JH> I have been reading the messages and noticed that a lot of you guys
 JH> fly gliders. I have been fling powered R/C models for about three
 JH> years now. I am interested in buying a slope soaring glider. I am
 JH> looking into a Sig Ninja. Is this a good flier, and just how aerobatic
 JH> is it. I can handle an aerobatic ship with out any trouble, so don't
 JH> recomend a slow flying thermal glider as a first glider. If any of you
 JH> can give me any pointers, I would appreciate it.
Don't be too quick to dismiss those long-winged slowbies. If your 
flying conditions aren't much more than a 5mph breeze up a 1:4 
slope your high wing loaded bird will be grounded while the 
thermal birds are flying--and doing acrobatics. What you choose 
should depend to a large extent on your flying site. West coast 
flyers with a 30mph wind coming over a 300' cliff can get by with 
something whittled out of a 2x4. From the looks of it's picture 
in my Northeast Sailplanes catalog, that Ninja may need at least 
10-15 mph up a 1:4 slope or better to keep it airborne. 
My site requires an efficient flyer (like my Corndogger) because 
the conditions are often like those described above. We don't 
often see aileron or wingeron planes here because they need more 
lift than is usually available. The wind typically blows 5-15 and 
is gusty so one is often forced to fly low and slow which 
increases the liklihood of stall/spin crashes and cartwheels from 
dragging wingtips on low turns. Naturally, I crash a lot so I 
prefer foam-fiberglass construction because it's quicker and 
easier to repair. If your site is similar I also recommend 
breakaway type construction for the wing and tail; attach 'em with 
rubber bands or light nylon screws that break when you crash. Use 
pull-pull strings on the control surfaces instead of push rods to 
reduce weight in the tail and eliminate servo gear striping when 
you crash. 
On the other hand, my flying buddy who recently moved out to the 
west coast reports that the gliders flown from the cliffs out 
there are always built solidly. Their risk factors are from 
fluttering in a 100mph dive more than from low speed crashes into 
the ground. 
Good luck and keep us posted. 
--- Blue Wave/Max v2.12
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