Rigid-Wing Reader
dull knife
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 1
Spring, 1993
Dear Rigid-Wing Enthusiasts:
This is the inaugural issue of the revived Rigid-Wing Reader and I
would like to thank the (former publisher) for helping this to come
about by providing his list of subscribers. Actually, Iąve wanted to
try my hand at this since (his) announcement he was being transferred
and didnąt feel he could keep RWR going. We can expect to hear from
him occasionally.
I have been very busy pouring over your responses to my questions. It
is apparent RWRąs readers will be a diverse group in our opinions and
desires - except, of course, in the belief that the day of the
rigid-wing is at hand.
Whatever I say will smell like flowers to some - and to others, qualify
to attract flies. On balance, I hope you find value in what you read
in RWR. I plan to ensure this by presenting as many opinions as
possible.
It will be difficult to put out RWR without your input. This is the
traditional appeal by the small newsletter publisher - send material!
Some of you said youąd be interested in contributing articles, some of
you said you wouldnąt. Others said they didnąt think they were
qualified! So who is qualified to write about an industry that doesnąt
exist, or about ships that havenąt even been designed yet? In most
cases we will be discussing how it should be - after all, the
rigid-wing industry is the industry that should be! Hopefully, it will
be łthe little industry that could.˛ We are going to help shape this
industry through RWR, and weąre all qualified to do that, arenąt we?
Each of us has a unique perspective, and it will take many perspectives
to build a rigid-wing industry - not just in aerodynamics, but in
marketing, certification, regulation, and...
If youąre at a loss for a topic, pick one of these...
Foot launch soaring
Towing
Stories and anecdotes
Projects - past, present & future
Product ideas and announcements
Government regulations
Certification/design standards/specifications
Sources of materials, plans/kits
Technical aspects of soaring
Book reviews
Medical aspects of soaring
Accidents - notable or otherwise
Builderąs tips
Aerodynamics
Old rigids - what , where & how much?
Sites good & bad
HG events
Rigid-Wing Hall Of Fame
Rigid-Wing design contest
Pilots in hospital, prison, or military
Rigid-Wing conference
Rigid-Wing fly-in
Concept - łclub ships,˛ or pilots sharing like sailplane pilots do.
Concept - designing/building a ship as a class project or as the
focusof a mentoring effort.
Concept - 2010 ~ the year of 3,000 - 60-year-old hang glider pilots!
Concept - hang gliding as an occupation/business.
Fantasy - I had a dream about...
Reality - why appeals from newsletter writers to submit material tick
me off...
Would anyone like to try their hand at cartooning?
Write a classified ad if you have something to sell. Several of you
have mentioned Mitchell Wings in various stages of construction, and
several people have asked about Mitchell Wings. Classified ads are
free, and theyąre the way to deal with specific needs about
plans/kits/materials.
CAVEAT(s):
LIABILITY STATEMENT ~ RWR makes every effort to ensure the correctness
and completeness of the material printed. Use of any material
published herein will be deemed your release of RWR and associated
personnel from łliability˛ for any injuries, damages or losses claimed
to be caused by the use thereof. Since material printed in RWR is
contributed by subscribers and others, the accuracy and validity of the
opinions and other materials presented herein are the responsibility of
the contributor, and the reader has a corresponding responsibility to
obtain competent independent verification of any information being used
to design, build and/or fly any device.
EDITORIAL POLICY: RWR reserves the right to make deletions, additions
or revisions necessary to adapt material to the space, style and
standards of this publication. Although reasonable care is taken, RWR
cannot be responsible for damaged photography, artwork, or manuscripts.
Others may reproduce material printed herein, provided credit is given
as to source, particularly in the case of contributed materials or
articles being reprinted from other sources or publications. Unless
otherwise specified in a submission, editorial prerogatives will
prevail in determining what will be included in RWR.
dull knife
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 2
Spring, 1993
BUILDING AN INDUSTRY
This newsletter is an experiment, an experiment in finding out as much
as I can about rigid-wings for the purpose of sharing this information
with others. There are those, myself included, who think rigid-wings
are being held back by the lack of a forum for the exchange of ideas
and expertise, so I approached (the former editor) about reviving his
Rigid Wing Reader, contacted as many as I could on his many-years-old
list (thanks to help from USHGA), and now I am sending you this
inaugural issue of The NEW Rigid-Wing Reader.
I do not plan to publish without controversy. I have a couple of
matters I�m interested in most, and one of them - certification - I
will be presenting to you in this issue as editorial opinion. Please
don�t get the idea that I plan to exclude other viewpoints in this or
any other matter. Whether you agree with me or not is irrelevant as
far as opinions presented here are concerned, so write to say what�s on
your mind. If you disagree with something, then please limit your
discussion to the topic and try not to resort to questioning anyone�s
motives or ancestry.
