MY FIRST EVER DLG (DISCUS LAUNCH GLIDER)! DREAM FLIGHT LIBELLE DLG KIT!

Good GOD!! The prices are outrageous. The manufacturers are clearly aware that DLG’s are all the rage at the moment. Don’t keep the lanyard on; it restricts proper movement. And swing that body, bro!! And remember, “Do Not Fly Over Rifle Range.”

riffle range nearby !!

wow! amazing improvement!

Really awesome video, DLG looks so relaxing apart from the tranny set up and launch part , any chance of an update video as you get the hang of it ?

I might have to add this to my wish list after I get my transmitter for my first airplane. I’ve only flown quad drones, but plan to get an airplane soon. After I have the transmitter this will be a reasonable investment.

Good choice. Buy a 100 dollars or 1,000 dollars glider,is for the same,fun and learn.👍

That's me sold! I love boomerang chucking so this really appeals....

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.

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.

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've never understood dlgs. NOT scale. But definitely a skill, and cheaper than motors or launch systems

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

Sweet little plane. Getting better keep practicing and you'll be thermalling in no time!

Bello 🔝💪👍🙋‍♂️

Thanks for catching me on my battery error Daemn42. I really do know better.

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!

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.

ah. I recognize this field. I used to fly at whittier narrows. I flew my heli there, too.

nice! you have been doing this for a long time and gliders are a new thing.

I kept waiting for that big black cloud to pull you up into infinity.

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.

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?

I wil make a dito copy just 3000₹

put some shoes on you mite just launch higher

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 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

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.

Really cool watching your progress after just a short time! I really have to get into DLG.

A few of your launches at the end were very good.............. Time for an all composite ship and some good servos!

makes me wanna buy one again

Complimenti bel video anche io forse comprero il mio primo dlg e stavo valutando proprio questo qui ho altri alianti ma non dlg

Hi Jon, sorry what receiver did you use?

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.

Small tiny repetitive circles, to try to get Lift...

Definitely use a small lightweight LiPo battery !

Looks tail heavy….

"DO NOT FLY OVER RIFLE RANGE"
Is this a suggestion or a dare?
Here, hold my rootbeer.

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.

Very expensive way to get into gliders. I hope you enjoy.

I also want
libelle dlg.　good！

Nice glider...

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

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

Good job Jon, keep it up!

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.

So, would you recommend this DLG?

Good video feĺla

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.

Looks like fun but it made me dizzy just watching. 😊