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Watch the tail of the airplane bounce up to see if
you are hitting lift. When you fly into a thermal it
kicks the tail up and thus points the nose down.
Despite this “dive” position your plane may actu-
ally be going up in the lift. It depends on the strength
of the thermal. That “up tail” is a sign to watch for
in thermal spotting.
Use your visual keys and work on your skills so you
can become accustomed to thermal flying. Don't for-
get to watch the birds too. If you see birds with their
wings stretched out, circling high above, you can be
sure they are in a thermal. Launch your plane and
head in that direction. They won't mind you joining
them in the fun!
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Adjustable Connector: Connects to the servo arm.
The pushrod wire passes through the connector and
is held in place with a set screw. The screw can be
loosened to allow the pushrod wire to be adjusted to
the correct length.
C/A Glue: An acronym for Cyanoacrylate. It dries
very fast like "Super Glue". It comes in many differ-
ent formulas for different uses.
Center of Gravity: Most commonly referred to as
the CG or balance point, it is the point at which the
airplane is in complete balance in all three axis.
Clevis: Part of the control system, either made out of
nylon or metal. It connects the pushrod wire to the
control horn mounted on the control surface.
Clevis Attachment Holes: The molded holes in the
control horn. The clevis attaches to these holes.
Control Horn: Part of the control system, the con-
trol horn is mounted to the control surface. It allows
the pushrod to be connected to the control surface.
Most all control horns are adjustable to allow for more
or less control surface movement.
Covering: Material made out of vinyl or polyester.
Covering has heat sensitive adhesive that when heated,
sticks to the wood frame of the airplane. The Whis-
per uses heat sensitive vinyl covering.
Cycle: The act of fully charging and discharging the
flight battery. Cycling the battery increases perfor-
mance and duration.
Dihedral: The upward angle of each wing half. Di-
hedral creates more stability that makes learning to
fly much easier.
Dihedral Brace: Made out of plywood, the dihedral
brace strengthens the joint between two wing sections.
Elevator: The elevator is the control surface on the
back of the airplane that moves up and down. This
surface controls pitch.
E.S.C.: Electronic Speed Control. See Motor Con-
troller below.
Epoxy: A two part glue containing a resin and a hard-
ener. Epoxy is available in several drying times and
is stronger than C/A glue. Epoxy is used in high stress
areas such as joining wing halves.
Folding Propeller: The propeller is mounted to the
motor. It turns the with the motor to give the airplane
forward thrust. The propeller on the Whisper folds
back when the motor is off. This allows less drag and
prevents the propeller from breaking during landing.
Hinges: Usually made out of plastic, the hinges con-
nect the control surfaces to the stabilizers or wing.
They pivot allowing the control surface to move.
Horizontal Stabilizer: Mounted in the rear of the
airplane, the stabilizer works with the elevator to con-
trol pitch.
Landing Skid: Usually made out of tough plastic,
the landing skid mounts on the bottom of the fu-
selage to prevent damage to the fuselage during
landing.
Motor Controller: Usually called an electronic speed
control (ESC), the motor controller controls the speed
of the motor. Motor controllers can also be simple on
and off switches.
Output Shaft: The final portion of the output gear.
It's the part the protrudes from the top of the servo.
Peak Charger: A type of battery charger that uses a
microprocessor to sense when your battery is fully
charged (peak charged). Once peak charged, the
charger shuts off so the battery does not overcharge.
