’s so exciting and fun. As with your be the first launch 👍🏼 mine has also 1200mm but it’s more difficult to throw and my hand hurts because the pin and the wing aren’t so ergonomic :P I have an ELF (carbon/wood/covering) from ucrania which has less than 100g being 1000mm but I was missing an receiver so I haven’t tried it out yet. Now it’s winter here. I think I will buy a used German carbon 1500mm from my clubs friend next summer to make some nice glides :) Cheers, have fun, stay safe and don’t forget to leave a comment on my humble channel, I have some Dlgs videos now that I remember… and greetings your father too 👍🏼 from Bavaria , Francisco
Nice piece of kit. Just a tip....place a length of tape across the top of the groove where the servo wires run. Not only does it keep the wires in place, it also covers that groove cleaning up the aerodynamics.
That's a nice glider at a good price, unless you're in some kind of competition I don't think you need to spend 400 or more dollars to have fun and enjoy yourself .
I had this plane or one very similar about 15 years ago. At the time Horizon sold a small DLG for roughly $100. It was a fabulous little plane that worked well with a breeze blowing against an embankment of as little as six feet.
Thing is, the Libelle needs a fair bit of weight up front to balance (notice he had a half oz of lead in addition to his battery), so you really gain little with a lightweight lipo.. I went the other way with mine. I carefully carved out a larger space in the nose and am able to fit a 4xAAA offset NiMH pack and that balances it perfectly, and it runs for hours.
The man from Dream Flight told me to tape the leading edge 1/3 back. That was to substitute for the wing strengthening decals that he doesn't have. I'm ordering some 800 mAh nimh's soon. They will be in series. I really appreciate your replies. Thanks!
The LIbelle can be used to learn the basics of throwing a DLG and learning to handle one, but as I stated before, it has several drawbacks: 1. This DLG is not intended to take the regular "abuse" that full composite DLGs take. It cannot be thrown hard all the time because its wing is simply not meant for that kind of work. The wing flexes SEVERELY during that kind of launch and will eventually fail. It takes gentle to moderate launches-but this is good for learning launching technique. 2, It's rather on the heavy side for a plane of this size. Optimal weights for a 1.5 m wingspan (full size DLG) is around 8 to 9 ounces, and for a 1 meter one from around 99 to 150 grams. The Libelle is therefore on the heavy side. This limits its performance. It will thermal, but will l need rather strong thermals to remain afloat for sustained periods. A much better choice for a DLG with just rudder and elevator, if you can find it, is the 1 meter Elf. This one can be thrown hard, and will climb in the slightest thermal to speckout height. It weighs only 95 grams RTF, and is not expensive for a DLG (it costs around 200 dollars). Its very generous dihedral enables it to turn almost as fast as an aileron ship. It will outperform the Libelle. But it also has its drawbacks. 1. It can be flown only when there is no wind to VERY little wind. It is so light and fragile that anything above a gentle breeze will push it all over the place. 2. It is EXTREMELY fragile. The utmost care must be shown when flying this plane. 3. It is SUPER sensitive regarding the elevator. Since it's a flying surface (the whole elevator pivots up and down), trimming it can be a chore, and even one or two clicks can be enough to give you a completely different plane. Plenty of expo is beneficial to the tail. In glider land, you get what you pay for. This is not meant to sound elitist or something like this, but it's true. Your 100 dollar E-flite foamie Whipit is simply not going to give you the capabilities and performance of a 300 dollar (RTF) 1 meter Elf that is made of composite materials and carbon capped balsa wing ribs. And likewise, a Libelle, which is a trainer DLG, cannot routinely take the full force launches and reach the launching heights that a 1 meter composite ship like the Hawk, Strike 3, or Deviant can (all of these ships can reach more than 600 dollars ready to fly and equipped with quality digital servos, which are 40 dollars a piece (you need four for the aileron ships). And don't get me started on that piece of junk that masqueraded as a DLG-yes, I am referring to the Great Planes Fling DL. Veritable piece of junk. Too heavy, no dihedral, ineffective rudder. The TopSky Viper is infinitely better than that Fling DL. The composite ships are expensive, but they will give you the best possible performance. You can get yourself a great DLG like a Flitz2, Snipe, Concept X5, Stream NXT, and the like for around 500 dollars. They will be used and some will have some sort of repairs, but they will still give you great performance. I got the Flitz2 that I fly in this video for 385 dollars RTF. The original owner had a big accident with it but he repaired it in such a way that the repair (a broken wing) is hardly noticeable and is strong. I have specked it out many times. Today I did nave 2 speckouts with my Flitz.