RWR will concentrate less on flying articles (for the time being) and
present more on the process that leads to rigid-wings being made
available to pilots, and with matters germane to fostering the
emergence of a rigid-wing industry. When more and more rigid-wings are
available to pilots, flying stories will begin to show up in HG
Magazine, along with photographs and all the other glossy stuff you
expect from them. PRODUCT LINES, HG Mag�s great column in that area,
will more than likely become interested in a rigid-wing project toward
the end of its R&D cycle, so RWR intends to fill the void or niche that
exists between when a designer conceives of a particular design and the
actual marketing of that ship, or the public announcement that such an
event is imminent. While there could be some overlapping of interests
with another publication, I don�t expect this will cause any problems
due to the fact that RWR will be able to help that publication and
others with background material on specific projects as they begin to
attract attention.
I have a feeling that the biggest area of criticism will be my
drum-beating about certification. Please refer to my editorial in this
issue for the reasons I feel we need a Rigid-Wing Manufacturers�
Association and a set of standards and specifications for rigid-wings
alone (as differentiated, of course, from �rag� wings). I have spoken
with some of the players in this budding industry and have received
both agreement and disagreement. While there are people who will see
an effort to establish a parallel certification system as a threat, and
while I am disappointed in the polarization this issue might engender,
this contentiousness is necessary because there is no other way to deal
with the inertia that exists in the sport, not only concerning the
industry and the sport�s governing organization, but with pilot�s
perceptions as well. For the time being, I am operating under the
impression that something�s got to give, and certification has my
attention as having the most potential for constructive change opening
the door for rigid-wings to compete in the marketplace for consumer�s
dollars, trust, and loyalty.
Certification changes or no, rigid-wings are here to stay! As time
goes on, we�ll see more designs being designed, built, and
manufactured. Each prospective designer/builder/manufacturer has to
wrestle with some mix of tradeoffs, disappointments, financial and
family pressures, and commitments. Every day some reason presents
itself to quit (or to not even begin) a project. It is my hope that,
through this newsletter, someone might be stimulated and motivated
enough to get going and start that project he (or she) has been
dreaming about, or to continue once started and follow-up to
completion.
We in the rigid-wing community have a responsibility to each other and
to all of aviation to build this industry. People often say that space
is the frontier, but the airspace is still the frontier, my friends.
Even the most modern airliners still crash - so no one can say that the
airspace-frontier has been conquered. We are the pioneers! You are
the pioneers - you, you and, yes, you too! We in hang gliding
represent the best future opportunity for personal soaring flight to
the greatest number of people. Hang gliding is at the bottom of a
cycle right now, and although we don�t know which factors will converge
to conspire a revitalization of the concept of personal soaring flight,
this sport will recover someday and rigid-wings will be an important
part of this.
Remember the old saying that everything that can possibly be invented
has already been invented. I guess it depends on what we consider
�invention� to be. In the past, in reading through volumes of old NACA
reports, I kept running across things I thought I�d thought of, and
occasionally I�d see things illustrated in Nature confirming or
initiating thoughts and ideas. While it is entirely possible that some
quantum-leap in technology is not imminent, invention then becomes more
like innovation, and we haven�t even scratched the surface of that yet.
There are about a zillion permutations of design parameters and
tradeoffs available to designers, each of these leading to a unique
device suitable for some anticipated (or unanticipated?) set of soaring
tasks.
We have yet to see all the ships that will revolutionize
foot/tow-launch soaring, and ships that satisfy pilots� cravings for
high performance, low cost, easy set-up, transportability,
repairability, and safety will continually be being invented and
reinvented. Has anyone thought about the fact that one of these ships
we have yet to see will actually cause the sport to grow because of
some quality or appeal we have yet to experience? I will be very
disappointed if the ship that accomplishes this revolution does not
appear in this newsletter and become exposed to the flying community
here, first! RWR�s number one goal is to stimulate designers and help
them (you) to accomplish their (your) goals and dreams. Get busy, this
industry will be built one ship at a time!
dull knife
The Rigid-Wing Reader
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 3
Spring, 1993
EDITORIAL OPINION:
Rigid-wing certification (caution: reader discretion advised).
I'll be right up-front with you about this topic - it has a very high
priority with me. I intend to explore this phenomenon thoroughly, and
I will present all reasonable opinions and viewpoints. The purposes of
a discussion of certification are to determine a range of opinions, to
try to reach a consensus in some middle-ground, and then put a plan
into action. So, please remember that if there's disagreement, let's
agree to disagree without attacking those with opposing opinions in
this very hot topic.
Why certification? Safety! This is common ground no matter our
perspective. Many people don't know that a certification system serves
other purposes as well, which we'll discuss another time, but right now
the question that needs to be answered concerns how a certification
program should be implemented and administered.
Before delving into this subject, perhaps it would be useful to
construct a scenario or model that defines the relationships among
various constituencies in foot-launch soaring. I think of USHGA as
being like a tree, with roots drawing sustenance in the way of support
from the membership; the trunk being the organization itself; and the
limbs and branches representing various functions and interfaces USHGA
establishes and maintains to further the goals of the membership (FAA,
NAA, FAI, etc.; pilot and equipment certification; site preservation;
insurance; the magazine; collecting dues - add all the functions you
can think of to complete the tree-like model).
We in the sport of hang gliding have a mandate from the FAA to
self-regulate, and USHGA is our mechanism for this. USHGA has a
responsibility to conduct the affairs of our sport by balancing this
imperative to self-regulate with the needs of the membership, and
equipment-certification falls reasonably within this mandate.
