Prism Zero G RC Kite at SEFSD

I live in Minnesota but spend January in San Diego. I enjoy flying with the Silent Electric Flyers of San Diego (SEFSD) at the Mission Bay field, but needed a reasonably sized model airplane that would travel well on an airline. I modified a Prism Zero G Glider kite for this mission. As a kite, it flies in the Canard configuration. As an airplane, I put the motor on the opposite end and use the canard surfaces as elevators. A light weight rudder was added for the airplane configuration.

The conversion was very successful. The video shows test flights at the Coronado Tidelands Park flying both as an airplane and a kite. In smooth air, it flies "hands off".

The Wingspan is 1067 mm (42") and the "All Up Weight" is 225 grams (8 oz) including a 1.3 gram recording altimeter. Flight time is 15 minutes with a 3S 500mah Lipo. At the SEFSD field, I recorded a maximum altitude of 352 ft. The only real concern with this model airplane is that you could easily loose it in a thermal. So morning, or evening, or cloudy days are best. It also flies well in a gymnasium.