nice when the elevator of a glider is correctly trimmed (for gliding), that trim will cause the model to climb during a launch. therefore, avoid unconsciously trying to 'force' the nose up at release. instead, try to achieve maximum airspeed at release, with the model being mostly level. d
Thank you Jon for this video. I am a scratch builder but tonight your video has convinced me to buy my first DLG. Do you have any recommendations about this plane or any information as to why some other plane would be better for a first-time DLG pilot? Thank you again. David
Hi, the only real thing that I’ve found with this plane that I figured out after posting this is strengthening the wing. When gluing the two wing halves, definitely use a lot of glue. I only put a sparing amount of glue, and on a harder launch, the wing ripped cleanly apart from the other wing. After putting it back together, I decided to strengthen the wing with some packing tape on the bottom. Haven’t done much testing but it seems to hold up fine now on harder launches. I am certainly still finding my way with DLGs, so I do not have any information on any other entry level gliders. Have fun!
Thank you, Jon, for your reply. When I saw that the wings had broken apart, I started to give up on this plane. I know I can strengthen the wings right from the start. It was really cool to see how your launches improved during the video. I have hope again.
What receiver do you have in your Libelle? I need the size and weight to be correct, but I need to make sure the Rx is compatible with my NX8 Spectrum transmitter. Thanks!
Hi, I am currently using a Spektrum AR410 with the plastic case taken off. I am unsure of the weight without the case. Keep in mind I still had to shave a little bit of foam off the side to get this receiver to fit.
Greetings! When we are on landing approach with a DLG, we deploy the flaps. Some DLGs do have both flaps and ailerons, like the Yoda and one of the versions of the old school DLG Vandal and Taboo, but most use the ailerons as flaps on landing approach. Therefore, we use the rudder to make corrections to the landing approach. In DLGs, rudder can be effective in this regard. Also, it's common to use aileron to rudder mix. Normally, the rudder moves around 3 or 4 mm with ailerons fully deflected. This is to help coordinate the turns. Note that most DLGs do have some dihedral so the rudder can be used to turn the glider, but will not be as quick as the ailerons. I'm no expert in DLG-I don't compete at all, and I can't even launch to 200 feet like the contest masters at El Dorado, but I learned to compensate by being able to work thermals from rather low altitudes.
Hi Jon, my AR410 should be here today. What channel do I plug each servo into? sorry dumb question I'm new to hobby after being out of it for years. thx. instruction for Libelle shows 6 channel receiver
Hi, the layout for spektrum goes TAER. Since there is no throttle, I plug each aileron into channel 1 and channel 2. The tail stays the same with the elevator going to channel 3 and rudder to channel 4.
As an introduction to DLG, it is good but don't expect high launches or the wing holding together for a long time if you do full force launches all the time. It is simply not made for that kind of "abuse." Yes, you will learn how to throw a DLG and how to handle one in the air, but once you know how, it's best to move on to a composite one. They are not cheap, but in the world of sailplanes, you get what you pay for.