USHGA has neither been willing nor able to initiate and administer a
proper equipment-certification program, so the industry went ahead and
set up a program. I have no quarrel with anyone over the quality or
details of this certification program, only in the larger context of
the industry itself administering a program for its own purposes, which
purposes seem not to include a rigid-wing program comparable to the
rag-wing certification. It's been suggested to me that the reason for
this has to do with the fact that no one has ever formally asked HGMA
to include rigid-wings in a certification program, so I will do so
right now by this editorial!
It is expedient for USHGA to allow HGMA to carry out this task for the
membership. As long as pilots are willing to fly essentially the same
gliders we are now (aluminum tube frame, Dacron sails, wire braced,
etc.), the present system seems to serve us fairly well. The main
problem has to do with the fact that it does not accommodate or foster
the rigid-wing industry everyone knows exists on the fringes of our
sport. It is now time for HGMA to move in this area, or find it's
being done independently.
One other point needs to be made about HGMA. Remember, manufacturers'
associations, by definition, promote the interests of member
manufacturers, and the needs and purposes of others are secondary, no
matter the lip-service paid to secondary purposes. Profit-making
entities exist to make for profits for their owners, a manufacturers'
association must ultimately serve this purpose and, while there might
be an altruistic element to their activities, altruism will usually
take a back seat to profits when important decisions are being made.
Further, existing manufacturers are ill-equipped to manufacture
rigid-wings - not because they can't, or aren't capable, but because
they have a a great deal of capital tied up in the manufacture of
equipment they make now. Little of the plant, equipment, and labor
they now employ are easily diverted to the manufacture of rigid-wings.
Were they to enter this market, new plant and equipment would have to
be brought on line, requiring great allocations of capital and other
dislocations. Doesn't it make sense, then, that these companies would
prefer pilots keep on flying what is being manufactured now, and that a
manufacturers' association would reflect this attitude by foot-dragging
in establishing certification criteria for the next generation of
equipment?
Given this scenario, it is not likely we'll see a comprehensive new
equipment-certification program from HGMA (challenge: prove me wrong!),
and since USHGA is unlikely to promote such a program on its own, we
are left with having no program at all, waiting for HGMA to act, or
starting a Rigid-Wing Manufacturers' Association (RWMA).
Since few options appear to be available within the foot-launch
community right now to properly certify rigid-wings, the Rigid-Wing
Reader hereby calls for the formation of a Rigid-Wing Manufacturers'
Association. All those interested in serving on a panel in order to
consider a course of action in forming RWMA are urged to contact each
other through RWR, and I anticipate this panel will, after a formal
appeal to HGMA to either foster this new industry or step out of the
way, issue a call for technical papers from persons interested in
developing standards and specifications for the design, flight
qualities, and manufacture of rigid-wing, foot-launch or tow-launch
gliders.
In no way should this effort be construed to be contrary to anyone's
purposes. RWMA is intended to further the cause of self-regulation.
Since the equipment-certification needs of the existing mature
"rag-wing" industry and the fledgling rigid-wing industry seem not to
be entirely compatible, except in the matter of safety, a separate and
parallel certification system might best serve the interests of the
entire flying community.
dull knife
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 4
Spring, 1993
A DISQUIETING LOOK INTO THE FUTURE?
Does anyone dare believe that economic conditions could change - for
the worse? When debt accumulates to the extent it has in the US over
the past decade or so, one (or both) of two economic scenarios becomes
likely - massive debt default or runaway inflation.
MASSIVE DEBT DEFAULT - this scenario presumes that at some point in
time the word spreads that there is so much paper around that it will
be impossible for this debt either to be serviced (interest payments
are now the single largest expense in the federal budget!), or paid off
(the old saying goes: "all debts will be paid - by the debtor or the
creditor"). This will send capitalism back to square-one because what
I am describing is a collapse in capital, essentially what happened in
the last depression as the capital house-of-cards collapsed around the
world, also referred to as a deflationary depression. About the only
good thing that comes out of such an event is a wiping clean of the
debt-slate, the cornerstone of a new period of prosperity. During this
kind of depression, dollars will increase in value because demand for
them will be high and they will be scarce (5-cent cup of coffee,
anyone?).
MASSIVE INFLATION - the most likely and dangerous scenario. The model
for this is Brazil, where they have very high inflation ($50 cup of
coffee, anyone?) accompanied by depression. Since the dollar will be
changing in value on a daily or hourly basis, it will no longer be the
world's reserve currency, and holders of bonds will be dumping them and
not wanting to hold any dollar-denominated debt, making any economic
activity leading to new wealth-creation very difficult. If you think
the stock market crash of 1987 was something, a bond market crash
should really make an impression on you as the bond market is many
times bigger than the stock market.
WHIPSAW - the inflationary and deflationary scenarios happening in
quick succession. Best not to think about a whipsaw happening. This
would be the economic equivalent of "augering-in."
