Low & Slow Issue 8 1971

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Cover: Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. in form in his all-new tail-less ICARUS Low & Slow 8 f~atures many firsts. Herein find our first enclosed advertisements and below a copy of the script of L&S's first display ad in another journal, Soaring, to appear before 14,000 readers Oct.22.

YOU TOO CAN FLY ••• LOW & SLOW ••• share, plan, read Low & Slow your official series of 20 page booklets -full of wonderfulness and photos concerning man-prominent fuel-less low cost lightweight kinds of gliding and soaring.

JOIN THE BIRDMEN; wind feel; move with nature; up&down benefit; problem vibrate on ultralight low cost foot-launch-land hangsoaring and morel Take joy while scintillatingly advancing these arts via a unique pattern of disciplined study and penetrating dream play.

COME IN NOW at the beginning of the AGE OF LOW & SLOW FLYING, SKYSURFING, GROUND SKIMMING, FOOT LAUNCH SLOPE SOARING - the age of your dream-really-come-true. Share with us; editor:Joe; What's your name? For issues #1-24 (500 pages) send S12 to Low & Slow, 59 Dudley Ave., Venice, CA 90291 SPECIAL MOVEMENT PROGRESS NOTES *December issue of Science and Mechanics (on sale Nov. 10) has part of cover with a low and slow pilot from the Otto meet. Inside is an article ending with a referral to L&S. *February, 1972, issue of National Geographies will give 7 pages to the Otto Lilienthal meet. *A Bob L. aggressively moves to capture whatever market he sees in the movement. Low & Slow predicts: We will have the pleasure of of a magazine called the HANG GLIDER to supplement Low & Slow.

Note: L&S has no affiliation with Bob L. Before anybody runs with the organizational ball, L&S would like to hear of a meeting of those most keenly interested in all forms of man-prominent fuel-less flight systems. Ahead of us for some of us could be systems of instruction, skill ratings, sporting competitions, recognized honors, and funding systems for. insurance coverage of sorts. However, my survey shows that most of us appreciate the near-home flight experi~enting and its solitude and simplicity. Being together in flying meets and sharing such with spectators will most probably require various clubs to form. If the Soaring and Parachuting societies could MERGE, stretch their interpretations,and allow for the lower and slower regions of man-prominent flight, then perhaps no one need re-create a third structure to cover the same general type of flight. The advanced parachutes are gliding, soaring, and flapping wings. The fringe areas of sailplanes glide low and slow, soar, and flap wings.

WHATEVER surfaces, one should not have to come up with extra money to create services that can already be supplied in existing orgs. *Many plans are being produced ••• buti~s advisable that plans be reviewed by several knowledgeable people before and after a system is built according to the plans ••• if someone is going to market the the plans. *Soaring Society of America has in print for a coming issue a lengthy "position paper" by Tom Page, a director of SSA (L&S reader), which __________ i:;ai;er_ may be ir. L&S_ 8 or 9, __ It_ is_ an_ encouraging paper.----------Pictured are tte employees of Bruns Sails •••• sailmaking group. Their large keel guided kite tow line gave your editor a lift.

Cor,yright

© by Joe Faust, 1971

COVER, CENTERFOLD, INSERT,BACK COVER: Taras Kiceniuk,Jr. a leader in the hang-gliding aspects of man-powered flight: ICARUS LIVES AGAIN I Enthusiasm, dedication, family cooperation, love for flight, and a determination to share with others brought Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. to the Aug. 22, 1971,Montgomery Monument Dedication Meet with a set of wings which could represent a modern gift from Daedalus to his son Icarus.

Recalling the myth:

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Daedalus and son Icarus made wings of of feather and wax and used them to escape King Minos' prison; Icarus's father reached Sicily having a determination to see that new wings would be designed so that he would not lose his son Icarus again, •• ,.IF ICARUS WOULD EVER FIND A CHANCE FOR REBIRTH ••••• because Icarus, in too much haste, decided to soar too near the sun, which, of course, melted his wings for an early demise. . .~ SINCE THEN, Daedalus and the spirit of Icarus haTelleen flying through the ages until today. Sr.Taras, our modern Daedalus and his son Taras, Jr., our champion skysurfer, have given a rebirth to ICARUS. Taras is lauded from responsible corners for the sophistication and integrity of design of his new ship. Further, together they have put together a detailed story of how they constructed their ship to fit the advanced notions Jr •. had, His father's art skill and fluidynamic and scientific experience combined with Tara's drive to fly well and safely made possible a plan set that will set precedent in the hang glider plan market.

