Lift is a function of horsepower. More horsepower = more lift. Less horsepower = less lift. No horsepower = no lift. 10 gallons of gas = 2 hours of airtime
They have no idea of what limitless freedom the sky offers to those who abandon iron thermals for real ones.
Most hang glider pilots use gasoline engines to assist the pilot getting to a launch site from home; this is done in their own vehicle or a public vehicle. The ride may more may not include transporting the hang glider as some hang gliders are stored at launch sites. The gasoline dependence might transform into electric dependence with electric cars, electric buses, electric scooters, etc. In that flow one is using electricity to effect one's flight experience. Then we are seeing electric winches towing up hang gliders, electric tow ultralights giving launch assist to hang gliders. Such all is not pure bird stuff or is it? Birds eat and convert that energy to run, flap wings, pull muscles into soaring position to soar and glide. e-HG or electric hang gliders are interesting to many pilots. As the "e" part gets refined and batteries advance, the e-HG very well may gain in use. Flatlanders have flatland; tow, winch, AT, .... , or e-HG starts. Turn off the "e" and soar or glide; land without "e" and do it all over again after recharging batteries. Maybe snug the batteries into the queen posts. Have CFRP boom holding axle to propellor. Etc. Start a quiet gliding or soaring flight after "e" is shut off. Games: after first "off" never turn "e" on. That would be one game. Other games: drop the hardware after getting off flatland. Another game, less pure: Turn the "e" on to assure happy landing spots. Less pure: turn on "e" to help e-hop from thermal to thermal, then off "e" for the lifted episode. Sustaining zero sink only is one game.
Recharge games: solar, muscle power, vibrations during flight, pilot tether driven generator, propellor as impellor during gliding as in regenerative braking, ...
e-HG will grow, I bet, as the batteries and motors advance. Sizes will vary depending on what one wants. e-sailplane aplenty. e-HG will grow at some rate. What are minimums? What are super deals?
Could e-HG remove the use of cars, buses, trains, scooters, winches, AT? Just e-fly from home to other launch sites? e-HG across the nation, state, world. Solve recharge and master soaring: greener world? Muscle, sun, AWE, tap grids, etc. ???
Does the US Hawks care how a hang glider session is started? Start at the end of an "e" assist?
Energy densities in electric solutions might be tracked for specific HG uses. What are the available energy densities? And what are specific uses in hang gliding for power units?
Specific uses in HG? "Have a system that specifically gets me only to 100-foot AGL off some lot in my flatland neighborhood." "Have a system that specifically gets me only to 50-ft AGL." The batteries or ultracapacitor might be of weight cost less than that needed for more altitude. "Get me to 1000 ft and not any more." "Get me to 2000 ft and not any more." "Get me launched off hill in low wind at troublesome site; soar; save reserve for handling challenging landing challenges." "Get me to 2000 ft and have regenerative system to recharge while soaring." ... Etc. Express needs that might be of interest to some pilot.
What batteries are available? What motors are available? What controllers? Charging systems? Solar recharge? Wind recharge? Regeneration? Human-powered recharging? Home-recharge systems? Kite-system charging station?
RC motors? e-scooter motors and battery packs? e-HG extant systems? e-bike battery packs and motor?
There is severe competition to get higher energy densities for e-vehicles including HGs. What are the leading results of such competition?
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by Rick Masters » Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:49 pm 
"Have a system that specifically gets me only to 100-foot AGL off some lot in my flatland neighborhood."