WEALTH-CREATION - the capital cycle depends upon wealth-creation to
fuel growth and investment. There are only two ways to create new
wealth - taking something out of the ground (raw materials, crops,
etc.), or adding value in a manufacturing process. All other forms of
economic activity constitute bean-shuffling. Adding value in a
manufacturing process is where hang-glider manufacturers fit into the
picture, so what will be their situation be?
Manufacturers are not going to like it either way. In the deflationary
scenario, customers will not have the dollars needed to by equipment,
and there will be a downsizing of government and industry the likes of
which we've never seen. The day of the backyard builder will return
since more traditional materials will be the only ones available (they
can be scrounged or bartered for, so pull out those B-10 plans,
friends, and be prepared for a world of wood & dope & fabric). The
aluminum-tube & dacron-sail ships of today will slowly disappear as age
takes a toll on the inventory of owned gliders not being replaced by
present manufacturers, who will probably have to shut their doors
because they can't obtain the high-tech materials they need, can't
afford them, or can't find customers for the products they are able to
manufacture.
The inflationary scenario promises to be a sad one as well. Holders of
debt with fixed returns will see the prospect of being paid income and
principal with worthless dollars as intolerable, in which case they
will try to shift out of those assets by moving into things with more
intrinsic value like real-estate and/or gold. People will be spending
money like there's no tomorrow, primarily because, for the currency,
there will _be_ no tomorrow. Spend it (today) before it inflates
(tomorrow) will be the rule, the only problem being the fact that
producers will be trying to anticipate this by continually raising
prices, and people will demand higher pay to keep up. Equipment
manufacturers may have to close their doors because their products will
tend to be priced just out of reach. Look back and remember $25,000
houses and how they were just out of reach 25-years ago, and now the
same houses are $200,000 and still just out of reach. That's what
inflation is like for most people. In hyperinflation, the time-element
of inflation compresses until you can look back weeks (or even days)
and say the same thing I just said about home values. Since no one
will want dollars under these conditions, it will be very difficult to
import anything from other countries, and hard currencies will be hard
to get as manufacturers in the U.S. will have to contend with adverse
exchange effects. Again, these will be homebuilder's days because
homebuilders can exist by bartering, which larger entities have a much
harder time doing.
Economic collapse certainly will not be good times for the established
hang-gliding industry. Hopefully, many of the businesses we depend
upon for equipment will be able to "hang" on somehow and make the
transition to serving the many pilots who might have to become
homebuilders. Don't get me wrong - things could go right along just as
they are with federal and state governments continuing to accumulate
debt like there's no tomorrow. Uncle Sam's credit seems to be good
anytime and anywhere, but common sense says that this can't go on
forever, and the concept of cycles (what goes up must come down!) tells
us to be cautious.
The great debt bubble of the 80's and 90's must of economic necessity
be resolved in some manner. Even those who closely watch the economy
will be ill-prepared for the consequences of this burgeoning debt load
and the coming inability of the government and world community to
tolerate it. Pilots will fly no matter the situation, and homebuilding
is a natural in hard-times, so we might be looking at a golden age of
homebuilding in the near future. Think about it.
THE DAY OF THE HOMEBUILDER MIGHT BE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!
dull knife
The Rigid-Wing Reader
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 4
Spring, 1993
SOME SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND/OR ENTERTAINMENT
T.W.I.T.T. (newsletter): The Wing Is The Thing is a non-profit
organization whose membership seeks to promote the research and
development of flying wings and other tailless aircraft by providing a
forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences on an international
basis. T.W.I.T.T. is affiliated with the Hunsaker Foundation which is
dedicated to furthering education and research in a variety of
disciplines. Although TWITT is not limited in its scope to foot-launch
soaring, nor even to gliders, there is much good information to be had
in their newsletter, and they have graciously consented to allow me to
reprint material from past issues that I feel might be useful to a
rigid-wing soaring audience. You may subscribe to this fine little
newsletter yourself by sending $(-deleted-) for a yearąs subscription
to (-deleted-). They have a monthly meeting at (-deleted-), on the
third Saturday of each month, at 1:30 PM. The May issue of TWITT
included, among other things, a Don Mitchell obituary (whoąs going to
write the biography?) and a story about the AKAFLIEG BRAUNSSCHWEIG SB13
project.
SAILPLANE BUILDER is another newsletter I find valuable. Being
affiliated with SSA, Sailplane Homebuilderąs Associationąs mission is
to foster progress in sailplane design and construction, and they
encourage innovation and builder cooperation as a means of
accomplishing this goal. Their regional (east & west) workshops are
not to be missed. I appreciate their allowing me to draw material from
back issues. $(-deleted) puts you on their mailing list (-deleted-).
TECHNICAL SOARING is the technical and scientific journal of the
Soaring Society and Organization Scientifique et Technique
Internationale du Vol a Voile (OSTIV). The objective of Technical
Soaring is to document recent advances in the science and technology of
motorless aviation. If you are not a member of SSA, the US
subscription rate is $(-deleted-) for four quarterly issues, discounted
for SSA members. Contact the Soaring Society of America, Inc. ~ P.O.
Box E ~ Hobbs ~ NM ~ 8824 ~ (505) 392-1177.