Low & Slow honors the Kiceniuk family for their overall conduct example, technical contributions, and futuristic aims, It is to be noted that sister Katherine Kiceniuk belongs to the family flying squad; she was one of the best lady pilots at the Otto Lilienthal meet. Taras, Jr. is offering his discoveries to us by selling copies of plans of his ICARUS •••• he plans to use his funds for advancing his aerial arts and crafts ••••• such would give us all double benefit indeed. For study or duplication L&S recommends ICARUS ••••• a good foundation design for tail-less biplane configurations.

Let me note some special features of his lengthy plans: •Detail, oblique, pictorial support drawings *Full eize flat patterns shown for needed parts •Full size rib lines and complete instructions on making ribs •Double membrane airfoil •covering method described in detail •sweep *Dihedral •Decalage *Stagger •wash out •Tapered anti-bend •3-&xia control using full aesthetic of construction weight shifting besides very effective wing tip controls •c1ean *Redundancy for reliability •High G factor *Smooth lines *Minor tool requirements *No wind no helper foot launch capability proven *Two person ground carry *Slope soarability proven *Gust resistant. *Transportable on Jeep top proven--no problem *Moderate assembly time •rail-less *.lrm-pit hang capability or swing-seat capability *Modifiable in details •••• good design in details, but there iB always room for improvement ••• (but it is hard to find such in this plan) *Makes Ostrich runs difficult ••• unlese pilot is on a very mild. ~lope •May not surpass glide ratio of advanced monoplane hang-gliders, but this has higher performance than any physically able ship flying within the reach of letters to thi~ editor. :

Of Plate No. 1 · a re duced Below ia . k'scopy plan. We thank f . L&S. Taras Kiceniu . . _,_, use in ~ o him for permi·tting i"' .

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.,.u YY~YVYYYYYYYYVYYYYYYYYYYYYYVVVvvvvvvvvVvVVvVvVvvVvVvvvVV HJ.NG GLIDING SHOULD PERHAPS HAVE A LABEL ATTACHED TO IT AS DO SOME OF THE BOTTLES IN THE FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST - something like 'Dangerous if swallowed" or "Keep out of the reach of children.' For many perils lie ahead.

The principal one is the danger of stalling in turning flight and crashing. It was what killed Lilienthal, if we are to believe the best accounts we have of his death, and has probably taken the lives of more pilots than any other maneuver since. This danger is particularly critical in the case of the hang glider for a combination of reasons. These constitQte an extremely serious threat ·and deserve to be reviewed frequently by anyone contemplating flight in simple, slow-flying craft. They are: 1) The difficulty in estimating airspeed and maintaining it.

This applies tc level and as well as to turning flight and derives from a complex of factors. The most obvious, ·per~ haps, is the difficulty of gaining consecutive and cumulative experience due to the shortness of most flight and the general irregularity of flying sessions.

Then there is the absence of an airspeed indicator.

Natural noises will prove to be a big help in cases where th~ pilot has flown a familiar ship for long enough periods of time. In the meantime some sort of audio noisemaker is recommended. Finally, there is the tendency, particularly in turning flight, to pull up, or away from the ground in order to get more altitude or to avoid the possibility of scraping a wing tip - both of which will cost airspeed.

2)

Second is low airspeed due to low wing loadings. If we have no other intention than flights directly into the wind, low wing loading is all to the good, provided the ship is not too light to be handled safely on the ground and in the air. But as soon as we begin turning flight we are faced with the differential in wing-tip flying speeds and the possibility -one might better say probability- that the inner wing tip is going to stall. This danger cannot be too greatly emphasized.

