"Glider of the Year" honors go to the Great Planes Spirit Elite 2M Sailplane

Following up on the success of the original Spirit 2-meter sailplane, the Great Planes Spirit Elite has been named R/C's best new glider! The Spirit Elite recently achieved the highest total score in the prestigious Model of the Year competition, earning the title of 2001-2002 Model Glider of the Year.

Designed to recognize those R/C aircraft that have attained the highest design and manufacturing standards, the Model of the Year Awards were originated in 1979 by Guy Revel, a respected columnist for several of Europe's leading model magazines. Numerous gliders were submitted by the industry's top manufacturers, and after extensive building and testing, a panel of representatives from the leading model publications in Japan, Australia, Europe and the USA voted the Spirit Elite sailplane as the industry's finest.

Advanced technology helps ensure that the Spirit Elite assembles straight and strong. Basswood spars add durability to the interlocking wing, and the leading edges are sheeted to improve aerodynamics. The wing separates into two pieces for easy transportation, and features a plywood/aluminum joiner to provide extra strength for hi-starts and winch launches. In the sky, the Spirit Elite's light weight, low drag design and triple taper planform combine to deliver the high speeds and wind penetration required for contest maneuvers. The Selig/Ashok Gopalarathnam SA7035 airfoil blends into a SA7036 airfoil at the tips for better lift and stability, and the wing can be built one of two ways. Plus, the Spirit Elite's control surfaces are designed so that pilots with a 6-channel computer radio can easily perform crow mixing, as well as "zoom" quickly from thermal to thermal.

The 2001-2002 Model Glider of the Year Award for the Great Planes Spirit Elite was held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 1st at the Great Planes Model Distributors Company booth at the Nuremburg Toy Fair in Nuremburg, Germany.