HANG-GLIDING MAGAZINE is a monthly publication of the United States
Hang Gliding Association, one of the benefits of membership, and can be
subscribed to separately. You can be either a hang-gliding or a
paragliding member for (-deleted-), or belong to both divisions for
(-deleted-). Subscribe to HG Magazine alone for $(-deleted-). Write
or call USHGA at P.O. Box 8300 ~ Colorado Springs ~ CO ~ 80933 ~ (719)
632-8300.
PARAGLIDING - THE MAGAZINE is published six times a year and is a
benefit of having the paragliding endorsement in your USHGA membership.
Subscribe separately for $26 US, $32 Canada/Mexico and $44 overseas.
Itąs slick, itąs glossy, itąs well done, and although it isnąt rigid
wings, itąs interesting to watch this industry flash past rigid-wings
like weąre standing still with a large number of products and
equipment. Is there a lesson here? PARAGLIDING - THE MAGAZINE can be
had by writing to them at (-deleted-). Volume 3, Number 3 (1992) of
Paragliding - The Magazine has an excellent article on the SWIFT and a
glossy photograph of that ship suitable for framing. More information
on the SWIFT may be obtained from (-deleted-).
KITPLANES is a magazine for designers, builders and pilots of
experimental aircraft. I find something interesting to read here every
month. They have a large classified section listing a variety of
things like design services, computer programs, plans and kits, books,
supplies, videos, and many others. Pick it up where you buy magazines
or subscribe for $(-deleted-). KITPLANES ~ P.O. Box 6050 ~ Mission
Viejo ~ CA ~ 92718 (714) 855-8822. The May, 1993 issue of KITPLANES
has an excellent article on the CARBON DRAGON.
THE ORIGINAL RIGID WING READER: Does anyone have back issues? Iąve
been asked for these, and I can find only a few of my own. Check your
basement & attic!
PLANS/KITS, ETC: from the łclassified ads˛ in Mayąs SAILPLANE BUILDER.
Jim Maupinąs CARBON DRAGON plans are available. An information pack is
available for $(-deleted-).
Volmer Aircraft has plans for the VJ-1 hang glider (billed as the
worldąs first three control glider). 37-page brochure $(-deleted-) ~
Volmer Aircraft ~ (-deleted-).
Designs suitable for towing ~ łMonarch F˛ ultralight (19:1) or łPioneer
II-D˛ (35:1). Info. packs $(-deleted) from Marske Aircraft Corp. ~ 975
Loire Valley Drive ~ Marion ~ OH ~ 43302.
Mitchell Wings - (-deleted-) has a B-10 for sale with plans, parts,
engines, instruments. Fair, negotiable, all or part.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Icarus - M/W - Easy Riser - & all those other ships are out there
somewhere in plan, kit, crashed, partially constructed or completed
form - place a free łClassified˛ to buy or sell these. Whatever youąre
interested in, someone has it, wants it, knows where it is, was, or
should be. Amen!
dull knife
The Rigid-Wing Reader
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 6
Spring, 1993
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
First, I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to answer the
questions I asked. Some of you went the extra mile and sent me your
own personal "Glen Miller Story," and I thank you for that, too. The
responses keep coming in. I had set a goal for the number of responses
I thought would justify putting out a newsletter, and now that I'm very
close to that, it's full speed ahead. The following is the raw data
reflecting the first couple of dozen responses I received:
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE COVERED? Design, engineering, construction,
testing, currently feasible projects, build, test, performance, stuff!,
past, present, future, gliders under 70 KGs, any information, new
designs, who's doing what, air-air towing, keep same format, more
towing, new developments and noteworthy flights, projects, share
experiences, try to de-mystify rigids, hopes to get inspiration to
finish project, wants to hear about rigids, but won't buy one, current
news, projects, new projects, disseminate information, provide
enthusiasm, new designs, safety items, design tech., flight testing,
projects - progress reports.
DO YOU NOW FLY, OR ENVISION YOURSELF FLYING, A RIGID-WING?
Now? no - envision? possibly, now? no - envision? would very much like
to fly a rigid, envision? yes, envision? yes, used to fly ICARUS,
FLEDGLING, SUNSEED - now a flex, now, no - envision, no, I used to fly
and still own a Fledge, still flies airplanes, sailplanes, balloons,
began Mitchell Wing 10 years ago, has Gemini, Gyrocopter & Cessna, had
a tandem flight in Hawaii, hope to fly a rigid soon, will buy Horten
Wing when he wins the lottery, extensive design & flight, now flies
paraglider, fly an Icarus V, have an Icarus II partially built, never
flown rigid - wants to & build one, flew Fledge until he could no
longer handle it on a windy launch, flew Swing-Wing, Quicksilver after
sailplanes, flew Mitchell, 2 Fledge II's, single-engine & glider
rating, not too hot on weight-shift, fly rag-wings, currently finishing
up someone else's project, not flying rigid now because of business and
health, but will at later date, 12-year rag-wing pilot, does not
envision flying a rigid (but never say never!).