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Next is design. Moat hang gliders, as is to be expected, are crude and will continue to be so for some time to come.

Very little thought thus far has been given to the aerodynaiics of the slow-turning inner tip, nor to many other factors affecting turning flight and safety.

4)

Making properly coordir.ated turns is complicated, in some designs at least, by the absence of any forward structure with which to aim the glider. (Note that ships, traditionally, are steered from ti.e stern, a position that gives the pilot a favorable vie• of the position of his craft.)

In .time the .-,ang-glider pilot will be able to coordinate his or he~ turns by the feel of his trunk and legs. or by the variations of weigtt or, I.is arm pits, but he is not likely to be sensitive to such ~iceties during th~ frantic early period of his trair.ir.g. (c.crvT 1 D ·

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11.7 Stalls, when they happen, are more than likely going to occur at a critical distance above the ground: high enough to permit the glider to gain airspeed after the stall, but not high enough to allow recovery. Furthermore, in the first tentative turn off the wind and along the slope, the result of a stalled inner tip is going to be to turn the glider further, heading it back into the elope. Now the flying speed of.the glider is added to that of the wind, rather than being subtracted from it, relative to that great pilot-equalizer, the ground.

6) Finally, but far from leaat, is the almost total exposure of the pilot's body to iapact when the reckoning comae •

• For those wise enough to appreciate the great seriousness of low-speed turns near the ground, here are some suggestions: 1) Avoid the combination of low wing loading, which gives low speed, and long span. These factors, coupled, result in a high differential in speeds between inner and outer tips of the wing. Use wash-out.

2) Do a lot of practice flying in a straight line, near the ground, and learn to control airspeed with precision.

3) Use an audio airspeed indicator which gives you precise information about the speed of the glider, and one that is dependable.

4) Calcula.te your initial turns as regards the terrain over which you are flying. Carry a substantial extra margin of airspeed during turns.

Make gentle turns at first, say 45° right, 45° left, and land. Practice and gain a feeling of confidence before trying further turning.

5) Use the utmost caution w h e n p 1 a n n i n g ground and bring your full powers criticism and concentration to the task.

G u e ~ d b & ~ A a r {Miller

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Pictured is our Richard Miller demonstrating a pitch pipe airspeed indicator for the participants of the Montgomery Meet of Aug. 22,'71 San Diego, Calif.

Taras had a sprung propeller, but is thinking of going to sound for his next indicator.

(Revisit L&S 6.12)

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ATTENTION HANG LOOSE PLAN HOLDERS: Add this page to your plans, its new: Other Things I've Learned fffltJ6-- /..OD'>/= TYPE Jack Lambie /3,S 51£(. ''8EST F/J6-HT 11

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After two contest>J The Otto Lilienthal Championships on May 23 and the J.J. Montgomery Memorial re-dedication meet and many reports and pictures of flying experiences with the HANG LOOSE in the past year I've found the following points need re-emphasis.

1. HELPERS: Have the wing holders be sure to let go at the same instant. After getting started shout "let go!" and the ~ ..,:c-:~~ wing runners let go. Many ground loops have resulted '}.. ~--from one guy hanging on longer than the other.

It has been found that the tail man is most critical. If he pushes the tail up at launch the plane will dive into the ground. If he shoves down too hard, up she goes into a stall. I would say about 90% of all stall crashes are due 5f L4T Ji directly to the tail man not letting g o ~ a -~ e l,tvel '• position. f"ies 11" 2. SPEED and STALLING: Movie analysis of flights show the J?ence befi.ree~ successful and unsuccessful glides. If ecomes too eager and gets into the air at too speed the ship has a tendency to stall and fall g!.f· none wing. It does not seem possible to bring up J1<-13talled wing by weight shifting.

Get up good speed b ~takeoff, once in the a~move your legs .. f~P'ifftrd o ·maintain the glide.

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It appears that many outstanding fl" from level ground by towing with two o mor helpers running the lines. Well done 1 it looks pre y sp tacular and smooth.but I s~L ~ ' t go higher re willing to fall.

