At that time tourism was in its infancy, transport links were long, difficult, potentially arduous with accommodation often basic. See the first glider that really survived my learning curve some ten plus years ago was a 2x4. Having lived and worked in bustling Guangzhou and keen to discover more of China, I knew within my heart that I wanted to go ‘beyond the clouds', to Yunnan. The unique tiled rooftops and the sheer compactness of the Old Town is best viewed from Lion Hill. Apart from horse, no vehicle traffic meant narrow, stone-laid alleys wound between a dense maze of buildings centred on the Market Square. The Naxi, as middlemen, prospered as did Lijiang with its unique, spacious domestic architecture - distinctive two-floor homes with rear courtyards set along a network of fast-flowing canals. Nestling below icy peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ( yulongxueshan) Lijiang was on the ‘Tea Horse Road' ( chamagudao) between Yunnan's Pu'er and Tibet's Lhasa. Their traditional existence continued, seemingly in a time-warp, contrasting with rapidly evolving eastern coastal areas. The filmmakers had serialised the lives of the Naxi ethnic nationality living within Yunnan province's Lijiang. In the early 1990's a documentary series,'Beyond the Clouds', introduced British television viewers to a remote town and its people high in the mountains of Southwest China. The first and last glider I flew over 10 years ago with a battery powered motor was an Electra.Towards Lijiang from slopes of the Snow Mountain 1995. The battery was one of those R/C car bricks and I was flying on the Western Slope of Colorado at a wee bit higher than sea level. The result was a bird that flew well under power, but was fast and hot when the power died do to the brick inside it. Well I am getting back into gliders after all these years and going through the magazines and web sites it appears things have greatly improved during my ten year snoozeīattries have most certainly shrunk and motors look like they have improved. I keep thinking about getting a electric power pod for the 2X6 I am working on. I tried to talk about electrics with the local hobby shop and they are nice, but clueless. I now live on the other side of Colorado next to Wyoming (Where Men are Men, Women are Women and sheep run scared ) They quickly gave me the altitude story followed by offering to sell me a Cox 049 pod. I have a love for clean power and no greasy slimy clean up after running an 049 engine. If I have to do an 049 then I might as well go back into a Kadet. I can use a high-start again, but I am lazy and prefer not to have to do all the work of setting up one if I don't have too. Or have I awakend from my 10 year slumber to a world where such pods can perform well even at a mile high above sea level So is my dream of a light electric powered pod for my 2X6 or the 2 meter ship in my closet awating to be built a pipe dream. (Sig 1/4 scale Cub on Aveox power and 36 cells). We're still towing with it, though it's strictly a specialty item, since the gassie tugs have WAY more pull power. I really think the HOB 2X6 is underrated. I have a pure glider version, too, that came in at just 21 oz (again, toss the liteply fuselage sides). They build really fast (no lie here, I built my first 2X6 in just 7 hours from box to trim flight!), the kit quality is WAY better than a Gentle Lady, and they fly great! The Dynaflite Wanderer is another fast build kit, but it is a heavier airplane, and the wing is flimsy, with its one-piece beam spar. The HOB 2圆 makes a great first project, and it was the first choice for our Student Internship program at Boeing last summer. Everyone in the class finished on schedule, and every plane flew well on the flyoff day. Most survived the day- with rank beginners doing their own hi-start launches and landings. Thanks for the confirmation that a 2X6 is an excellent choice for me to get back into sail planes If anyone asks me which is better- a Gentle Lady or a GP Spirit, I'll answer HOB 2X6. It was the 2圆 in the local hobby shop that drove me back into the hobby. See the first glider that really survived my learning curve some ten plus years ago was a 2x4. It was the first glider I flew that did not end the day needing some major repair.
It was faster than my Gentle Lady, but it was a lot tougher bird. Anyway I had a wave of nostalgia when I saw the HOB 2X6 and got misty eyed. My wife told me to buy it, as it was not that expensive. I informed her that the kit was only the tip of the iceberg in the land of expenses. She said go ahead and get it as I was just exaggerating the costs. The poor woman has no clue what demons she has released. But as she will tell you she is never wrong and with my guilt absolved by my warning I took the plunge back into the hobby.
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