Here is why the Libelle's wing will eventually fail. Here is a link to a pilot who throws the Libelle with full force, the way you would do with a full composite DLG. If you can play the video in slow motion, note how the wing flexes severely. After a while, wing failure is a certainty because of the foam wing and very thin carbon spar. ua-cam.com/video/zLI-44zLxSI/v-deo.html A good plane that has only 2 channels but can give excellent performance and can be thrown full force is the 1 meter Elf-if you cna somehow find it since the war in Ukraine affected its production. RCGroups can be a place where it is occasionally found for sale. Another excellent 1 meter fully composite DLG that can be bought receiver ready is the Armsoar Deviant. Excellent DLG. Or the 1 meter Strike 3 (this one is harder to assemble and installing the electronics can be a veritable PITA but it flies close to a full size 1.5 meter DLG). Also the Hawk 1 meter. Great deals can be had in RCGroups for used but in good condition DLGs. I bought my used Flitz2 for just 385 dollars RTF. Brand new with the electronics, it can cost over 1000 dollars.
He launched it harder the week after this video was filmed. But, as I mentioned, the Libelle is simply not cut for this kind of throwing hard. The wing failed in one of his hard launches- it split in two at the center (it folded). The problem with the Libelle is that the wing flexes on launch. Eventually it fails.
That's me sold! I love boomerang chucking so this really appeals....
The best and very useful video about libelle.👍
Yes
Very cool video Jon, I have two of these gliders, instead of doing a DLG launch I installed a tow hook on one and use a small high start to launch it, this gets it up to about 350 feet AGL, the other one we have, we are launching it via rocket motors, after the glider reaches maximum burn altitude the rocket motor pod separates from the glider and parachutes back to the ground. We had to play around with different size motors to keep it from going over 400 feet AGL. On the right conditions we have kept it airborne for over an hour...
I was the one who assisted Jon with his launching technique in the video, and in the video I am flying a Flitzebogen 2 1.5 DLG. You don't really need to launch that high to catch thermals. The key in DLGs is making sure your CG is spot on (just 1 or 2 mm of adjustment of the CG will give you a TOTALLY different plane-they have FAR less CG range than your typical foamie warbird or EDF). Proper setup is a must. For cruise mode, I use zero camber. For thermal, I use about 2 mm of down flaps, which can be lowered to about 5 mm. I also use snap flaps (when my elevator is pulled all the way up, flaps go down 3 mm and vice versa). Aileron is 6 mm up, 4 down, and elevator is 6 mm up and down. This is all the throw you need. Launch preset is about 2 mm of aileron camber and about 2 mm of up elevator controlled by a momentary switch. When released, the ailerons go to 2 mm of reflex for speed, and the elevator goes to neutral.
Also, in DLGs it's best to use a flat, ergonomic throwing blade. Those tube blades are soooo 2000's and, when I had a Sidewinder 2 DLG back in 2011, that tube like blade just gave me blisters.
How critical is weight? My green nose cone weighs 3 grams and with it, it's necessary to add a penny to the battery to have an optimal CG. With my yellow nose cone (weighs 4 grams), the plane is perfect without any additional nose weight. See? Only 1 gram makes all the difference.
You spin making sure that the wings are level-the preset will make the DLG go almost vertical the instant you launch. Keep the thermal turns rather flat-imitate the hawks. My Flitz is able to core tight tthermals by performing very tight turns because of both the thermal setting and the snap flap. But once I am rather high, I lower the bank angle because the thermals high above ground are more spread out.
As for motors, there are electric versions of the F3K ships like the Flitzebogen, Snipe, Concept X5 and the like. They are the F5K ones. They weigh maybe one more ounce but they give you the same performance as the F3K ones.
that is quite the plane and launch technique. I was doing similar things with planes when I was your age but at the time r/c was out of the reach of us kids. we had rubber band flight, gas powered u control and free flight planes. we also built a glider with a 4ft wingspan that I used tow up with my bicycle. thnx for the show and the update on what is going on now. i'm 75 years old and all that now is a fun memory.