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strong wire. Baili wire is fine. Don't go Piano wire or 1/16 cable is fine. Be sure ing is square before flight. It seems like an obvious but many ships are so twisty from poor wiring and rigng, good flights are impossible.

The center section should be covered as much as possible, except, of course, the pilot's section. Leaks on the upper wing and in the area behind the pilot on the lower wing degrade the lift. Also be sure to thicken the supports and add support wires if you have a heavy pilot. Reported have been seTeral instances of pilots falling out when the cockpit supports or spars broke. So far there'~ not been a single report of any injury. A tribute to common sense flyers.

Thicker and stronger tail booms seem to help in ground loops.

You could probably make them 1 "x2" without making the ship too heavy.

Covering materials: Ordinary polrethelene sheeting about 4 mils thick can be had for about S;. Stretch it on tightly during a hot day. Mylar is much better at about S50. for the same amount. Dacron glued on and tightened by passing a medium hot iron lightly over it and a couple coats of clear dope also runs about $50 and is a lot of work. Dacron and Mylar add a good deal of strength to the structure.

A great !l!!Ount of research needs to be done on controls. At the very slow speeds of hang gliders ailerons don't seem to work too well. A down aileron will cause the plane to pivot in that direction due to the drag. Perhaps spoilers would be better. I still like weight shifting.

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Taras Kiceniuk,Jr. gives a retirth to ICARUS -hie wing that hae received TOP CONTEST HONORS while subsequently causing man to take a second ******••••••••••••••••••••••••• at tails .•••• Taras: A~e 17 high school senior • ... ******-.,*** '·~~... ~~~-~ * ·~.··· * ** ** **** ·······~··

STABLE CONTROLLABLE HIGH PERFORMANCE LIGHT WEIGHT ( 45 II) BEAUTIFUL QUICK ASSEMBLY TRANSPORT ABLE DURABLE

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Send for your copy of detailed plans and an account of the construction of 'ICARUS' •• , ••••••••••• $10 REMEMBER (l.&S 5.J, 'Best all-around pilotage') ••• Taras built and flew his BATSO ••• an improv..,d parawing.

BATSO detailed plans ror the easy to use and easy _to build training parawing are.yours for $5 ~ from Talas also. Write Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. 2816 Highview Ave. Altadena, CA 91001

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THE VOLMER V J-11 HANG GLIDER. FIRST CONTROLLED HANG GLIDER?

HISTORY OF THE VOLMER VJ-11 HANG GLIDER. Construction was commenced in 1940 and completed in 6 weeks spare time and test flown the following week end. This is an original design by Volmer Jensen, designer, builder, and pilot of a dozen gliders, sailplanes, and 2 airplanes. The last air• plane he designed was on amphibian and has been flown by him aver a distance of 5 times around the worlrl and is still flying after 11 years.

Article written by Volmer Jensen and published by the Soc1ring Society of America, September 1971.

FIRST CONTROLLED HANG GLIDER? A great deal of interest was shown at the recent Championship hang glider meet (July Soaring), Approximately 15 hang gliders were flown. There was a flight every five minutes· and a "crackup" every five minutes, It was absolutely hilarious to watch these gliders go through uncontrolled flight. All were controlled by shifting the body weight which had practically no effect on the attitude of the craft. It is easy ta understand that shiftin!J a pilot's weight of 150 pounds laterally by six inches is not enough to lower the high wing. This results in the lower wing digging into the ground and ending up in a 180-degree ground loop that faces back up the hill again! I found this out by building two hang gliders 40 years ago. Then 30 years ago, during the war when we couldn't fly any aircraft within 150 miles from the coast, I thought ii would be fun to build another hang glider. I knew the C.A.A. wouldn't mind since I was only going to slide down the hill. However, I put controls on it, cind I believe it is the first hang glider in the world to have three-dimensional controls. Even the Wright Brothers did not have a hang glider; they lay down in their · glider to fly.

I installed elevators and ailerons, controlled by the right hand with a device shaped like a + sign and a rudder by the left hand, using a short rudder bar, It flew great. Many glider pilots tried it including John Robinson, National Soaring Champion far 3 years, and Irv Culver, Lockheed aerodynamicist who helped an the stress analysis, and even fellows with no previous flying ex• perience. We could take off in 3 steps down the hill and sometimes land by just bending our knees. On some flights we even gained altitude which I recorded on 16mm, color film.

