Low & Slow Issue 9 1971

ATTENTION: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE GOOD POSITIVE CONTROL AND STABILITY. PLEASE AVOID ANY FLIGHT ATTEMPTS THAT REQUIRE SUCH. WISH AND DARING ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR SAFE AND SATISFYING FLIGHT. if your system involves practical machines and the acceleration due to gravity above 10 feet altitude.

RENEW NOW: L&S #1J,14,15,16,17,1B,19,20,21,22,23,24 -~Will be sent to you after you sign up for them; please forward $6. Each will be 20 pgs.

Give gift to friend; also contributions are accepted; pl.ease tell other!!.

Halftone photographs w:ill be the improved quality, as ·.:s.e·en in this .#9.

All articles and photographs are contributed by member.a w:ithout pay except $5 will be paid to the person contributing the cover art or photo.

L&S will develop the technical, scientific, fantastic, and practical aspects of man-flight wherein a pilot aims to develop his or her own flight system that permits self-launching and flying fuel-lessly. In general this will involve the thorough investigation of ultra-light constructions that react non-pollutingly with natural environmental energies and muscular-mental powers to sustain in the atmosphere of our Earth near home. This will be done in a spirit of creative play without neglect to searches into traditional and non-traditional thought.

Half-baked suggestions are received warmly, even if they are not wellfounded yet, for the breakthroughs L&S is seeking are not yet fully baked by anyone. We shall discipline ourselves to bring the best applicable ideas found in the corners and centers of all other arts and sciences. We are you. You can make L&S as valuable as you wish by sharing your notes, photographs, sketches, reprints, clippings, notices, copies of this or that. Use glossy prints and black ink on white paper artwork. Much wonderfulness is planned for issumthrough R32. We are a small-group people learning to fly in especially delightful ways.

You are free to put notices of flying meets, seminars, clinics, club meetings, and such announcements of mutual interest in l&S. Ads will be accepted for such products that serve the development of the movement. Ad rate is $32 per page 1 $16 half-page, SB quarter page, $4 eighth page, $2 sixteenth page, i1 for one square inch. Halftones will be available for eighth page or more.

Staff of Low & Slow: You with your talents. We'll need some help on collating, stapling, folding, inserting, sealing. We· need someone to print from borrowed negatives (but try to send glossy good prints).

We need black inksketch artists to sketch ideas that have not been yet expressible in good photographs. Each master article should be finished as far as is possible, but do not delay sharing if you lack whatever to complete your article. All photographs should be captioned. TRY to get your long articles typed double space, but again, do not let this time saver stop you from sharing as soon as possible. We are anxious to fly as well as we can aa soon as we can safely do so. Let yourself send an idea for a cartoon or the cartoon itself •••• with the idea we can match a drawing.

Each person can beet assure a vital L&S for himself by keeping the habit of giving new-comers an encouragement to participate in this same information sharing in L&S. We really need all to tell others through any method you know. We have been risking more product than we have been able to afford on the premise that each will help us grow.

We are looking for a SPONSOR who will provide a Kulti-1250 and a plate maker (arc-115v.} either through cash grant or by low lease or gift. This would make possible a rapid increase in information transfer through Low & Slow services. This sponsor will receive a copy of all L&S publications without further cost. Copyright I';:\ b J F \;.I Y oe aust, 1971 COVER: "A place for all" by George Uveges of California CENTER PHOTO: Tom Dickinson on Icarus #1 taken by Dick Eipper:CA.

...~ A

I<

+'

a!

"'

Ill

>

>,

+' 0 A

rl rl

.>I

.....0

Ill

C'

..c:

m

::s0

l:i

::s

.....

>,

S..

+' ....

'O

"".,., .... '°

J<

't:I

0

.

Ill

::s

A

0

. ..;"'

:,.,

Cf.I

m

m

N

Ill 0 0

'It: G>

J<

::I

p.

m

...."'

~

..c: l>I)

·rl

....~

::I

0

J.<

J.<

p.

..c:

. "'

+' ;,,

IO

s:l " ' 0 .-1

a! ,-f

A

·rl I&

0 .I<:

G)

~ "'~

1 A~

a,

"'

111

"' G)

""

J.<

G) a!

El G)

0 rl

mp..

LOW & SLOW HERE PRESENTS WITH EDITORIAL COMMENT A 'POSITION PAPER' RECENTLY PUBLISHED IN SOARING. In general L&S hopes that the S.s.A. will retract some of their specifications and further expand their vision of what they have narrowingly dubbed 'The Hang Glider Thing'.

L&S has maintained a hope that the S.S.A. would not think that all aired fuel-less flight systems that are manned must necessarily be thrust under F.A.A. licensing and regulatory powers. The F.A.A. has been able for 20 years to generally ignore hundreds of different kinds of manned gliding systems which simultaneously operated without any licensing nor system certification. I.&S maintains that the S.S.A. can best be loyal to its bylaws that state its purpose as promoting all forms of gliding and soaring, by now respecting that many forms of gliding do not need a federal agent for blessing the use of these special forms. Why use tax money for unneeded federal paternalism?