I have a libelle, got one like 12 years ago, or longer, they had just came out. It’s a great glider. Definitely the best option for DLG without breaking the bank. A little advice for you in thermal flight, thermal flying is all about efficiency, every control input is causing drag and taking away from the lift created by the glider, so get into a smooth turn and try to do it while using the least amount of stick input possible, obviously you have to control the glider and sometimes tighten up the turn or widen it out to search for the strongest lift, but always remember that doing less is more. Your doing good, looks like you started thermal hunting a little bit; just keep practicing you’ll get there in no time.
Good job Jon, keep it up!
I've had one for about 3 or 4 years now and still fly it! (of course with some repairs... 😁) It was my first DLG also since the carbon fiber price point was a bit steep. You're gonna love this little plane man.
Good job brother for the first hand lunch! that was very nice of that man to help you now now days you can't find anybody to help anybody do anything that man can fly that glider
nice! you have been doing this for a long time and gliders are a new thing.
Sweet little plane. Getting better keep practicing and you'll be thermalling in no time!
That's purdy cool, Jon.
Thank you!
I've got several hundreds of hours on my Libelle (you've maybe seen "Libelle likes to Loop" vid). Here are a few tips.. Picture is worth a thousand words, but I only have words, so this is a long one..
The wing is secured to the fuse with screws that thread down into plastic mounts in the fuse surrounded by foam. With repeated sidearm launches and occasionally tip first landings, those plastic mounts compress the foam, allowing the mounts to wiggle around causing the whole wing to twist on the fuse.
What I did was cut 4 little vertical slits in the foam between the plastic mounts and the edge of the fuse, and then embedded some carbon ribbons into these slits making sure they're long enough that they touch both the plastic and the fuse (I think I even cut one end of the carbon at an angle to match the side of the fuse), and then hit em with regular (not foam safe) thin CA. This distributes the load from the plastic mounts into more of the surrounding foam and fuse, and they'll hold up much longer.
The carbon ribbons in the wing halves do a good job of making them individually stiff, but the wing as a whole can get a little bendy in the middle over time.
So again, I cut a vertical slit in the foam on top of the wing spanning both halves just in front of the center plastic joiner about 4 inches long, expanded it slightly with the tip of a screwdriver and and pressed another carbon ribbon into that slit making sure it's recessed fully into the foam, and again hit it with regular thin CA to secure. Makes it much less bendy. If any bit of the carbon sticks up (as it may in the center), sand it down flush to the airfoil.
As for for launching. I saw Tony say "keep your arm straight". Good advice, but it means wrist especially. This is the #1 thing beginners need to avoid with DLGs is trying to add power with their lower arm and a wrist snap. Can break the plane if you hook it left by curling your wrist at the end (like you're trying to throw a ball). You want to drive the whole throw by twisting and untwisting your core (planting your feet firmly and rotating upper body relative to lower), while letting your arm stay straight and lag behind your upper body and then just straighten your fingers to release. Do not try to "throw" it, just release it. You'll find that every time you try to "power up" the desire to "throw" creeps back in. Just remember.. core only. And don't stop your body at release but follow through. You may finish looking back over your shoulder but that's ok.
I chose not to use any launch/thermal/land presets at all. Instead I setup my throttle stick like this. The throttle drives the flaperons through their full range, but I've set the top half of the throttle stick to only drive the flaperons about 10% of their total throw. I then adjust the center offset so that when stick is at the top it provides a little bit of reflex, and when it's halfway down it provides a few degrees of camber (used while thermaling), and then from middle to bottom stick, it drives it full speed down into full flap throw. After launch I fly the throttle stick constantly to speed up, thermal and slow down to a hand catch.
I also mix the bottom half of the throttle stick into a little down elevator so that when flaps are deployed the nose doesn't balloon up. It just slows down to a crawl.
