[reluctantsparrow]

I tried the supine set up Rick....using rounded flare bars from Northwing....I wasn't as clean as Jerry (in the above pic) but I was in the same position......looks cool....now try and pull in for speed....you can only pull in a little bit before you have to start "walking" you hands forward along those cool handles....I discarded this set in only three flights....sure, it looks cool and sure its clean but in my set up I can instantly pull in when I need to and in the above set up you CAN NOT pull in instantly more than a few inches.....then you have to "shimmy" your way forward and your glider starts walking all over the sky....been there, done that....decided no way in hell would I want to be stuck in the above configuration coming into a rowdy LZ...

[JoeF]

RyanXV8FleepTCF.jpg (14.02 KiB) Viewed 5627 times

Thanks to ARP for the main link herein:

Ryan XV-8 Fleep Flying Jeep Flight Tests 1961 Ryan Aeronautical

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Pilot is sitting essentially on a super-modified TCF base bar.
Earlier in the NASA blossom is John Worth who demonstrated for glide and power the TCF.
Earlier yet in 1908 W. Simon at a sport hang gliding meet showed cable-stayed simple TCF for foot-launch hang gliding.
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[JoeF]

F 1213 Ryan Aeronautical Flexwing Air Cargo Glider

Some folding evident!

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F 1212 Ryan Aeronautical Flexwing Air Cargo Glide

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F 1211 Ryan Aeronautical Flexwing Air Cargo Glider

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F 1438 Ryan Aeronautical PDG (Percision Drop Glider)

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F 1216 Ryan Aeronautical Flexwing Air Cargo Glide [[The last word was presented with an "r"]]

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F 1561 Ryan Aeronautical Flex Wing [film]

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F 1398 Ryan Aeronautical Flexwing Test

Go to about 6:40 for Flexwing play
[ ] It would be neat if someone carefully typed out the narration of the segment that covers the flexwing.
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[JoeF]

RyanF1061CLIPfromvideo.JPG (25.63 KiB) Viewed 5626 times

F-1061 Flex Wing Firebee

[JoeF]

F 1336 Ryan Aeronautical Flex Wing
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F 1337 Ryan Aeronautical Flexwing

Modified use of a hybrid TCF
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[Frank Colver]

Previous talk of getting snagged on something on the glider with the harness etc., reminded me of the times while taking a big critical stroke with an oar, in a big river rapid, my oar handle enters the leg of my shorts and is caught there. Not good!

Frank C.

[reluctantsparrow]

[quote="Rick Masters"][quote]

quote]

30 mph and gusting? OMG...

[reluctantsparrow]

Previous talk of getting snagged on something on the glider with the harness etc., Not good!

Frank C.

All this talk of snagging has me altering the shape of the "flybar" this morning in my head....instead of a rear snagable "handle" that has an "end". Rear handle begins a downward angle just aft of the DT's....to a point BEHIND the pilot on either side....makes a rounded and sharp bend (about 150 degrees) back towards the base tube and firmly attaches to base tube.....plenty of "space" within this area for all maneuvers. will not hinder flaring activity, but, done right, could become a sort of "split tail dragger design" if the bend was aft far enough....wheels in the front....the rounded ends of the flybar have now become the tail skids...firmly attacned to base tube...very little stress on DT's....bulky but doable...

[Frank Colver]

It's very important to try to evaluate anything that might get caught especially in "out of normal" positions. I remember a death years ago of a pilot who flew with a spare, unlocked, biner clipped on his harness. In a tight turn it clicked on his side wire cable and locked him physically into the tight turn. He was unable to free it.

John Montgomery didn't evaluate the potential problem of having a bolt protruding from the structure behind his head.

Reluctant Sparrow: I was concerned about those bar ends and I should have posted my concerns. I'm very glad that my reluctance to post my thoughts didn't turn out badly.

Frank Colver

[Rick Masters]

That's the trick.
Deal with everything you can imagine could go wrong - before it does.
It's the most important trick.
And the hardest to pull off.