The S.S.A. will not fall apart if it supports both kinds of gliding, the kind that needs the F.A.A. and the kind that does not need them.

L&S comment will be in this type style; all other type style is part of the SSA position paper. The entire paper is presented unabridged.

POSITION PAPER: WILL TBE SSA GO BANG?,

By TOM PAGE, SSA Director L&S:

Why doeR the SSA have to take a 'position' when they have for years and years been supposedly promoting all forms of gliding safely? There ie no reason why self-launching gliding cannot be conducted safely; they figured out how to sailplane soar safely after learning many lessons the hard way. How did it happen that the SSA almost entirely forgot about developing self-launch gliding? They also began Soaring with man-powered flight tunes ••• (not unlike the soaring birds) but those tunes are little investigated today. Hopefully the SSA will promote the near-home self-launch fuel-less flying ways that do not need F.A.A. connections. Why make things more complex than they really need to be? Why create systems so that the people -The People- cann~t play near home in air that doe3 not bother anyone nor other aircraft?

Let us concentrate on sharing aood information rather than unneeded regulations. When we intend to hang our toes over cities and in the airspace that would be shared by other aircraft, then let us tie in with the F.A.A.· closely •••• , but not before.

9.4

The July SSA Board meeting pondered what many Directors call the "Hang Glider Problem." Region 7 Director Tom Page, himself a survivor of the era of tail-heavy Zoeglings, volunteered to summarize the feelings of the Directors for Executive Committee approval and publication in Soaring.-Ed. (( ( of Soaring))) L&S: L&S is still wondering why low and slow activities were looked upon as a "Problem" rather than a "Prospective Progression in Soaring". We regret that "feelings" were expressed as a "Position Paper". L&S not only now has a better survival rate than sailplane activity, but only a small part of the low and slow activity is kin to the tail-heaVY Zoeglings; we are very much into tail-less zamdoklinkers. It could be that self-launching and man-powered combines simply represent the most sublime meaning of all that SSA has been trying to do throughout its years of maturation. L&S sees systems emerging that could satisfy most all of the drea.ins of the most dedicated soaring pilot •••• -systems that will also be within the economic reach of the 2,000,000 people who will be flying fuel-lessly in the United States.•••• those originally predicted for the gliding movement in the USA, those that never came.

Why didn't they come? Maybe because the arts of foot-launching were put aside.

The soaring Establishment is sweating over the Hang Glider Thing. More sets of plans for hang gliders have been sold than there are licensed sailplanes in the country.

L&S recommends that the SSA atop sweating 'over' us, but come down and join in on the family picnic esthetic of man-flight. Number comparis(Jl!J.S now have little meaning. Not only have more plans been sold, but more hang-gliders exist and fly regularly -more by a factor of 5 and such inequity is not plateauing.

The Wild Look

Many of these sets of plans have been sold to would-be builder-pilots who seem to have no intention of submitting them for FAA inspection and licensing as experimental home-builts, and who seem to have no intention of getting instruction with an FAA student pilot certificate before they "teach themselves to fly" in their under-$100 glider.

That 'wild' look is one of excitement. We know that if we intend on sharing certain airspace with other kinds of aircraft that proper ties should be made with the F.A.A. We share instruction periods and teach ourselves in ways not unlike the Wright Brothets and bicycle learners.

WE KNOW THAT THERE IS AN F.A.A. AND RESPECT ITS EXISTENGE ••• and we do appreciate that they seem to respect our existence; we hope the S.S.A. will not try to reverse the trend that exists between the FAA and us.

Rather, we hope the SSA will aim toward explicit release of some sorts of gliding from the unclear rules of the FAA. That would be nice.

Several of the designs depend on an extremely agile pilot with a highly trained sense of the margins of disaster, for what little stability they can claim. Some of the designs lack the elementary structural requirements of a breezeworthy umbrella, much less those of a man-carrying aircraft. Some of the configurations seem to stem more from a synthetic nostalgia for an aeronautical past which the builder never saw than from a valid distillation of the technical progress of the !ast seven decades of flight.

L&S admits t h a t ~ designs depend on an'extremely agile pilot ••••••• • Isn't that just great! We do not have to forget the physical perfection aspects of some aspects of gliding -it is not a must-. Rather, let us approve of youth who care for their awarenesses while they investigate a very wholly human way of flying. This foot-launch low altitude stuff is one of the better training schools for flight. One feels the wind and very quickly realizes its powers and tricks; respect comesquickly.

The experiencjs in l&s flight bring a quickening sense of the need for structural integrity. Our very marginal desigD.s sharpen our appreciation.

SSA should have noted more strongly that some of our designs show the ability to operate within certain environments with a safety margin that is much better than the record of modern sailplane practice. We are proud of our safety record and ·our skin abrasions. We are not only distilling the goodness of the last seven decades, but we are determined to make happen what flying-man has always wanted to do.

More so, we are aiming to enjoy the playful creation of futuristic fuel-less flight ways and perhaps find practical breakthroughs that are entirely fresh for ma.n.

Our decades of flight progress can serve the closing chapter of man-flight: the low and alow ••• ,with Nature,.man-prominent, self-launching flight chapter.