When I launch, I use my left thumb on the base of the throttle stick to push the stick all the way to the top (into the reflex region) and just a little right rudder (a few degrees). The reflex minimizes drag and keeps it from ballooning up so fast at the moment of release at its max airspeed and the little right rudder keeps it from doing that large snap yaw to the left (can see it in your vid). The goal is to to get it to launch straight into the wind at 45+ degree climb angle.
I also have elevator mixed into flaps at about 5% (both up and down). aka. snap flaps. This makes for quicker loops and turns, and provides some reflex when flying inverted (needed to do an inverted loop), and when pushing the nose down at the top of the launch zoom.
Even with all that you'll find is that it's quite difficult to launch the Libelle from a flat field into a thermal, and climb out. It's not that it can't catch a thermal, it's just that thermals need a little height to form, and it's tough to launch the Libelle high enough to catch em consistently. Those carbon/kevlar composite DLGs are launching 2-3x higher. Where the Libelle excels is with a little bit of terrain to help. It's a fun light air sloper but even with a very small hill, or just above the edge of a long low building facing the wind, it'll provide just enough extra lift that it'll give you time and height to catch the thermals as they roll through, and then you can get up truly high.
Couple more things..
Those magnets on the hatch are swell, but don't trust em alone. Nothing sucks more than having that hatch fly off somewhere and get lost. Rather than having to tape it down fully, what I did was tape one *side* of the hatch so that folds open to the side, and can't ever escape fully.
Those little 300mAh NiMH batteries are just notoriously sucky (they're not used for any consumer products so they've never gotten better over the years). They don't last very long. Because it already takes that pack plus 2 lead weights to balance, what I did was carefully carve out some more foam and installed a 800mAh 4xAAA NiMH offset pack (square pack won't quite fit under the hatch, but offset will). Dunno if anyone sells offsets any more. I usually make em myself. Balances fine with that pack, and lasts many hours. Do secure the battery. One inverted push can push open the hatch and eject it from the plane.
@@daemn42 Hi daemn42. Is it possible to see a picture of the offset nimh pack you made for your Libelle?
@@davidculver5366 I don't have a good way to show one here, but the easiest way is to search for "6V NiMH hump battery" and see how they're built. It's 2 cells on top of and in between the 3 on the bottom. For a 4 cell pack, same arrangement, just 2 on top offset half a cell width from the 2 on bottom. This makes the pack slightly wider, and slightly less tall. The Libelle fuse is wider than it is tall so by removing just a little bit of foam, this type of pack will fit under the canopy. Weighs about the same as the 300mAh + 2 lead weights, but lasts more than twice as long.
I guess you are using 4 - 200 mAh cells in series. Your long post of repairs and notes is just what I wanted. I haven't even received my Libelle yet, but I'm always looking to be proactive about things that might break. Have you covered any of the wing with packing tape to protect and stiffen the it? I'll take your advice about strengthening the center wing joint. Thanks for any advice you have. I loved your video. I can only hope to be that good of a pilot someday. David
@@davidculver5366 No.. 4x 800mAh NiMH AAA cells. My preference is Duracell, but they're a little harder to find than Energizer locally these days but available on Amazon.
@@davidculver5366 I didn't do much in the way of taping. A little clear tape on the leading edge can lessen the dents it picks up, but it's a compound curve so it's tricky unless the tape has a little stretch in it.
Really cool watching your progress after just a short time! I really have to get into DLG.
Nice job. I've enjoyed my Libelle for over 10 years now-- mostly as a light air slope ship. I can never seem to get over 50 feet with a discuss wing tip launch compared to other higher dollar ships which launch over 100 feet but I've more than gotten my money's worth from the Libelle. Enjoy.
Thank you!
The LIbelle is a good DLG to introduce you to the concept of both launching and handling one in the air but no more. It was never intended to be a high launching DLG, partly because of its weight for its size (on the heavy side for a 1.2 m DLG) and because of the wing. You see....if you watch videos of Libelle launches in slow motion, you will notice that the wing flexes. This robs altitude. Eventually the wing will fail if you throw it full force all the time. It simply is not made for that kind of work. It has just a very thin carbon spar.
