Model: Dave's Aircraft Works TG-3 Type: Foamie trainer sailplane Status: Active Weight: 32 oz Controls: R/E/A Wing Span: 71" Wing Area: 609 " sq Airfoil: Clark-Y modified Wing Loading: 7.57 oz/sq.ft

This was the first foamie-style airplane that I ever built. I've always liked the lines on the real TG-3, and I've thought that it would be nice to have an unbreakable airplane that I could teach friends to fly on. This sailplane nicely combines aspects of both. The airplane is basically stock, except that I substituted Whyte Wings carbon-fibre pushrods for the kit-supplied nyrods. The corroplast tail group looked both heavy and floppy, so I built a quick symmetrical balsa tail to save some weight. I simply cut two pieces of 1/16" balsa to the shape of the original tail feathers, glued a 1/16"x1/4"(tapered)" strip to one half of the rudder/elevator at 1/3 chord, and then edge glued the other half to form the symmetical airfoil; hard to explain, but easy to do. Setup with a neutrally-stable balance point, the TG-3 is remarkably aerobatic. On the slope, it will stay up in winds that not even Zagi will handle, and it's winch-proof for days at the thermal field. The best bit is most crashes don't hurt the model at all. Everyone, experienced or not, should have one of these in their fleet. Back?