A few adherents of the hang-glider movement may chafe at the systematic training, engineering standards, voluntary group discipline, and/ or bureaucratic regulations that traditionalists accept as the price of genuine progress, but many of those who dedicated lifetimes to the sport are genuinely afraid that when the inevitable casualty lists come in, the Federal Aviation Administration will ask the Soaring Society of America, "How could a responsible aviation organization let this happen?"

A few adherents of sny movement swim against the current. Any responsible aviation organization ought to overcome the meaning of those "few". The great majority of low and Blowers in no way chafe at systematic training.

We are wide awake to the essence of such training ••• we design, build, teat, evaluate, modifly and modifly and modifly and simplifly until our tra:ming blossoms into another design ••• and then •• We do not cha.f.e at engineering standards but rather invoke them to help define just what we can do, not what we cannot do •••• quite an important point of distinction • .As to valuntary group discipline: we want to keep aa much voluntary as possible; we

9.6 endorse whatever discipline is required for safe operations; but we are mindful that the SSA paper suggests a future that would have us exercise unneeded disciplines mandatorially. When bureaucratic regulations are truly serving common good, then let's all create such and follow them; but a paternalism that destroys independent creative play will simply erode the heart of the common good. The F.A.A. does not hold the SSA responsible for the soaring casualty list that now exists; why would the FAA pin other gliding casualties on the SSA? For the SSA to remain responsible it does not have to help create unneeded complexities between the FAA and the nondisturbing low and slow activities,

The Dilemma On the other hand, many of the graybeards themselves have bragged about jumping off chickenhouses and being bungeed off cliffs in their own youthful introduction to gliding. While they remember the crackups and casualties, they feel awkward in warning a new generation against the very exuberance and experimentalism which gave them their own lifelong commitment.

In addition, there is now qµite an extraordinary potential for development in the low and slow end of the flight spectrum. New materials, new techniques, new airfoils, imaginative configurations, and a greatly extended knowledge of stability and control requirements are available.

Many sober and experienced pilots and designers are intrigued (some still secretly) by this "free zone" in their technical sport.

With careful recognition of the inherent limitations of the light wing loaded glider, however launched, with relatively modest pilot training for this flight regime, and with rather easily set criteria for minimum airworthiness, there is no reason why a stimulus to construction, flying, and fun-filled competition cannot emerge from the Hang Glider Thing, to the enrichment of the entire soaring movement.

That's it; develop that awkward feeling; it is the key to your acceptance of our invitation to you to be at one with us in our honest desire to go forward in having man fly fuel-lessly ever more wonderfully and freely.

Do not leave that feeling until you are convinced that there should be a wholly free zone of fuel-leas flight (not free·from the good tidingi of common sense and refined knowledge, but free from all unneeded weight and restraint). Only add heavier guidelines when surely needed, and at levels of legality that are surely appropriate. Let us play with non-airworthy systems; there is a great deal to be learned from dealing with systems that won't keep flying; we learn limitations as well as dream up new breakthroughs by such creative play with systems that do

not quite sustain.

Find out that you need to change your solution a little bit to finally solve the dilemma.

The Inherent Problems Let us be specific about these inherent problems, however: 1. The ultralights are not stable in sharp gusts; they tend easily to yaw, pitch, and roll within these disturbanceseven with good calm air stability characteristics.

Why cannot we be positive about theee "problems" or limitations and call them "assets" or "extra neat qualities" of low and slow flight. And further, let us get the ideas so that the whole story can be told.

Shouldn't we say that !!.Q!!!!!. ultralights are not stable in sharp gusts; but more importantly shouldn't we note that ultralights can very well be stable in sharp gusts. It depends on the force and size of the gus;t, doesn't it?

Yawing and pitching and rolling do not prevent the ship from returning to its original attitude ••• , necessarily, does it? And further, couldn't

our flight be extra special if we only learned

how

to dynamically react with the gusts so that we gained a net advantage; (and their is lots of hope in the very li~htly loaded regime for doing just that •••••• dynamically soar as never before)?

And what about the wonderful world of calm stable air ••••• ? What has SSA done to use calm airs, stable airs, indoor airs? We see lots of gliding in calm airs - during mornings, winter calms, quiet evenings, and times of indoor activity - a world of gliding that has not been touched but sligtly.

2. It is easy to encounter excessive flight structural loads in ultralights well below the familiar speeds of conventional lightplanes and sailplanes because they are usually built, either deliberately or inadvertently, with very low design safety factors.

We should not fail to mention that many forms of ultralights can be built with the same or higher safety factor than conventional lightplanes and sailplanes. 50 pounds of ship dedicated to one purpose, that of lifting itself and its 150 pound intrepid pilot, can be so used to give a high safety factor •••••• For example, let's see how many pounds a 50 pound hang-glider can carry .safely to the Earth: With a safety factor of 10 we could make many forms of canopy hang-gliders and slightly stiffened hang-gliders that would glide down a payload of JOO pounds and more.

As we find designs we like then we begin to improve the design to incOTporate higher flight safety factors.