Great video. If there were any grass covered parks where I live, I would have been into this a long time ago.
Hi Jon! I’m flying just almost two years. This summer I began to be super excited with Jets. But I’m always trying new stuff and tried a DLG after watching a colleague. And it’s soo much fun. At the end of the summer I was launching it almost every day for a couple of minutes. I have a very heavy wood model but I Have gotten a bit of lift too. It’s so exciting and fun. As with your be the first launch 👍🏼 mine has also 1200mm but it’s more difficult to throw and my hand hurts because the pin and the wing aren’t so ergonomic :P I have an ELF (carbon/wood/covering) from ucrania which has less than 100g being 1000mm but I was missing an receiver so I haven’t tried it out yet. Now it’s winter here. I think I will buy a used German carbon 1500mm from my clubs friend next summer to make some nice glides :) Cheers, have fun, stay safe and don’t forget to leave a comment on my humble channel, I have some Dlgs videos now that I remember… and greetings your father too 👍🏼 from Bavaria , Francisco
Nice piece of kit.
Just a tip....place a length of tape across the top of the groove where the servo wires run. Not only does it keep the wires in place, it also covers that groove cleaning up the aerodynamics.
If you use a rigid tape such as clear box ceiling tape it will add rigidity to the wing as well
makes me wanna buy one again
That is a smart purchase they are fun but easy to destroy . Those small circles are a good way to get higher straight flight is harder
That's a nice glider at a good price, unless you're in some kind of competition I don't think you need to spend 400 or more dollars to have fun and enjoy yourself .
Agreed!
ah. I recognize this field. I used to fly at whittier narrows. I flew my heli there, too.
Nice jon! 👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you!
I had this plane or one very similar about 15 years ago. At the time Horizon sold a small DLG for roughly $100. It was a fabulous little plane that worked well with a breeze blowing against an embankment of as little as six feet.
A few of your launches at the end were very good.............. Time for an all composite ship and some good servos!
I kept waiting for that big black cloud to pull you up into infinity.
Looks like fun but it made me dizzy just watching. 😊
Nice glider...
Definitely use a small lightweight LiPo battery !
Thing is, the Libelle needs a fair bit of weight up front to balance (notice he had a half oz of lead in addition to his battery), so you really gain little with a lightweight lipo.. I went the other way with mine. I carefully carved out a larger space in the nose and am able to fit a 4xAAA offset NiMH pack and that balances it perfectly, and it runs for hours.
Good video feĺla
Thank you!
Cool, looks like you set a new personal record of about 1 min 12 secs. Can’t stay up too long, you might get shot down by the gun range bros lol.
Bello 🔝💪👍🙋♂️
The man from Dream Flight told me to tape the leading edge 1/3 back. That was to substitute for the wing strengthening decals that he doesn't have. I'm ordering some 800 mAh nimh's soon. They will be in series. I really appreciate your replies. Thanks!
Good choice. Buy a 100 dollars or 1,000 dollars glider,is for the same,fun and learn.👍
The LIbelle can be used to learn the basics of throwing a DLG and learning to handle one, but as I stated before, it has several drawbacks:
1. This DLG is not intended to take the regular "abuse" that full composite DLGs take. It cannot be thrown hard all the time because its wing is simply not meant for that kind of work. The wing flexes SEVERELY during that kind of launch and will eventually fail. It takes gentle to moderate launches-but this is good for learning launching technique.
2, It's rather on the heavy side for a plane of this size. Optimal weights for a 1.5 m wingspan (full size DLG) is around 8 to 9 ounces, and for a 1 meter one from around 99 to 150 grams. The Libelle is therefore on the heavy side. This limits its performance. It will thermal, but will l need rather strong thermals to remain afloat for sustained periods.