FOOT-LAUNCH OR TOW? Most favor both, feel capability for both methods
necessary.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET YOU FLYING A RIGID-WING? Injury recovery,
wing of comparable cost to rag, reasonable weight, handle-ability to
present rag-wing, would like to fly a rigid, $12,500, would fly if FAA
would let him with Murphy Renegade, quick set-up, portable, doesn't
take up entire rack, the Fountain of Youth! easy access to training or
info on towing! finish Mitchell Wing, the time to build one, would like
to find plans for a Mitchell Wing, money or "club ship," 18:1@45-mph &
empty weight 60-lbs., prone pilot, breeze configuration, would like to
pursue towing - to explore harness/bridle needed for towing with
hang-cages, finances in better order, desire, SWIFT-like with controls,
home, job, time, will be soon, not flying rigid now because of business
and health, but will at later date, 75-lbs., car-toppable, easy to fly
& land, less than double the cost of a ragwing ($8,000?), thoroughly
tested, easy to repair.
WORKING ON PROJECT OR KNOW OF ONE? Most said they were neither working
on a project, nor knew of anyone doing so. No project, but is
interested - esp. in a composite, offer my mailing list to RWR, has
materials for Mitchell Wing, but hasn't worked on it for 5 years, knows
someone with a B-10 kit, knows who has a new prototype, capability and
desire to design rigids, wants to design rigids - has a "dream" design,
this is what HE wants to know - about projects, sees projects at
Funston, does know of someone working on a rigid, sent flyer to him.
VISION OF WHAT RIGIDS SHOULD LOOK LIKE? SWIFT, SWIFT, Northrup N9M,
the Carbon Dragon, easy to fly, crash protection, stable, affordable,
portable, Horton or SWIFT, Horten wing, 13 meter span (42 ft) 12 sq/m
(130 sq/ft) weight shift and moving TE, simple, like Icarus's of Tarus
Kicieniuk, SWIFT - Horten, Bi-wing, fully enclosed, automatic hook-in,
ballistic Śchute required equipment, has definite ideas about controls,
exploring patentability, wings of old like Custer Channel-wing and
circular designs (see Pete Bowers' UNCONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT, Tab Books,
Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214 for a discussion of unusual designs - ed.),
updated B-10, Stealth II, of course, a bird, no preconceived notion -
liked the Dawn.
CERTIFICATION and/or RWMA? No ideas about certification, RWMA - sure,
USHGA should do it, doesn't know how certification should be done, HGMA
truck-rigs should suffice, RWMA? yes, but not likely, opposed to
certification, RWMA? no, certification, you bet! need to appear
responsible, police ourselves, doesn't know about certification, RWMA?
"probably," Let designers hash that question out, RWMA? yes, yes
absolutely on certification - along the lines of current HGMA standards
with different stability and load requirements, RWMA? absolutely not -
hang soarers should be grouped together for maximum information
exchange and political clout, someone needs to approach HGMA - no one
has, RWMA? no. Push for open class competition & stay within existing
structure, meet FAA criteria, RWMA? no, HGMA should do it, RWMA? ideas
on this should be aired, no comment on RWMA, RWMA? opposes this,
certify - structural (load) test like Sailplane Homebuilder's, RWMA? if
industry grows - someone will have to, stringent testing necessary,
RWMA? thinks HGMA is the appropriate entity, not sure about separate
organization, flex manufacturers should regulate.
FUTURE OF RIGIDS? Rigids must have utility, transportability of
today's HG's to succeed, SWIFT-type technology, lower cost - homebuilt
his interest, SWIFT in every garage, like it should have been years
ago! 30/1 glide, growing industry, uncertain of investment potential,
25-30% of pilots flying rigid-wings in 10 years, fears more stringent
regulation, composites - trailered - towed - ballasted - variable
span/camber, hybrid paraglider/rigids with 20;1 under 50 lbs.- HAHAHA!
Commercialization will overturn design gridlock, not much different
than today, rigid's will be the way to go, future - SWIFT - Nimbus -
B-10, full-span flaps, more people flying rigids, new materials should
make future great, 5% of population, sees limits, cost & hassle.
dull knife
The Rigid-Wing Reader
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 7
Spring, 1993
MITCHELL WING SEMINAR - an RWR archival blast from the past dated
March/April, 1985.