3. The ultralights have a relatively narrow range between stall and best glide speed. Consequently they are susceptible to abrupt stall without any detectible change in angle of attack when returning to land through a significantly decreasing wind gradient. It takes a pilot specifically oriented to this phenomenon to fly one safely at more than 15 feet above the surface.

Often we traYel and sink slow enough to handle the wind gradient without insurmountable difficulty, Some systems deliberately mush from a stall that was deliberately ent~red into. It all depends. What is the curNint pole vault release record altitude? It should be about 18 feet now.

The parachute people drop many times faster than we drop. One learns very quickly that the wind is greater at the top of a slope than at the bottom; one becomes specifically oriented to the wind gradient without delay. We do not mind going a bit faster than best glide speed ~o smooth landings can be made, We have 50 pound ships that range from a stall speed of 15-18 mph and top flight speed of 70 mph. We are working on variable geometry systems that will give surprising results,

4. The ultralights typically do not protect the pilot against hard landings. In fact, the pilot is often relied on to absorb shock that would break the glider.

This above item really only begins to discuss an important topic. There is much evidence that the Hang Loose is one of modern aviation's best pilot protectors for hard landings - the crunching of the wings provide a cushioned landing not too unlike the crunching pods on lunar landers.

But even as that may be true, we do not want to be judged by the kinds of systems that provide hard landings •••• ; without much development we systems that provide consistent soft and bird-like landings, come to have 1 Glad man arrives."

Learning to land is fun and is something that often provides some bruises for the beginner; but the experience is not as treacherous as a youngster learning to land his first two wheeled bike.

5. A larger proportion of the profile of a typical flight in an ultralight falls either within the takeoff or ianding rather than in extended free flight, thus its damage exposure is relatively high.

Let us note that the larger pDrtion of the profile of a typical flight in an ultralight falls within takeoffs and landings rather than in free flight primarily because the soaring movement stopped developing the ultra and the ultra-ultra light wing loaded systems, Two weeks ago Dave Kilbourne foot launched for a one hour and four minute freeflight. In the same afternoon he had two other take-offs which gave him another accumulated hour of free-flight. On a mild slope about JO feet high which joined two very large flat areas, an Icarus ship was piloted for three and one-half minutes from a foot-launch. What tiny strESstheir was at the take-off and landing, the pilot did absorb; the ship received the soft touch of two human palms. However, this is not an effort to put aside that our systems do wear out by ground handling; they do indeed, This prob-lam is solvable in many ways; however, one is often quite ready to build his next 'new design' by the time the ship ia in need of its first major maintenance. But when one has a design that he intends to keep, proper materials and proc~dures can assure one of a long lived operation with one ship. Further, take-offs and landings are frequelttly the end sought by a feetle flier. The wear price is very low for a ship

9.9 put together with care. Our damage exposure must be counted as relat:i!lely lower than sailplane damage exposure per take-off and per landing. We can land in much less space. Our feet can step over chuck holes and rocks whereas wheels and skids must accept whatever is in front of them. Our velocity and mass are low and thus we do not hit obstacles as hard as do heavier systems. We have a much greater choice of landing spots since we often need only a few feet of run. Our bodies typically represent 75% of the gross weight of the system. The stress of little bumps at take-off and landing is absorbed by that pilot mass before it reaches the wing structure. As one gets practiced one hardly give; the ship any take-oil or landing stress nor damage exposure. How pleasingly different! Its like a surfboard system compared with a sailboat. The beginner dings and bangs his board in transport, in apparent combat with his friends board, and in sand clashes. The practice surfer sets his board on the water, not on the sand; he rides ~t and keeps it rather than leaving it to 'the mercy of the crashing wave; he stays his proper distance from obstacles. But even while all such is happening, we find the sailboats docking and bumping piers, other boats, and-miscellaneous harbor items. The heavier and more complex system cannot escape higher potential stresses and strains.

One does not see the free-flying piece of paper getting mangled in a storm wind, but one does see heavier wing loaded articles smash to pieces.

SSA does not consider the ultralight glider to be an anachronism or a throwback-necessarily. Certainly the resurgence of interest in low and slow ships can be ignored only at a very great risk to SSA's safety reputation in the regulatory environment. But SSA should invite the Hang Glider Thing into the 1970's. Ultralight gliders, like parachutes, are "in interstate commerce."

That THING invites the SSA into the 1970 1 s . The THING has been careful to make the invitation as peaceful as possible, it knowing of the SSA's conservative traditionalism. We hope that tha SSA accepts the invitation and thereby bring gliding to the United States people •••• It is amazii:.g that only two to three thousand sailplanes make up the gliding movemeit that is called the SSA ••••• for 220 million people! That comes to one sailplane for each 110,000 people. I wonder how many people out of a random selection of peopls have desired deeply to be able to share the Earth air with the birds in a simple mode of being in flight.

BASIC POLICY SSA will em;:ourage di,welopment of the ultralight gliders in legal channels provided by the Federal Aviation Administration. It will encourage modern design development and safe flight activity in this sector of motorless flight. As a general guide, gliders with a wing loading of less than three pounds per square foot of wing area will be classed as ultralights.

