News
The home of eSoaring in the UK - height limited RC thermal soaring glider contests for beginners and experts alike
The 2010 Competition Calendar is now up!
See the Competition Calendar for dates and venues of the 29 events, covering much of the England and Scotland.
This site is for promoting eSoaring - electric R/C thermal soaring competitions that use a Height Limiter. These events are fun, a good test of thermaling skills, and do not require an expensive model or powertrain.
Approved Height Limiter switches are available from Martin Bell's site. Martin also mastered this very nice introductory video and wrote this eSoaring Leaflet - please print some and distribute them at your club.
Who are we?
We are growing band of forward thinking electric radio controlled glider fliers who are trailblazing new forms of thermal soaring contests. About five years ago it became clear to Mike Proctor that the then current BEFA and BARCS rules were not a good test of thermal soaring skills and he and subsequently Neil Stainton and others ran some experimental events limiting the electric motor’s power and energy. These were well received but running the contests was a nightmare, with time consuming tests required to ensure all the entrants complied with the power limitations.
When in 2008 height limiting switches became easily available they solved the two remaining problems, ensuring all contestants start the flight a the same height, and eliminating powertrain checking. Martin Bell championed the RC Electronics devices, checking their accuracy and reliability with test events and lab equipment, and started making them available to UK fliers. Martin drafted a new set of Height Limited Thermal Soaring Rules, and after much discussion these were adopted by the BMFA as an approved UK event. In 2009 we ran a UK league to these rules with many eSoaring contests being held in England and Scotland. In 2010 we will run about 29 events countrywide.
For up to the minute news about all UK altitude limited competitions please visit our forum - you will find help, technical information, and stimulating discussion.
Why enter eSoaring competitions?
- Competing is fun, and a great way to meet other like minded modellers and improve your modelling skills.
- The class is suitable for all sorts of model gliders, powered by any type of battery and electric motor. Just by fitting a height limiter the model can comply with the rules.
- Unlike most previous rule sets, this class allows all sizes of electric RC glider models to be competitive, allowing larger and more enjoyable models to be flown on an equal footing with lighter, smaller, less expensive soarers.
- Unlike any previous competition this class limits the launch altitude to 200m (656ft), so having 20/20 vision isn't a prerequisite.
- Differing to the old BMFA rules used in BEFA contests for example, this class only allows a single motor run per flight. This makes EVERY flight into a competition winning (or losing) moment, as you can no longer power out of sink. This makes the flights more exciting, and moves the emphasis away from the battery capacity to thermal hunting.
Don't think that you have to have a model capable of achieving the 10 minute flight time before you enter. The point of these rules is that thermal help will be required to obtain a max. If that wasn't the case the event would lose its main purpose as a test of thermaling skills and turn into another landing contest.
So please enter these competitions if you live the UK - all fliers are welcome, as long as you have BMFA insurance. Non UK fliers wishing to enter, please check with us first to confirm your insurance will cover you.
If you don't live in the UK please feel free to run your own set of national or club events using these rules. Any events held in other countries will facilitate validating the rules are fun and viable, so we can put them forward to the FAI for future ratification as an international electric thermal soaring class, possibly to be designated F5J.
Site changed 18/3/2010 - eSoaring info & history updated