As soon as one's feet leave the ground by 12 inches, one feels like he's 1000 feet in the air. This is a very exhilarating experience and a safe sport as evidenced by no injuries of any kind ta the contestants at the meet, If each glider at this meet had controls, it would have token off at the top of the hill and flown to the bottom with perfect control.

We can furnish you with a complete set of blueprints - 8 photographs and full scale rib layout. The cost of materials is approximately $100.00. We do not furnish a kit or materials.

Send s2QQ.

for :iterature

- ~pecificatio:1a -· large photos

& three-view blueprint,

Phone(213) 842-8753

Volmer Aircraft Dept LS 104 East Providencia Avenue Burbank, Calif. 91502

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(Ref.: 5.7.

There is not one lo• and ala• system that omits aan's power -muscular, mental, cultural, spiritual for achieving flight •••• even if it is only the power of saying 'yes• or 'I do' or 'I will' or 'please' or 'Be it done unto me' or 'thank you• or 'We'.)

(Kan ie not an island and never operates without cooperation with his nonself in doing anything. Man-powered.flight comes in degrees then; simple hang-gliding is very much a part of the man-powered flight spectrum -which spectrua aovee gently in cloaely connected stages from such as high jumping to the kind of flight done 10 feet off the frozen lake in dead calm air by a llllll.-fuel-less-machine system similar to Kremer competing planes.)

THE PROSPECTS OF MAN-POWERED FLIGHT - JOHN McKASTERS -

Man-Powered Flight Performance Level TYPE .URPLAliE HELICOPTER ORNITHOPTER KITE

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Richard Miller in L&S 2 has given a good account OI the options open to the •ould-be hang glider designer/builder. I'd like to expand this a bit to put the entire man-powered flight scene (at least as much of it ae I can see) in some sort of overall context and try to indicate where aan-Po•ered flight is at right now. By "man-powered flight" I aean any sort of "flying", •herein the major energy source is human power (either solely or augmented by forces in the natural environment ~,•ind, gravity,i.e. "fuel-lessly". By this definition the simplest "man-powered :flying device" is man himself - the high jumper, pole vaulter, acrobat, trapeze artist, etc. At the other end of the spectrum is the true "man-powered sailplane" -totally self sustaining, self-launching - free. We've a long way to go before this latter possibility becomes a reality, but between these are many flight ways of the "oh WOW" type for fun if not for much profit. Man-powered flight is much more than simply trying for the Kremer prize.

Probably the easiest way to put everything in perspective is to make a simple table with man-powered vehicle tyoes along one side and performance catagoriea across the top. SEE CHART ABOVI. I've indicated what can be done now, with a little development effort, and as -

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In addition, one should consider the possibilities in each category given the following restrictions: 1. Total human power: No stored energy devices, no environmental assist, etc. permitted.

2. Limited stored energy: any device system carried in the vehicle, but energized solely by human power(~ •• fly wheels springs wound rubber bands or cords~ would be permitted. This would also include environmental assists such as wind, solar energy, etc,

3. General stored energy systems - any device energized by human power would be allowable. This would include towing (sever~! men on a rope), catapult launches lprovided the catapult was energized by human power), etc.

All three of the above are within the limits of what may be legitimately considered man-powered flight systems. For purposes of at~empting to win the Kremer prize, however, only the first (and perhaps elements of the second) is permissible - the guide lines for the competition with respect to wind, solar energy, etc. are a little hazy.

PERFORMANCE LEVELS 1. Minimum Machine: "Vehicles" capable of short flights of from just above zero to 100 meters at heights between zero,and 3 metters. These machines would be the absolute minimum M-P vehicle possible for cheap fun, testing basic ideas, MPF training, etc.

2. Sport: Low performance machines capable of making flights of over 100 to 2,000 meters in a straight line at heights below about 5 meters. They would be capable of limited maneuverability, but basically would remain straight line flyers. There is till a lot of sport potential in such performance.