L&S is glad for the SSA 'Basic Policy' above statement.

We hope that

9.10

9.11

'9.12

the SSA goes further than stated. We hope that the SSA encourage development of some ultralight glider categories that simply are not fair game for the legal channe·ls of the FAA. Further, there are some very distinct heavy wing-loaded gliding activities that do not deserve any attention by the FAA (for one kind see L&S 3.6). We intend to contribute and learn from any ultralight and heavy glider program.

Specific SSA Ultralight Glider Program Activities 1. All experienced SSA members, especially SSA Chapters and SSA-affiliated commercial operators, are encouraged to assist the low and slow sector beginners in construction, licensing, pilot training, and the conduct of flight operations. The relatively low payoff in flight of these types of gliders, if flown safely, can provide a point of entry into the more sophisticated end of soaring.

Someone has been getting the wrong information. There exists a very high payoff in flight for low and slow flying systems. We have hopes of flying more hours, more frequently, more places, and with more challenges than is found in modern sailplaning. We know about the possibilites of entering modern sailplaning; several low and slow members have gone on to it; many more of us are already personally experienced in it; but most of us see the values of low and slow activities as a home not to be left just because gliding has other fac.es. Our system development trend shows that a single person will be able to enter sophisticated relationships with the air that are beyond the ship systems that are in need of more than the pilot himself. Try maneuvering through the trees, skysurfing on the seashore water-line slope, hiking with your glider on your back, flapping your wings, bouncing on your wings to set up oscillations, flying at your coffee break, thermalling in the very very weak thermals, and landing in a fenced yard 12' by 36 1 ,dynamic soaring half-way around the world, or sharing your gliding experience practically with all the members of your family. Taste self-launching and self-landing •••• these are sophisticated experiences if one sees the subtlety of why man would ever want to try to fly in the first place.

2. Advertising of hang gliders and other ultralight, mancarrying, free-flight gliders will be accepted for Soaring only if the descriptive material and plans include instructions for experimental homebuilt licensing by the Federal Aviation Administration, including references to appropriate airworthiness and construction standards in Federal Air Regulations, FAA Advisory Circulars, and other publications. The materials offered must also specify that pilots must hold appropriate FAA pilot certificates to engage in untethered solo flight in such gliders.

SSA tethers all kinds of anxious sailplanes ••• such is the essence of kiting. Kiting is often many times more hazardous than free-flight

9.13 gliding. I wonder if Soaring will accept advertising of plans for an ultralight kite system called by name 'The Rogallo Hang-glider: a kind of man-kite system', if the plans did not direct the potential builder to pilot certificatio:a and system licensing.

For some hang-gliding activities no F.A.R.s,nor FAA A.G.s,nor other federal publications are appropriate; for other activities some such is appropriate. L&S hopes SSA sees that much of what we are doing is in need of no federal requirements, only very local and personal requirements.

3. A new Ultralight Committee of the SSA's Technical Board will be ·created to review conformity of plans of such gliders to these policy guidelines ( and to retain one set of such plans for SSA archives), The Committee will study plans and the ships built from them in order to prepare informative material for Soaring magazine from time to time on the structural and aerodynamic quality of the new . developments, but neither to endorse nor to withhold endorsement of specific models. The Ultralight Committee will also endeavor to prepare an elementary guide to construction, evaluation, inspection, weight and balance analysis, static testing, launching technique, and flight testing of ultralight gliders.

To the SSA for #3 above: Why work so hard at detaching yourself from gliding systems that will not meet your present guidelines?

Dick Eipper built in 7 hours a fine glider that has given over 100 people some fine glider flightl and over JOO glider flights for himself. In four months he is on his'~ th personal glider. He has conducted hie activity in airspace and circumstance so as not to bother any other aircraft except some Frisbees. His activity is not in need of federal air agents any more than the ski-slope ski-jumpers and yet you would have him follow your guidelines for him to tell his story in an ad for plans placed in Soaring. There always will be flight ways that will not meet your present guidelines •••••• we wish you will seek a way to open the heart of your non-profit service sport corporation to the very activity that you are chartered to respect. Some change will be needed. Change won't hurt existing practice and soaring, but will simply make your existence more meaningful; we will know that you do know about the world of the low and slow. We will know that you know that the FAA will not be required for our .Aatrodome indoor flying•

4. The SSA Publications Board will give serious consideration to the development of an ultralight glider chapter for the American Soaring Handbook.

L&S will be glad to share the task with others. But part of that chapter should deal with the sport and recreative and artistic worth of dealing with glider systems that fit into a rejuvenated SSA, an SSA that operates with other community agents as the FAA only when needed, not when not needed as in the case of some low and slow flight ways.

5. If and when safe and practical forms of ultralight competition emerge, the SSA Contest Board will assist in developing rules for SSA-sanctioned contests.