A much better choice for a DLG with just rudder and elevator, if you can find it, is the 1 meter Elf. This one can be thrown hard, and will climb in the slightest thermal to speckout height. It weighs only 95 grams RTF, and is not expensive for a DLG (it costs around 200 dollars). Its very generous dihedral enables it to turn almost as fast as an aileron ship. It will outperform the Libelle.
But it also has its drawbacks.
1. It can be flown only when there is no wind to VERY little wind. It is so light and fragile that anything above a gentle breeze will push it all over the place.
2. It is EXTREMELY fragile. The utmost care must be shown when flying this plane.
3. It is SUPER sensitive regarding the elevator. Since it's a flying surface (the whole elevator pivots up and down), trimming it can be a chore, and even one or two clicks can be enough to give you a completely different plane. Plenty of expo is beneficial to the tail.
In glider land, you get what you pay for. This is not meant to sound elitist or something like this, but it's true. Your 100 dollar E-flite foamie Whipit is simply not going to give you the capabilities and performance of a 300 dollar (RTF) 1 meter Elf that is made of composite materials and carbon capped balsa wing ribs. And likewise, a Libelle, which is a trainer DLG, cannot routinely take the full force launches and reach the launching heights that a 1 meter composite ship like the Hawk, Strike 3, or Deviant can (all of these ships can reach more than 600 dollars ready to fly and equipped with quality digital servos, which are 40 dollars a piece (you need four for the aileron ships).
And don't get me started on that piece of junk that masqueraded as a DLG-yes, I am referring to the Great Planes Fling DL. Veritable piece of junk. Too heavy, no dihedral, ineffective rudder. The TopSky Viper is infinitely better than that Fling DL. The composite ships are expensive, but they will give you the best possible performance.
You can get yourself a great DLG like a Flitz2, Snipe, Concept X5, Stream NXT, and the like for around 500 dollars. They will be used and some will have some sort of repairs, but they will still give you great performance. I got the Flitz2 that I fly in this video for 385 dollars RTF. The original owner had a big accident with it but he repaired it in such a way that the repair (a broken wing) is hardly noticeable and is strong. I have specked it out many times. Today I did nave 2 speckouts with my Flitz.
nice when the elevator of a glider is correctly trimmed (for gliding), that trim will cause the model to climb during a launch. therefore, avoid unconsciously trying to 'force' the nose up at release. instead, try to achieve maximum airspeed at release, with the model being mostly level. d
Very expensive way to get into gliders. I hope you enjoy.
Thank you Jon for this video. I am a scratch builder but tonight your video has convinced me to buy my first DLG. Do you have any recommendations about this plane or any information as to why some other plane would be better for a first-time DLG pilot? Thank you again. David
Hi, the only real thing that I’ve found with this plane that I figured out after posting this is strengthening the wing. When gluing the two wing halves, definitely use a lot of glue. I only put a sparing amount of glue, and on a harder launch, the wing ripped cleanly apart from the other wing. After putting it back together, I decided to strengthen the wing with some packing tape on the bottom. Haven’t done much testing but it seems to hold up fine now on harder launches. I am certainly still finding my way with DLGs, so I do not have any information on any other entry level gliders. Have fun!
Thank you, Jon, for your reply. When I saw that the wings had broken apart, I started to give up on this plane. I know I can strengthen the wings right from the start. It was really cool to see how your launches improved during the video. I have hope again.
What receiver do you have in your Libelle? I need the size and weight to be correct, but I need to make sure the Rx is compatible with my NX8 Spectrum transmitter. Thanks!
Hi, I am currently using a Spektrum AR410 with the plastic case taken off. I am unsure of the weight without the case. Keep in mind I still had to shave a little bit of foam off the side to get this receiver to fit.
Complimenti bel video anche io forse comprero il mio primo dlg e stavo valutando proprio questo qui ho altri alianti ma non dlg
I keep watching this video Jon. I so appreciate it. What did the expert tell you about his turning his glider and using his rudder?