3. Kremer Competition:

Machines in this category would be capable of performing to the level required to fly the Kremer course at low altitude (less than, say, 5 m. above the ground) in calm air. Cat pult launched machines capable of this performance level are probably feasible now. A machine capable of Kremer prize leve performance meeting all the other competition restriction is somewhere down the road, however.

4. Unlimited:

This level of machine, in its most straight forward form, would ultimately be a true man-powered sailplane.

It would be strong enough, yet light weight, so that flight within the entire conventional sailplane envelope would be possible following a man-powered take-off (launch).

TYPES OF MAN-POWERED FLYERS 1. Airplanes: Of all the types of flying devices, the aerodynamics of the conventional airplane are probably best understood by the largest number of people. Consequestly an "airplane" layout probably offers the best hope for achieving all levels of man-powered flight performance in the shortest time. As

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an exa11ple, an MPA •ith a wing span of about 15 meters ahould be able to fly about 300 to 500 meters in a straight line at an average height of 2 meters •hen piloted by a man in good physical condition (ED: Or Mrs. Rose Marie Licher), not an athlete, if the emptv weight of the vehicle can be kept below about 35 to 40 kg. Such a machine could be built now with presently available inforaation and materials - the cost and number of •an-hours needed for construction should not be too much • ••• If you have a design of this sort and are willing to build it, contact ae ••• I may have good news for you.

2. llelicop\era: These do not look very promising just now and its doubtful that they will ever perform up to the level required to compete for the Kreaer prize on man-power alone. They must be very large (aDd hence heavy} if built froa currently available aaterials. If you aust try it, by all aeans do so; I'd like to be proved wrong. ). Orai\Jlopters: Flapping wing machines are rather controversial; ·some experts clau they should be more efficient. at low speeds than conventional propeller driven aircraft. The fact remains that a really satisfactory ornithopter has yet to be built, and if/when it is, it •ill probably be a mechanically complex beast. This is definitely not an area for the novice to work in yet.

A lot of proaise here and I'll leave it to the editor to fill 4. KitH: you in on the details. (ED:Tethering non-fueled above-pilot wings by line or liga11ent appears to provide a low cost means for winning the Kremer Competition as well as for providing endless ways of sporling in air. See "Kremer by Kite Systems" in this or a soon coming L&S booklet.

Let your imagination run wild. Hang gliders fit in this cat5. Other: egory. How about a solar energised hot air winged dirigible (SEHAWD) with a man-powered propeller for thrust. Cart it out on a aunny day, uncover it, let the sun heat the air in a bag until the whole thing is neutrally bouyant at ground level, then pedal off, generating enough lift on the wing for cliab and maneuvers - it might even fill all the requirements of the Kreaer competition (if air is the gas, is hot air lighter-than-air? ).

Hopefully, future iasues of L&:S will deal in great detail with all of the lfP1 vehicle• I'Ye listed aDd •ore. (ED: they •ill.) As it stands now aan-powered flight ia po•aible and a common reality in a limited sense Caawy internationally recorded non-American flights, also jumpers and hang-gliderm) but we're still quite a way from flying by human power alone up to the •tandards required to win the Kremer prize, let alone fly like a bird in the full sense. The thought occurs to me that perhaoA this latter 1• a mistaken goal - I haven't heard of anyone building mechanical horses aad besides cars are much aore comfortable. On the other hand, have you •aaoled the smog in L.A. lately? As a final thought, I do not know of any machines built to take a serious shot at the Kremer prizes that have cost le•• than several thousand dollars and lots of man-hours of construction - 8Jld so far. no one has come close to winning any of the prizes.

Perhaps we're better off just grooving on the flying for a while, and with a little more experience in actually flying very lo• and very slow we can try again a little later. We may even be able to dig up a little prize money for such if enough people stop waving their arms and start building

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"''' Short Flight Shares Dan Heflinger of Torrance, Calif.