SSA, you must have heard: We already have safe and practical forms of hang-gliders, hang-soarers, foot-launching floaters, and self-launching ultralights. FAA involvement is not a necessary nor a sufficient cause of safe or practical situations; they can be a great help in sonre needs. We hope that you will not use the FAA as an excuse for avoiding seeing that we do now have systems ready for all kinds of safe and sane sportive competitions. The uncontrolled Hang Loose can be a safe happening within certain bounds. But much beyond that ship, the Rogallo hang-glider has safely been around for 20 years! The VJ-11 has been around longer. The Icarus is a most recent super ship that has super qualities and potentials; only some minor spec changes need be made to put this ship with the best of the best. The rigid large-tip-reflexed Miller Sailwing will soon emerge as a very safe and enjoyable system.

The many canopy hang-gliders are ready. Man-powered gliding systems are emerging. How about getting the way cleared so that there exists a class of gliding activity that you can trust as one that will be left alone by the FAA. We are confident that the FAA will give you this kind of go ahead. Ask them and see.

6. SSA will encourage membership of the ultralight enthusiasts in SSA and will cooperate with SSA-affiliated builders and pilots in this field. Appropriate land-mark news of ultralight activity and development will be carried in Soaring from time to time, but a separate newsletter will be encouraged for technical and other communications.

Welcome aboard, but tuck your legs up. ~ Of the above: The fun, challenge, and art that can be developed in tllle low and slow realm of flight will require the continued existence and growth of a booklet series called Low & Slow. I.&S does now encourage L&S readers to join SSA if they want high performance soaring, not if they want self-launch gliding, soaring, muscular combines, k i t e ~ bines, and other special forms of self-launch fuel-less flight. L&S wishes that it could honestly recommend people to SSA for all forms of popular gliding, but as yet it cannot. We thank you for your cooperation during the past year and hope that future affiliation will make for a broadened and more popular SSA. We invite all SSA members to join in the think-share that is Low & Slow.

-

WE REALIZE THAT YOUR 'POSITION PAPER' REPRESENTS SOME HASTE EXPRESSIONS OF "FEELINGS OF DIRECTORS", and we are anxiously waiting to hear the non-hasty expressions of the directors after they have cleared their feelings.

Let's make gliding popular in the U.S.A. rather than hiding it from the people. Let us glide in city parks near home.

Let us de~elop gliding in high schools. Let the SSA growl

9.15

Low i Slow

POSITION PAPER: Low & Slow Position Paper: Will the movement go soaring?

Soaring, gliding, kiting, man-powered propulsion, and jumping, and swinging •••• these are all tied in with the motion in air that brings low and slowers together •••• further we seekto achieve flight systems that are buildable and flyable by one person without fueled assist for gaining altitude. We self-launch •••• but we do not just hang. We get in all possible positions and want to discover the delights sf all kinds of gliding, soaring, and tethered flight. We know that the past does not encompass what we are doing today and what we are intending to do.

Things just are not the same as they were before ••••• gravity and air remain, but insights are fresh; we will not escape remaining dangers unless we encompass the past while we go beyond it. Let's hope that the soaring Establishment stops sweating about the low and slow thing and gets busy finding out about how it can rejuvenate itself to encompass its brother low and Blowers without having the low and slowers fit the more burdensome structures that seem to be needed for handling the operations of non-self-launching fuel-less systems. None of the lessons learned in soaring's history should be forgotten; no, not even the one that shows all of us that self-launching can be a safe and most re~arding activity and challenge.

What is soaring? Couldn't we say soaring is gliding in non-horizontal or/and inconstant velocity wind environments; and therefore isnit there a negative and positive kind of soaring? First is a kind of gliding that causes a segment of gliding to have an absolute altitude loss greater than what would have occurred had the segment of gliding been in horizontal air. The positive kind of soaring would be a gliding segment that occurred in vertical currents of air. Yes, low and slowers do soar!

Our simple glides on hillsides are usually done in rising slope current·s.

Our glides are longer in time because of this; we soar positively most of the time. The man-power enthusiasts sometimes extend flights by adding energy to the air; otherStether the wing using man-power tow.

For class 1 and 2 low and slow self-launch soaring we would hope that we would never have to submit to a Federal Aviation Administration agent; we would rather have a system of more local and private nature like bicyclis1Band surf-board builders have. The FAA locals often have expressed the same sentiment: "We have more important things to think <1.bo1<1t than to watch you guys meander around the hillsides." Why should the federal tax money be spent to investigate and license the millions of non-bothering craft that people will use for picnic type flying? The SSA Establishment ought to taste the reality that there are ways of ussing air that should not have a heavy FAA paternalism attached to it.

9.16 Class 3 self-lauching that puts the pilot into airways shared by the powered craft of the world ought definitely to come under the regulatory veil of the FAA so that the property of others and the lives of others are best protected. We hope that SSA will promote, not only Class 3 self-lauching, but that it will appreciate the recreational and artistic values of doing soaring in manners not needing massive systems of regulation and attendant costs.

Just because training and knowledge are needed for safe conduct of some aspects of Class 1 and 2 types of soaring,IS NOT sufficient cause for REQUIRING devices to be inspected, certified, and licensed.

Where would Leonardo or Wilbur be had they had to run to the FAA before they ran off the sand dunes one more time with a new little creation?