The first Mitchell Wing seminar was held on 26 March at High Energy
Sports in Santa Ana, California. Although not as many folks attended
as expected, a good time was had by all. The seminar, sponsored by
Rich Pfeiffer, 3-time National Hang Gliding Champion, and Betty Moyer,
co-owners of High Energy Sports, featured Gytis Tamulaitis, Tim Morley,
Randy Bergum and Chuck Rhodes as principal speakers. ~ Among those
attending were Brad White, one of the original Mitchell Wing pilots and
winner of the 1977 Hang Gliding Championships at Heavner, Oklahoma,
(and) Jack Lambie, designer of the łHang Loose,˛ one of the original
early 1970ąs hang gliders and also well known for his work with Paul
McCready on the Gossamer man-powered aircraft and his work with the
U.S. Olympic Bicycle Team on aerodynamic streamlining of bicycles and
their riders. Jim Maupin, well known and highly respected homebuilt
sailplane builder and co-designer of the Windrose self launching
sailplane, the lightweight Woodstock homebuilt 2-place sailplane, and
also the Carbon Dragon foot launched sailplane project was also
present. Eric Fair of Hang Flight Systems in Santa Ana and a major
voice for the promotion of the sport of hang gliding through his many
contributions to Hang Gliding Magazine and work with the Hang Gliding
Association and World Team, added to the audience celebrities. Even
Alan Mashman from Engadine NSW Australia managed to show up and
hopefully some of the many pictures he took of the eveningąs events
will grace the pages of this newsletter and Hang Glider Magazine in the
near future. Thanks to all the others who came also, and helped to
make the seminar a success. ~ Gytis and Chuck had their Mitchell Wings
assembled for display and Chuck had mounted his new composite carbon
fiber, semi enclosed hang cage frame on his wing. Sporting a tri-gear
setup built on wood/graphite/glass struts and nose cone framework, its
adaptability for enclosure was readily apparent. Tim and Randy brought
their outer wing panels from the prone U-2 and Randyąs 37ą span B-10
that is in the final construction phases. Both panels were uncovered
revealing their construction detail. The audience found this very
interesting as it allowed them to get a really good look at how these
wings were put together and a better understanding of the structural
integrity of the Mitchell designs. Chuck also had Norm Castagnetoąs
Ski Ski, pilot enclosed up in the wing, Kasper tips on display. ~ Gytis
opened the seminar with a discussion of basic Mitchell Wing
aerodynamics. Utilizing lift distribution curves and performance data,
he concentrated on the design criteria used to give the M-Wing the
stability and performance it enjoys. He also discussed his planned
building of leading edge slats for installment on the outboard wing
panels for stall/spin development prevention. ~ Chuck followed with a
rousing discussion of events leading up to his flying a Mitchell Wing,
the flight characteristics of the wing and personal M-Wing flight
experiences that have dramatically demonstrated the superior
performance of the wing. He also talked on the pros and cons of rigid
wings vs. flex wings and some of the drawbacks common to rigid wing
flying such as transportation and the need to learn a whole new repair
technology. He stated that he personally is willing to put up with
these problems to fly a wing with the performance the M-Wing has.
Chuck concluded his lecture with several 8-mm movies of Gytis and
himself launching and flying their Mitchell Wings. He also presented a
short slide presentation showing the M-Wing in flight and his launching
the wing at Horseshoe Meadows in the California Owens Valley last
August Ś84. Ending with a few slides of a Swiss Kevlar/epoxy composite
cantilevered, foot launched rigid wing glider, Chuck left the group
fantasizing about the incredible foot launched sailplanes of tomorrow.
~ After a short break, Tim Morley discussed the evolution of the prone
M-Wing and the events leading to the design of the foot-launched
Mitchell/Morley U-2. Utilizing his outboard U-2 wing panel compared to
Randy Bergumąs outboard B-10 panel, Tim was able to effectively show
the differences in the two airfoils and their construction techniques.
The U-2 outboard wing panel was very interesting with fixed vertical
winglet/split rudder and foam/glass D-tube built upon the traditional
wood spar. The leading edge slats/slots had not been built and Tim
said Don Mitchell has still not decided exactly how he intends to do
that yet. The final completion of the U-2 project is near according to
Tim and pending Donąs finishing up his composite U-2 ultralight
project. He was painting it when Tim picked up the U-2 wing and only
had a week or two of work left to do on it. Tim figures Don can finish
the foot-launchable U-2 in two or three weeks once he gets motivated to
do it. Lets keep our fingers crossed and if weąre lucky, the prone U-2
may be flying by summer. ~ Although still primarily restricted to his
wheel-chair, Tim can stand up with assistance and appears to be making
slow but steady progress on his recovery. He was in great spirits and
we all wish to thank him for coming down from Modesto, California to
join us for the seminar. ~ Last, but certainly not least, was Randy
Bergumąs presentation on Mitchell Wing construction and new
construction techniques. Utilizing a very professionally done slide
show and the outboard panels of his 37ą span B-10, Randy discussed the
major steps in building his wing. He especially emphasized the
modifications in his wing such as the torque tube elevon control
system, 3-degree washout in the outboard panels, 18˛ extended wing
tips, and the use of .4mm (1/64˛) 3-ply birch D-tube skin covered with
2 layers of 1.5 oz Bi-directional glass on his outboard panels. The
use of the glass and the .4mm plywood on the outboard panels knocked
off several pounds per panel with no loss of strength or D-tube
rigidity. Randy also had his composite rudders, one covered and one
uncovered, on display for weight comparison with the standard B-10
rudders and so that the group could view the composite construction of
the rudders. ~ Randy definitely had a well prepared and informative
presentation that would be of great assistance to anyone building a
M-wing today. The following page entitled: The Mitchell Wing - A
Report On Building by Randy was provided to those in attendance, as
well as in this issue, to provide basic information on construction
materials, tools, etc. utilized by Randy in the construction of his
wing. ~ All of the presenters would also like to thank the members of
the audience for their many questions, contributing comments, thoughts,
ideas, and their attendance. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and
hopefully will be even bigger and better next time!!!!
