Towline Gliders

Two people outdoors each holding a model glider plane, one in a blue hoodie and one in a white hat.

Free Flight Sport

As seen in the April 2025 issue of Model Aviation.

ONE OF THE oldest forms of Free Flight (FF)—and for many, the most enjoyable—is Towline Gliders.

The idea is simple: A 3- to 6-foot wingspan glider is launched from a 50-meter (164.04-foot) towline into circling free flight. Most FF Towline Gliders are lightweight (5 to 15 ounces) and tow up like a kite then float off the line gently into soaring flight.

The National Free Flight Society (NFFS) sponsors a low-key competition event for Towline Gliders called Classic Towline. Models must be straight-tow only with a simple, open towhook on a 50-meter towline. No on-tow or in-flight flight surface incidence changes are allowed, except for a tow rudder. The maximum projected flight surface area is 750 sq. in. The flight maximum, or max, on each flight is 180 seconds. The total of three flights determines the winner.

The larger Classic models have approximately 400 to 450 sq. in. of wing area and weigh about 12 ounces. This roughly corresponds to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s (FAI) F1A class of Towline Gliders. It’s a size that tows easily and thermals very well. A good, large Classic model can do close to 3 minutes in neutral or slightly buoyant air.

Large Gliders

There are many Towline Glider plans available for scratch-building, and some very good old-stock kits can still be had on eBay and other secondhand sources. Look for Dragmaster, Ultimate Dragmaster, or Stratos kits. The A-2-size Bobcat is now available in short and full kits from Hummingbird Model Products. The price is $55 for a basic kit up to $200 for a deluxe kit.

Small Gliders

Another popular type of Classic Towline is the A-1 size. These smaller aircraft are a bit harder to tow, but they are very good flyers, and a lot of kits are still in production. A-1 gliders have an approximate 275 sq. in. total area, a 4-foot wingspan, and weigh about 5 ounces. They’re easy to build and transport and don’t require any special materials or techniques. Check out the Dragonfly, Lil’ Dip, and Jetstream ($67 to $71) from BMJR Models, or look at the Ghost and Jesse James (both $76.98) from Retro RC. Hummingbird Model Products also offers three nifty A-1-size kits: the Finnair, Sooner, and Hansen. They are available as short and full kits ranging from $55 to $95.

Out of the U.K., there’s a kit of Martin Bridge’s very nice 1956 Aiglet for £45.00 (approximately $56 USD). Finally, Bob Holman Plans offers six very nice short kits: the Texas Cloud Climber, Top Kick, Ghost, Jetstream, Lil’ Dip, and Egghead. All are in the range of $30 to $50.

Old-Timer Towline

Towline designs from 1950 and earlier are considered Old-Timers (OT). The Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) holds competition events for these beautiful old designs, all of which feature stick-and-tissue construction and gorgeous built-up fuselages. OT kits still in production include the Sinbad, Lulu, and Cosmo from Retro RC, which are priced between $67 and $74. You can also find original kits on eBay.

Man in hat holding model airplane in grassy field. — Mark Freeland, the proprietor of Retro RC, is shown with the Lulu Towline Glider that he kits. Lulu qualifies as a SAM OT glider and can also be flown in NFFS Classic Towline.

Blueprint of a glider model with detailed wing and fuselage structure. — Two terrific kits for Classic Towline Glider are the Texas Cloud Climber and Ray Hansen’s 1959 A-1. See the text for ordering information.

Colorful model airplane on a wooden table. — Two terrific kits for Classic Towline Glider are the Texas Cloud Climber and Ray Hansen’s 1959 A-1. See the text for ordering information.

Modern Towline Gliders

The FAI adopted Towline Glider as a world championship event (F1A) in the early 1950s, and the class remains popular worldwide, with world championships being held every two years. Starting in the 1970s, F1A began rapidly advancing, first with circle-tow technology, then zoom launch, and then bunt (a 1/4 outside loop at the top of the launch point). Today, state-of-the-art composite F1As catapult to more than a 120-meter launch height on a mere 50-meter towline.

Man holding a large drone in a grassy field under a cloudy sky. — Yuri Grushkovskiy, of Ukraine, is one of the world’s elite builders of stateof-the-art F1A Towline models. Such fully molded, carbon-fiber aircraft are capable of astounding performance.

Hi-Start Gliders

An exciting twist on Towline is the Hi-Start Glider event. A fixed line and tow ring with a shorter length of rubber is staked into the ground and the flier pulls the model back and launches into the wind. The glider gently rises and eventually releases when the rubber relaxes fully. This technique involves no specialized models—regular Towline gliders work fine. The advantage of a hi-start launch is that no running is required, which is a significant issue with our aging population of fliers.

Man and woman holding model airplane with stars, standing in a grassy field. — John and Patti Lorbiecki are shown with Patti’s JPL-1 for Hi-Start Glider. The scene is the 2024 AMA Outdoor FF Nats.

A Hi-Start Glider event is held at the Outdoor FF Nats each year and is gaining in popularity. In the words of event originator Andy Tomasch, "The rules are now mature and well-proven, as is the hi-start launcher technology. This is a perfect event for Junior fliers to fly their first big contest FF model. Come try rubber power without a winder, blast tube, lubricant, torque meter, or carving a propeller. Dust off your old A-1 glider or build a new one. There is great flexibility in both the model and launcher specifications, so, by all means, design a new glider and optimize the launcher for it.

"The event is held on Nats Friday, affording Classic Towline fliers the opportunity to fly a second event with the same models. In addition to NFFS medals, merchandise prizes are awarded to the top three winners in both Senior/Open and Junior categories. We’re having fun—come join us!"