Progress comes in many colors. One of its colors is the growth of private experimentation that is uninhibited by public regulations when such regulations are not needed for the safeguard of public property.

Much of Class 1 and class 2 self-launching does not need regulations.

Such class of flight encompasses individuals that want to relaxingly and uninhibitively seek out whatever training and knowledge they think they have a need for at the level of experience at the time -such is the spirit of play and such is the environment of creative learning.

Enthusiasm founded on a play spirit on experiments that do not bother the public property will seek out the best engineering available, the best known training methods, and the best safety standards needed for a happy continuation of the discovered way of creative recreation. The Soaring Society of America does not have to feel a paternal responsibility when looking at class 1 and 2 self-launching flying; rather it would do well and stay in its spirit of helpfulness by protecting the rights of class 1 and 2 pilots to proceed in creative play without required regulations; it can for them remain an open deposit of information and guidance for those flyers wishing to experience flight realms that do share airspace with other kinds of aircraft and that do involve risk situations involving public property and safety. Voluntary group discipline that remains voluntary for class 1 and 2 sounds like a neat kind of set-up. But lets leage as much to volition as we possiblycan so that each individual will be encouraged to dream, re-create, play, invent, discover, research, and share from within himself.

Thus, it could be that SSA can find a way to publish advertisements for plans for flying devices that do not include statements that support the idea that all all all all manners of man-air-use-with-sticks-andplastic must must must go to some big guy for inspection, certification, and approval •••• and licensing of this and that ••••••• just might be that some forms of good soaring should not have the citizens of the U.S.A. pay good money for such systems of flight review. Might be that all that should be required is something like the inclusion of the following statement: "If you intend to soar in the manner of class 3, pay a. visit to your local F.A.A. and S.S.A. chapter ti insure that you

9.17 do all necessaries for the protection of public lives and property. Class 1 and 2 need not have you do more than be •ise for your own protection; however,you might read L&S and study the literature pertinent to your creative play and join SELFG and maybe have increasing relations with others that like the kind of thing your going to do with these plans. Maybe after using these plans you might want to investigate Class 3 soaring and man-powered flight.

Howevei;. we respect your appreciation of the values found in your world of low and slow ultralight creative play."

IF MAN WAS MEANT 70

:·:fl

fl.fl., HE'D HAVl: 5eEN l?ORM uJtr+f Pt>LY£1ll£LENE. lUIM&.S.

The plans are finished! You will be provided with a set of plans for the 32" model and rib plans for a 5 foot model. I am going full speed ahead now on my mancarrying size of this improved configuration. See 8.19 of L&S. See also 5.10.

Several people are contemplating using the above model plans for building a full-sized hang-glider since the small model was built to be a pre-type for just such.

The CFSW-1 is a unique compromise between sailwings and high aspect ratio parawings with high levels of built-in stabilities.

Send $2 to Frank Colver at 3076 Roanoke Lane, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626 for fU:11 plan set.

9.18

Open letters to be tasted for trends, tips. and encouragement: ((Editorial comment in double parentheses) *Ed Lockhart: MPF book: keith Sherwin has done a masterful job.

I'm cranking out sketches and design details at a rapid rate, soon to be translated into structural mock-ups and free flight models to sift out several design approaches. It's a fascinating study. Some of the structural "fall-out" should be directly applicable to hanggliders. *Winn Thompson,R.I.: I hope to build a glider here at school and thus achieve a dream I have had since last yesr.((Winn, best of lift!)) *Dan Wakerley,CA: I immediately wrote Taras Kiceniuk for his plans. *Mike Conkling,OK: This type of flying interests me. ((Me tool)) *Arthur E. Hurst, SSA Director - Region 2: Although I get the impression from your letter that you are not in favor of aggressive competition flying, I feel that everyone should do his own thing, and I plan to do both -keep my fiberglass standard cirrus and build a hang glider also. ((Arthur, please do aggressiv:zy- compete with hardy endorsement from Low & Slow ••••• use your whole self in getting speed and distance fuel-lessly; whole self -even the 0.5 hp that you could sustain for achieving extra distance. And please lead the way to hang-gliding and hang-soaring and man-powered assisted self-launched flights. Many most interesting areas are opening for really fun competitions. Hope to see you at the Rogallo or Icarus endurance event at the park near your home. But: MANY JUST WANT TO BE&FLY! *W.E. Martin, Iowa: Looks as if you might have something. ((All of us have something; let's develop it into a glorious ending chapter of man-flight on Earth •••• one ending in a vibrantly beautiful Earth.)) *Dick Eipper: I saw Dan's kite on Friday night; Sat. morning I bought the bamboo and plastic and flew off the hill Sat. early evening.