Editorąs note: I reprinted this article to stimulate interest in our
having another rigid-wing conference.
dull knife
The Rigid-Wing Reader
Volume 1 -- Issue 1 -- Page 8
Spring, 1993
THE WHEAT AND THE CHAFF: The latest news and views from around the
industry.
OWENS COMPOSITES in Albuquerque has a prototype they're working on, but
they say an announcement of a product is not ready to be issued. This
is the nature of prototyping, and the more time they take to do the job
right, the better the final product will be in both a safety sense, and
in terms of any marketing effort following the product announcement. I
am sending them a newsletter, and hopefully they will favor us with
updates once in awhile, and with the details of their ship and
marketing effort when they become available for release.
STEALTH II prototype, owned by David Swanson, has been moved from Don
Mitchell's shop and will be finished by Les King in his shop in
Tehachapi, CA. I've seen photographs of the completed and uncovered
wing-panels, but apparently quite a bit more work needs to be done
before Pilot/Owner Swanson begins his quest for whatever it is he
anticipates to accomplish with the last ship Don Mitchell designed. I
hope Dave and Les will keep us posted about what promises to be an
exciting glider. The question is: will Les apply his talents to the
ship HE'S been thinking and dreaming about when he gets done with the
Stealth II prototype? Let's hope so!
SWIFT update: Eric Beckman says they're very busy building SWIFTs.
They'll have a flyer or brochure out soon to answer the many inquiries
they get for information. Also, there's a video, but I have no details
on that. Surprise, there's another video, and I'm trying to get
permission from a television station to reproduce it so I can make it
available to you-all to buy for a small fee for the tape and a
duplicating charge ($6.00 for a professional service to copy), and of
course, postage, probably a couple of bucks. Details on this in
another newsletter. Maybe this will whet your appetite for the longer
and better video sold by the SWIFT factory, for a little more, but
you'll get a whole lot more too.
RIGID-WING READER: Hey, we're our own news! I'm sure some of you were
wondering when this newsletter would arrive. To tell you the truth, so
was I. You see, the letters trickled in so slowly I began to think
maybe I could just correspond with you individually, but now that I
have reached the goal I set for the number of respondents, I'm busy on
my little APPLE computer, floppin' my disks and inkin' my jets (I think
that's computer talk, isn't it?). I was held up by an attempt to use
one of those "easy to use desktop publishing solutions..." that turned
out to be way above my computer-illiterate abilities, so I had to turn
back to my "works" program. Of course, all these things take time...
IF YOUR INITIALS ARE J.M., and you think I've forgotten or wasn't
impressed by your offer to allow me to send this newsletter to the
people on your mailing list, you're mistaken. I wanted to be able to
get the first issue to you so you could look it over and determine if
you think RWR will serve the needs of that constituency. Also, I must
admit, a list as long as yours will involve a substantial investment in
postage and printing and will more than likely step up the timetable
for having to set a subscription price, and I wanted to serve a small
crowd at first to determine the utility of RWR. Your offer is noted
and appreciated, and about the second or third issue I will be ready to
undertake the bigger mailing if, as I said, you think this newsletter
will serve their needs.
IF YOU OWN AN ICARUS II, V, EASY RISER, OR A CATTO ICARUS CLONE, one
reader has offered to be a source for repair of those. Contact our
very own ICARUS, etc. expert David Butz at (deleted) if yours is broken
and you want tips on repair.
FLY-IN & CONFERENCE: Someone suggested we all get together for a
rigid-wing fly-in, and it would be extremely useful and exciting to
have some earlier wings on display or flying for all to see, not to
mention seeing newer ships in-person. Perhaps this would be an
opportunity to have a rigid-wing conference similar to the Mitchell
Wing seminar held in 1985 at High Energy Sports.
CHUCK RHODES: I heard it through the grapevine that Chuck attended an
airshow back in the NC area somewhere (where he is stationed) with the
intention of flying his B-10, but was only able to exhibit his ship to
the multitudes as he was tapped for duties as the announcer for other
hang-glider towing exhibitions. I heard they were soaring thermals
coming off the runways and really gave the crowd a show. Chuck will be
beginning a training program, so I guess if he's going to send in
something, giving all his fans an update on his exploits and a hint
when he's going to be stationed on the West Coast again, it had better
be pretty soon as he will likely not have time for us for a year or so
once he's in this new program to become a lean, mean, Marine commanding
machine. Chuck Rhodes ~ (deleted) after 6-pm EST.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE RIGID-WING READER: There will be no cost to
you for the next issue or two as I am absorbing the costs myself. At
some point I will announce a price I feel is appropriate, along with
fees for classified and other advertising should any interest in that
materialize. Everyone will by then have had a newsletter or two and
will have an idea what he or she is getting into. I, too, will have
had a chance to see if I am cut out for this endeavor and if I will be
getting enough help from the readership, if designers and manufacturers
are going to respond to the idea that they are a rigid-wing industry,
and if we will be able to develop a rigid-wing certification program
with which to establish credibility in the minds of pilots, satisfy our
self-regulation imperative, and give designers and manufacturers a leg
to stand on in court when the matter of having adhered to "industry
standards and specifications" comes up.