I have flown radio controlled slope soaring gliders for many years on and off and have enjoyed many trials and tribulations in learning to fly them well. Recently increased activity has been seen on many slopes with more and more fliers travelling up the hills as the 'indestructible' model or 'Foamie' becomes more prevalent. Many of these new slope fliers come from the power fields and the discipline is enjoying this upsurge in popularity. Expanded Poly Propylene (EPP) is the truly remarkable material that has brought about this change, but with it a new problem and animosity has arisen that the hobby could easily manage without. Let me explain:-

"You can't fly that here!" the man said, gesturing toward the beaten, V shaped, lump of EPP that I'd casually skimmed onto the floor as I unloaded the car.

"Why not?" I queried. I'd been in this slope soaring club for some time, but this guy was new to me.

"We don't allow combat here." he continued.

"Quite right too!" I agreed. "Not with all this public access."

This seemed to throw him somewhat, and he reeled even more when the next model from the car was a 1/4 scale PIK 20, as if he couldn't correlate the two travelling together somehow. Puzzled, I continued.

"So why can't I fly it here then? It's a glider is it not, and this is a Gliding club?"

"Yeah, but it's a combat model, and we don't allow combat here!"

Good grief I thought. Have things really degenerated so far towards these simply constructed flying wings that modellers are becoming prejudiced towards them now? Good job it wasn't a helicopter eh! The guy simply could not disassociate the presence of an EPP flying wing on the slope with the activity of combat flying.

Surprisingly, this was not the first time I had come across this. What our poor friend was getting at of course, was not his displeasure with a type of model, moreover the way in which he wrongly anticipated that I would be flying it.
In his eyes I was going to blast it around the sky with complete and utter disregard for all the other models on the hill because it's a foamie and that's what foamie fliers do, apparently.

In some respects he is correct. Flying a virtually indestructible model does give you a different mind set. You are at the very least no longer concerned about losing the model in a mid air, or fluffing the perfect landing approach. There is no getting away from this variant mind-set. It is unavoidable. However with some particular individuals it is also inescapable too. Some pilots will indeed fly their chunk'o'foam to the detriment of the other slope users at all times. It is chiefly this that has labelled the owner of a foamie as a 'Slope Hooligan' in our fun policeman's eyes.

So bad had been his past experiences (as it turned out at another club, which was eventually the reason for him joining this one) that he assumed that even though mine was the only foamie there at the time, that he would not be able to concentrate on, and enjoy to any real extent, his flying.
He thought I'd be too busy hogging the slope edge and not concerning myself with where his 'Gentle Lady' was. That's why the scale job had taken the wind out of his sails a little as in his eyes it gave me at least some credibility, detracting from what he thought was a hooligan with a foamie.
Doubtless too (damn, I should've asked him) he thought that 20 of my power flying mates would soon be up the hill to spend the day with me slugging it out 'old school' with combat, limbo, beer can skittles etc. to really blight his day.

Now, for my two pence worth, nobody has the right to 'ban' a particular style of flying. I spent too long on the BMFA Council defending this hypothesis to the hilt. This does of course assume that the activity in no way infringes any safety codes, bylaws or similar legislation.
Nobody has the right to tell anyone else that they can't fly a certain type of model in a certain type of way if it is free from excessive danger and the competency of the pilot is beyond doubt. As for the political correctness of Combat itself, well there's a whole book on its own!

Although many a traditionalist slope flyer would love to see a world EPP shortage there can be no denying that it does have a place on our slopes. One could even describe the decision of the USA's Pat Bowman (for it's all his fault) to build the first model from this military grade packaging material as 'revolutionary'.

When I learned to fly slope soaring gliders back in the dark ages, one tiny mistake could have you tracking back down the hill for a weeks worth of repairs. Now at least, with EPP you can slam your trainer into the floor in the hardest of cock-ups, pick it up and skim it off again continuing to log stick time.
Another often unsung 'pro' of EPP is the number of alternative slope sites that it has opened up. Many sites previously considered to be unflyable now hold no fears if you fly them with a foamie. Rocky quarries, beach cliffs even dry stone walls that would shred a 'crunchy' model are all now in our catalogue of accessible places to fly.
Kids love them too. No longer do they fear the wrath of Dad should they bust his latest toy because with EPP it is very unlikely to happen. In my mind the BMFA and similar associations should embrace the possibilities that EPP has opened up. It could be the Holy Grail that they have been seeking all these years to prevent the decline in number of aeromodelling youngsters. It is an eminently affordable way into the hobby too with a typical base set up cost of around £150.
One thing however is certain. EPP is here to stay. At least until something better comes along.

