GREAT PLANES SPIRIT ELITE
FIELD & BENCH REVIEW
by Roger Post Sr.

SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Great Planes
Model name: Spirit Elite kit
Type: glider
Wingspan: 78.5 in.
Wing area: 645 sq. in.
Airfoil: SA 7035 at the root and SA 7036 at the tip
Weight: 33 to 35 oz.; review model weight: 42 oz.
Wing loading: 7.3 oz./sq. ft.; review model: 9.3 oz./sq. ft.
Length overall: 46 in.
Radio req'd: 4- to 6-channel w/4 to 6 microservos
Radio used: Futaba 6XA
List price: $64.99
Features: low-drag design with advanced airfoils for speed and wind penetration; engineered to take full advantage of computer radio mixing; die-cut interlocking wood parts for strength and easy assembly; lift off, vacuum-formed canopy conceals radio compartment; can be built with a polyhedral or straight wing; two-piece, bolt-on wing for ease of transportation; ideal for slope soaring, high-start, winch and aerotow.
Comments: the glider went together fairly easily with only a couple of minor problems (see text). Some handy tips in the manual help with the covering process, and the glider flies beautifully. It is good for intermediate to advanced glider pilots.

Hits

• High-quality die-cutting.
  
• Nice-looking glider that soars well.
  
• Good packaging of materials.
  
• Wing has ailerons and flaps.
  

Misses

• Lack of step-by-step written instructions.
  
• Some wood slightly warped.
  
• Incorrect canopy hold-down position.
  

The Spirit Elite can be built with a straight wing or with a polyhedral one; I built the straight wing because I wanted to experiment with flaps and ailerons for more sophisticated flying. This is not a model for beginners. Instead of the step-by-step construction notes I have seen in other Great Planes kits, you need to accurately interpret the drawings of the building process. I'll touch on some points that will simplify this.

I built and sanded the tail surfaces according to the indicated taper on the plans, which, by the way, are well drawn. The fuselage goes together quickly. It's easier to position and secure the three towhook blind nuts before you install the pushrod tube. Also be sure that the pushrod tubes fit easily through the holes in bulkheads F-14, F-15 and F-17 before these formers are glued into place. Sand and finish the fuselage per the instructions and set it aside.

There are many important notes in the wing construction, so read them carefully. You'll first need to decide whether to build the straight wing or polyhedral version. I used Great Planes' 30-minute epoxy to construct the wing joiner, joiner boxes and the inner and outer wing-panel joints. The wing is built upside-down and, to avoid confusion, study the drawings carefully. In drawing 10, the wing joiner is drawn upside-down–not the way it is actually installed. This is only for a trial-fit to ensure that the wing-joiner box is wide enough to accept the joiner.

Once you've constructed the inner panel, build the outer panel. The step for cutting off the rib-jig tabs on the outer panel was omitted from the instructions, but you should do this before you continue. If I were to construct another wing, I would build the inner and outer panels as one piece for more strength. When I had joined the panels, I cut the tip blocks, ailerons and the flap trailing-edge stock to shape, then I glued and shaped the tip blocks. (I did have some slightly warped aileron stock in my kit.)

I glued the wing-bolt plates into position and mounted the wing on the fuselage. Make sure you mark and drill the mounting holes accurately. Use a 10-24 tap to thread the wing-mounting block in the fuselage. When I installed the canopy using the rubber band as instructed, the canopy wasn't aligned. Instead, I installed a small hook screw in the forward servo rail, and that pulled the canopy down into its proper position. After covering the glider with MonoKote, I hinged the control surfaces and glued the tail into place. I installed my Futaba radio gear and attached the wing so I'd be able to balance the glider properly. The manual has great tips regarding towhook location, flying and advanced features such as thermalling, slope-soaring and adding ballast. Look them over before you go flying.

That's a Wrap

For the intermediate to advanced builder, this kit should be easy to construct. I found it easy–although lengthy–to build. The results are a very good-looking model that thermals well. I enjoy flying it and now find myself constantly checking the weather for good thermalling days. The Spirit Elite is another fine model from Great Planes.

KIT FLIGHT PERFORMANCE

Takeoff and Landing

Use a high-start, electric winch, or throw it off a slope, I used the Dynaflite Hi-Start. There's plenty of zip in the high-start's rubber tube, and it will quickly get the glider to 300 feet.. Keep the wings level on the way up, and use the rudder to keep the tracking straight. By lowering the flaps (15 degrees) and ailerons (5 degrees) via computer mixing, you can add some camber to the wing; this will produce a steeper climb and a higher release altitude. Let the glider fly off the high-start by itself, and you're on your way to thermalling. To land the Spirit Elite, set up the downwind and base leg a little higher than normal, and once you have the glider established on final, deploy the crow mixing (flaps go down; ailerons go up). You'll need to add some elevator trim–in this case, down trim–to keep the glider on a steep descent path. When set up correctly, crow will act as a speed brake and spoiler, so make sure you can adjust it incrementally via the throttle stick. You might momentarily need to take some crow out if you happen to undershoot the approach. The Spirit Elite settles to the ground smoothly for a gentle touchdown that requires a slight flare. When you become proficient with the use of crow and how the glider handles, you can land it in a very short distance.

Low-speed Performance

This is where the glider excels. It soars well in a strong thermal, making shallow banked turns and gentle climbs and dives. If you are not proficient at using the rudder stick, it will be necessary to couple the rudder to the ailerons. Since the Spirit Elite has a flat-bottom, high aspect ratio wing, it is prone to adverse yaw. So, to prevent it from initially turning in the opposite direction of the stick movement, rudder must be added to bring the nose around with the turn.

The Spirit Elite has a gentle stall, but it will lose some altitude in the recovery process. Don't stall it close to the ground unless you are going for a spot landing.

High-speed Performance

The Spirit Elite will gain speed in a dive, but be careful during the recovery. A sharp pullout could possibly stress the wing beyond its structural limit. The fastest speed that I attained with the glider was during the high-start launch. After that, the Spirit Elite just floated around looking for thermals.

Aerobatics

Big, gentle loops, stall turns, spins and lazy eights were the only aerobatics I tried. As in the high-speed performance, a very gentle pull was used for all dives for airspeed. To accomplish the spin, stall turn and lazy eights, the rudder must have a large amount of deflection.

Overall, the Spirit Elite is a great thermaller, and once you become accustomed to its flight characteristics and all of its mixing possibilities, it can provide hours of soaring fun.