I had never seen one of these things before nor had I any prior aerodynamic experience. I did not follow any plan except what was in my mind from seeing Dan's kite.((Dick made a Bat-Glider Rogallo)) "Larry and David Gowell, Arizona: It sounds like you may have a movement that is worth while, and certainly more fun than transponders, user taxes, marker beacons, and near misses. ((Right, but we still have a problem with those near-misses or shall we say nearly missed.)) *Graig Spaulding, GA: See Popular Mechanics Album of Aviation. Also see 1907 Popular Mechanics for "Build-it-yourself glider". +Trim adjustment idea on MFSW: At the wing tip have an end plate, Outside the wing tip have a pivoting trim tab: ..(z,?,·;~ *Win Title, CA: I would enjoy hearing of any informal ~ get-togethers or if you need any help I can give, please call, (( Low & Slow is to be an organ for ccmmunicating meet

time ap.d places ••••• Everyone can help by becoming a reporter for· their area. Send to L & Sall meeting notices however small; include a short description of the event.)

•PHONE CALL: Australian Birdman, Bill Moyes: aero-tow to 9,690 A.S.L from field of 1,080 1 A.S.L. gave him a non-L&S launched hang glide in his Rogallo wing for some national attention. He needs 19 knots to elope soar from foot-launch. L&S member John Hancock met Bill on the beach in Santa Barbara. John reports: "He is a real character and a good pilot. He hopes to soar to the sea in Santa Barbara from one of the higher mountains in a couple of weeks. He want to chat to L&S types here and perhaps do some free-flying."

Further from the phone call,your editor initiated,came these thoughts and substance: Bill Moyes stays in the United States and Canada for six months of the year and goes home in Australia for the remainder of the year. "Boat-ski-kiting is popular in Australia."

"Not so much the hill flying." He gets paid for flying at fairs; all such is good activity -good for increasing sales on his wings,one model selling for S545.oo, freight included. Most of the pictures I've seen of his Rogallos show battens that are nearly two-thirds the length of the center-boom. These cut down his "luffing" when his angle of attack is negative.

I suggest you send for literature from Bill Moyes at the following two addresses if you wish to see some of the pictures on his ads: 12001 Gerald Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344 or 173 Bronte Rd., Waverly, Sydney, Australia 2024 ~Not to slight the field in this pro-sport-mfgS,here is a mention of another Australia Birdman, one based in the USA permanently. Ask for his literature too: Bill Bennett, P.O. Box 483, Van Nuys, CA 91408 Bill built the first wings that Dave Kilbourne flew. These Rogallo ski-kites also sell for over $400.

Neither Bill Moyes nor Bill Bennett are advertisers,nor L&S members,nor subscribers,nor contributors,nor aelf-launch'goers'.

20 yr. old Jeff Jobe (see Sports Ill., 10-18-71, page 60) is also selling Rogallos,about $500. Don't miss reading that Jobe article!

•Tom Valentine, CA: Lightweight streamlined pants for pants and torso and helmet devised from wrapping and taping cardboard or sheet plastic of heavy gauge. ~ ...J1AJJ>, • CJ.OT}/ /17' l('N/:F.S

~

'jzJ

'"~

• C.Ross -Sf=C.TI OIJ l

-<§)

*Larry Dighera: Receives C badge in Soaring Society·- Larry was hand launched on his Hang Loose at the Otto meet and is going on to nonself-launch gliding. How about hearing from Larry?

•H.J. Stiglmeier: My materials for my non-L&S glider trailer cost $525.

•Rumor in the winds: Many people do not believe that Montgomery flew anything in 1883. There is some lack of evidence. How could one build a replica of a M-flier if there wasn't 11

9.20

*Phone call to Dave.Kilbourne; ((Dave is convinced that the goodness of the sail on the Rogallo makesa terrific difference. His change from 3.2 oz. poly-dacron to 4.0 oz. dacron makes a significant difference.

LETTER FROM DAVE: Newest hang-soaring experience (Labor Day Monday); I netted over 2 hrs. flight time in 3 flights; THE LONGEST FLIGHT WAS 1 hour 4 minutes!

-the most noteworth part of the flights was the considerable increase in soarability and penetration of my newest Rogallo, the same one I brought to the Montgomery Meet. I consider this a success but will continue development. The Labor Day flights were done in a ship of 4 lbs. lighter frame but with 4 oz. instead of a 2.9 oz. sail. The new ship has its maximum penetration at a speed about 10 mph faster than the older ship.

The only bad experience was in the landing after the longest flight.

I had been skimming with feet 2 to 3 feet off the crest of the ridge Bild was lured into trying to touchdown there. It deceptively felt like a very low energy approach due to the fact that I could almost hover there over one spot; however, it was not at all 'low energy' because the wind was moving almost at flying speed. Anyhow, the instant my feet touched I found myself thru~t backward and upward in the nearest thing to a deep stall I've ever experienced yet. It was at that instant a gust caught one wing more than the other and lifted it causing a quick slip straight to the ground. I was unhurt but a wing tube got bent. ((Review the Oct.24 1971 Pro-Am Low and Slow Meet for similar incidents performed by Dave's friends Bill Bennett and Bill Moyes ••• the two Australian birdmen.))

However, I was able to disassemble it and straighten it in the crook cf the only tree on the ridge. In my next flight I maintained enough airspeed fmr good control when close to the ground.

GC>LDE=N "Rc.JL"E' : ELJIVI I NA"t1= -AL-LUN t i ~ E ~ tUB~ _I