Expanded Poly Propylene models have come a long way since their introduction in 1996. The 'Bullet' was the first commercially available UK EPP model and you can still get them today. This model is as basic as you can get. Combat quickly became popular and the lads at Avicraft began to distribute American flying wing designs which offered better recovery from a 'kill'. The ubiquitous Zagi in its many guises can be seen on most slopes today.
In 2000 the UK BMFA Slope Pylon Racing league went to all EPP to reduce attrition and revive the ailing class. 39 competitors flew EPP pylon in the 2002 league. UK manufacturers such as SAS Sailplanes, Phoenix Model Products, SuperRonik Models and Vortex Plastics, now almost exclusively manufacture EPP soarers of all types.
At the last count I personally owned nine foamies which I use for Combat, general sport flying Pylon Racing and Dynamic Soaring. I fly them all alongside my many and varied hard models.
These latter two disciplines have seen EPP model design evolve to be as 'state of the art' and as thoroughbred as many a moulded F3F racer. The Sblitz, JW, Bluto, Gulp, Ricoshe and Cyclone for example all being leaders in their field.

Nowadays in America it is even becoming common to see quite large 1/4 scale models of warbirds and sailplanes made from EPP. PSS especially is a very popular use of the material, but 4 metre span full scale gliders are also beginning to hit the UK scene. I wonder if the guy at the start of our tale would have objected the same if the PIK 20 had been made from foam?

Despite this expanding usage of the material, the perception of the 'slope hooligan' does still remain and I have been on the other side of that fence.

I once had occasion to test fly a 2.8m moulded model at an open site near Salisbury whilst away from home. To say that the hill was busy this day would be quite an understatement. As I launched there was a guy with a 1/4 scale DG600 stooging around out from the hill and another with a moulded Ellipse 1T trying to speck it out above us. This left the compression layer and slope front for me. Perfect. Within minutes though eight guys, obviously mates, had arrived with combat wings for some slope edge fun. They all pretty much launched simultaneously and started to slug it out close to the hill. You could tell by the laughter that they were having a good time. Their presence and the cost of my own model tended to push me out from the hill somewhat as you can imagine. It wasn't long before another two large scale jobs were in the air and flying out to join me and then a full sized glider arrived above our heads pushing the Ellipse down into the foray. At one point the local police helicopter came in for a look and two hang gliders flew in from their part of the hill to get a share of our better lift. With another two foamies launched to dynamic soar the hilltop ditches the sky was now very crowded with 15 models in the air. I was forced to fly further and further out from the hill to avoid the foam but now I was mixing it with the other expensive stuff in the weak lift outside the band.

One of the scale fliers was harping on about it always being like this on a Sunday and asked the foamie lads to clear the landing area which to be fair they duly did. I decided to take the opportunity to follow him in and sit it out. Unfortunately this was the pattern for the rest of the day. The edge of the hill constantly crowded out by EPP models, and as I didn't have mine with me, I never got the space to fly again. As a visitor, I (unusually for me) didn't see it as my place to interfere, but was surprised to see that there was obviously two clear camps on the hill with little or no communication between them.

Perhaps I have been spoiled on my home slopes. If I want to fly a crunchy on one of my clubs (www.tmfc.org.uk) combat outings, a simple request to the other dozen or so lads that I'm with will see them sit it out and have a brew whilst I go whistling around with a racer for a while. A very considerate bunch and a very amicable arrangement. One or two of the dedicated 'foamie only' lads are even now taking an interests in this 'other' branch of the class.

However with letters of complaint in the national modelling press and an occasional domination of various internet forums berating foamie fliers as 'Slope Hooligans' the problem persists and the fire is continuously stoked. The most extreme and notable example of this that I have seen is the complete and outright ban on foamies at one of the countries biggest slope meets following the inability of organisers to resolve by negotiation the previous years problems associated with the ever crowded sky. Everyone likes to see a nice big scale glider flown well, but who would want to pick their way through a sea of EPP with £2500 worth of 6m scale ship? Not me!

The messages from this are really simple. To those of you who detest EPP and everything you believe it stands for, who have never owned, nor would ever want to own, a deformable model made from it, try not to fear what you don't understand. Fly one before you knock them and gain an appreciation from the other side. Recognise the benefits that they can bring for the future of the hobby, and appreciate that some slopes are well suited to combat and such like and indeed the practice may be very well established, attracting fliers from neighbouring slopes where it is outlawed. To travel there as an "anti" and expect to be deferred to by the foamies is perhaps a little ambitious.

To those of you who have found slope soaring from power flying or sought a way into aeromodelling through the appeal of EPP then be aware that that it is not for everyone. Recognise that EPP does promote a mindset that can be detrimental to the enjoyment of other more traditional slope users and use it wisely, acknowledging the right of others to enjoy their chosen hobby in their own way and that this can be impeded if you do not occasionally make way. Be aware at all times that you and your practices must additionally be seen to be safe in the eye's of the general public and pay attention to their presence as spectators.

Remember that there are enough people from outside Aeromodelling knocking the model flying fraternity and trying to curtail our activities without us doing it internally to each other. I'm sure you will agree when I claim that there is enough room up those hills for us all.

Thermals to you.