Greetings!
When we are on landing approach with a DLG, we deploy the flaps. Some DLGs do have both flaps and ailerons, like the Yoda and one of the versions of the old school DLG Vandal and Taboo, but most use the ailerons as flaps on landing approach. Therefore, we use the rudder to make corrections to the landing approach. In DLGs, rudder can be effective in this regard.
Also, it's common to use aileron to rudder mix. Normally, the rudder moves around 3 or 4 mm with ailerons fully deflected. This is to help coordinate the turns.
Note that most DLGs do have some dihedral so the rudder can be used to turn the glider, but will not be as quick as the ailerons.
I'm no expert in DLG-I don't compete at all, and I can't even launch to 200 feet like the contest masters at El Dorado, but I learned to compensate by being able to work thermals from rather low altitudes.
Hi Jon, my AR410 should be here today. What channel do I plug each servo into? sorry dumb question I'm new to hobby after being out of it for years. thx. instruction for Libelle shows 6 channel receiver
Hi, the layout for spektrum goes TAER. Since there is no throttle, I plug each aileron into channel 1 and channel 2. The tail stays the same with the elevator going to channel 3 and rudder to channel 4.
I've never understood dlgs. NOT scale. But definitely a skill, and cheaper than motors or launch systems
🐶
So, would you recommend this DLG?
As an introduction to DLG, it is good but don't expect high launches or the wing holding together for a long time if you do full force launches all the time. It is simply not made for that kind of "abuse." Yes, you will learn how to throw a DLG and how to handle one in the air, but once you know how, it's best to move on to a composite one. They are not cheap, but in the world of sailplanes, you get what you pay for.
That’s very helpful. I think I’d rather invest in a better one. Any recommendations for one that is the next step up, but not too expensive?
Hi Jon, sorry what receiver did you use?
Hi, I’m using a Spektrum AR410 with the plastic casing removed.
@@JonsRC ok thx im building mine and wanted to go with spectrum as well. Plastic casing ? just remove it?
@@JonsRC how do you remove casing? do I need to wrap it up in something? sorry new here
@Lauren-t3r Yes, the case is removable. It will not fit unless it is off.
"DO NOT FLY OVER RIFLE RANGE"
Is this a suggestion or a dare?
Here, hold my rootbeer.
If you fly over, your plane may become target practice 😅
Here is why the Libelle's wing will eventually fail. Here is a link to a pilot who throws the Libelle with full force, the way you would do with a full composite DLG. If you can play the video in slow motion, note how the wing flexes severely. After a while, wing failure is a certainty because of the foam wing and very thin carbon spar.
ua-cam.com/video/zLI-44zLxSI/v-deo.html
A good plane that has only 2 channels but can give excellent performance and can be thrown full force is the 1 meter Elf-if you cna somehow find it since the war in Ukraine affected its production. RCGroups can be a place where it is occasionally found for sale. Another excellent 1 meter fully composite DLG that can be bought receiver ready is the Armsoar Deviant. Excellent DLG. Or the 1 meter Strike 3 (this one is harder to assemble and installing the electronics can be a veritable PITA but it flies close to a full size 1.5 meter DLG). Also the Hawk 1 meter.
Great deals can be had in RCGroups for used but in good condition DLGs. I bought my used Flitz2 for just 385 dollars RTF. Brand new with the electronics, it can cost over 1000 dollars.
Small tiny repetitive circles, to try to get Lift...
You are launching way too steep. Reduce the elevator on your launch preset and throw it harder into a 70 degree climb for a higher launch.
He launched it harder the week after this video was filmed. But, as I mentioned, the Libelle is simply not cut for this kind of throwing hard. The wing failed in one of his hard launches- it split in two at the center (it folded). The problem with the Libelle is that the wing flexes on launch. Eventually it fails.
put some shoes on you mite just launch higher
I wil make a dito copy just 3000₹
Looks tail heavy….