I'm nearing completion of my bamboo sailboat plane which ia a Rogallo wing with an aspect ratio of 6,7 and a wing loading of 1.2 lbs/n 2 ; I hope that by experimenting with it I can get it to fly. If I can't, I'm going to build a real clean Rogallo which I am pretty sure rill be able to stay up all afternoon soaring back and forth in the wave of •ind.

ED: Dan, please give us an analysis of your tetra-biplane trauma.

We encourage you to find a •ay for your s-b-p to fly •••••.•••...• Mike Flannigan of Minneapolis, M;nn.

Polyethlene stretches too much and Mylar punctures too easily. Think I may try sailcloth now that the sailing season is over. Has anyone come up with a good material for covering hang gliders.

ED: Write Du Pont and ask for samples and prices and supply points for TYVEK. Tyvek is a calendared mat of polyethelene fibers wherein the fibers are welded to each other in all directions. The material is replacing cloth for outdoor signs at service stations and is being used by many kite manufacturers. It is dimensionally stable in all directions, is very difficult to tear (every fiber is a rip stop), punctures ao not spread to rips, cost is going lower and io comes in several thicknesses. It is one of new-line polyethelene products that bridge the cost and performance spectrum between calendarized dacrons and low performance films and sheets.

-lLI, There is now on the market a polyethelene sandwich sbeet that has~3-mil sheets sandwiching a fiber netting. The netting comes in various weights. This will be the answer for some hang-glider covers.

More exotic covers include poly-urathane impregm;.ted nylon ripstop ~~dacron sailcloth calendarized and/or siliconized. Go to the . . .2":...Y·ouble of seeki!lg out puY-c!--:asing pri(;es fro;::;. $1 tc $2 par yard..

A TASTE OF WEIGHT: A recent inflate-wing experiment on a 3-foot chord 30 ft. span •eighed 30 pounds .••• heavy vinyl was used. I'll try again!

But do not forget the handy sheet low coat polyethelene for experimenting. Taras used 2 mil. poly sheet for upper and lower surface of his most successful flying biplane wing. He applied the sheets in the heat of the sun. The sheet has little memory, but it can stay useful in many situations.

For those intrepid pilots soaring in the flame thermal over oil refineries or volcano mouths will want to cover their hang-glider with carbon-net reinforced silicon sheet, fiberglass cloth, or carbon cloth.

Those intending water landings might use dacron, sealed nylon, poly-e.

Cover color choices: Clear permits photographing frames nice.

Black sho•s up •ell in photographs. Rainbow colors permit distinction.

•Ref. 7.4: Soft aluminum •• ~ .. Suggestion: Check 1", .035 wall 6061 T6 or 2024 TJ. In quantities of 100 ft. or so they should be available at about 25¢ and 40¢, respectively. These are strong and tough.

ED:Write Reynolds Metal Company, 6601 West Broad St., Richmond 18, Virginia. Tell them carefully the kinds of things you want to do and ask for literature to help you. Specifically ask for the booklet "Forming Aluminum Shapes and Tube. 11 Those •elding ask als·o for "The iluminum Welding Data Book." *I think the kite you sent me as a prize in the Lilienthal contest is really great. Have never seen one that flies at the angle it does. It should make the basis of a great hang glider and solve the transportation assembly problem I have now (45 minutes is too much for the sailwing) (ED:XFSW) ED: Yes, you have an FF-12. H-G mode works but not well yet.

If you want to develop this idea look into the Barish Sailwing.

Further, plate-like L.E. may be part of final h-g answer.

It

'ii,18 Safety Lines by Dan Heflinger of Torrance, Calif.

I've seen and heard of four different types of Rogallo wing crashes: 1. In-flight Structural Failures: Of this type I've seen three, the worst being at a height of some 40 feet above the slopw. Fortunately these were over soft aand; no one was hurt. The common breaking beam is the overhead crossbar which breaks just outside the last strong support; one should be sure to have a strong support that goes out to the very end of the croaabar (i.e. strut).

If the crossbar breaka,the wing on the broken aide will fold while the glider flutters straight down. It seems best to hang on to the glider untii about ten feet from the ground; then letting go will permit one to concentrate on landing without the wing. Landing feet first on the ground, letting the knees and soft sand absorb the shock seems to work well. (ED: Note that the flights described are at fortunate 40° loose sand slope slope and beach sand flats.)

