A morning’s flying the Merlin so I took the chance to follow Martin’s advice and try out some EM type turns. Being new to this turn style I started off by simply reducing my differential and flattening out the more ‘Nordic’ turns I’m more used to.
This seemed to work pretty well and what became an extended bank and sweep turns, heading back to me in the centre of the course. There was even the occasional ‘kick’ as I really go the turn right, what I liked was the steady build up of speed when it was right and the clear identification of ‘wrong’. I’m a long way from doing any of this in a race but the Merlin’s ability to smoothly carry ballast and keep on tracking made it a very simple air frame to use.
It was AGM weekend and so the Slope soon started to fill up- a nice change on southern slopes really. The entertainment of 3 men trying to work out how to make an EPPi-soar work only to launch it into the turning point of an F3F model is always worth 10 minutes of your morning.
The pitbulls met their match on the ground with my Terrier but in the air they looked really impressive!