2. Downwind Landings (crashes): The stronger the wind the worse these get.

To protect against these one should test skills and craft on the lower levels of the slope to make sure one can fly straight; similarly test all new pilots to make sure that they too are able to fly straight before ma.king any leap off the top.

3. CatchiD8 Wing Tip on Eush or Side of Bluff: This happens in the stronger winds when soaring attempts are made. As one glides along the slope one should leave a good margin between the leeward wing tip and the solid slope. Watch for bushes and cliffs so that you can begin your turn around them in plenty of time. If the winos do not seem strong enough, straighten out and fly to the beach.

4. Exaggerated Stalls: (deletion edited until details discovered: ED) ••••• To: protect against this type, gradually find out where your glider gently stalls and make a stop or a red line to keep anyone from backing past that point.

SAFETY KEYNOTE ••••••• L&S Editorial •••DISCIPLIJIE youraelf' to know what has been done in general aviation history.

•••P!TIEIITIEIITLT DEVELOP a notebook that studies good habits so that that extra 'patient' is not you.

•••satiafaction in flying will come from precise design followed by wise judgeaente. Do not permit the pioneering half-bakedneas of L&S thi:oking to stay your common protective senses ••••• BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS STORT ••••••• DO NOT LET YOUR COMMON SENSE PREVENT YOU FROM DRE!MING OFF THE TOP OF YOUR SUB*CONSGIOUS, for in such half-bakednesa in the world-of-the-untried is a set of alternatives that will make up the breakthroughs that ar;-mo•t exciting to man.

Inhibitions are civilized social tools for bridling progress. L&S will be an organ for uninhibited creative mental fuel-less flying.

BUT PLEASE STAY INHIBITl!:D WHEN PHYSICALLY PILOTING so that your progress toward being a patient is bridled indeed •••• take heed • •

PJ!iN S 11 'ifllJ.R BJ.£ NOW FDR II Bl>VI: 111.olJEL $2.Q.Q. will bring you a detail plan for making a 32" span flying model hang glider -Colver's Flying Sailwing- an original evolute of Richard Miller's XFSW-1. (Please see L&S 5.10) i Colver's hang glider model is the most outstanding flying model that has yet emerged from the low and slow movement. Frank'~ first public exhibition of his model was at the film festival following the Otto Lilientl,al meet. Its first flight was with a form that nearly duplicated Miller's XFSW-1, that is, the 'Conduit Condor.' But following the modelling skills that have given Frank national RC glider honors, he came up with modifications which have produced a design that may become a classic. Frank now has the design for rugged hand launch simulated hang gliding. The ship recovers well when flying in gusty winds. A rigid tip reflex has helped matters. The model shows a pilot position arrangement unique for the Miller type wing. Its performance reminds me N.tlo of a stabilized high aspectARogallo .••• a concept that bugged NASA and is now the interest of many L&S'ers.

The plan set produces a very durable item ••.• good for hang gliding experiments. The wing kites tool ~~ Matt Colver will present in L&S 9 a plan for a very s u ~ ~ paper fold model of his father's rugged larger model. Matt has built and flown two Rogallo wings. Frank has some of his tubing ready for construction of a full flight Yfflcthne.d sailwing. '

2~!j!f*f~!~~;**!;~~*2~!:;r,**;~2§**~f~~~;*~f~:l.~~~:~.~;~:l.~~.i~~t~.

ATTENTION:

Someplace around your locality is a surplus aluminum place.

A must place if you are building flight systems is Washington Hardware (tell him L&S sent you) 2240 West Washington Blvd.

Phone 731-1177 Los Angeles, CA 90018

**** SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS:

Aluminum tubing (telescoping too, 20 ft.) .•••• $1 /lb.

Aluminum angle .•••••••• 75 /lb.

Thousands of misc. aircr·dt surplus hdware •••••••• 1.50/lb.

--t'

(This is not a paid adverticement page •••• (.direct service on specially excellent item~))