Paul B. MacCready, Jr. was an American aeronautical engineer, member of Self-Soar Association with an Otto number, father of two hang glider pilots, designer of the HPA that won the large Kremer Prize, and much more ... This thread invites a rich study of Paul's works that have affected hang gliding in some way.
Hang gliding historian Neil Larson starts us out with a superb special video: F-056 Flight of the Gossamer Condor
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:29 am Posts: 181 Location: N.W. Florida
Thank You Dr. MacCready for taking such a great interest in real flight . You were there when we began to test ourselves in competition on the hillside in Newport Beach & you helped explain Micrometeorology to us
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. MacCready back in the 90s. He had given a presentation about the Gossamer Condor and Albatross in Elmira, NY. Harris Hill Glider Port and the National Sailplane/Gliding Museum is very close and many of the people attending were connected with gliding activities. After his talk I think I was the last "fan" to talk to him that night. He was very friendly and down to Earth - even though he was all about being in the air!
Oh, and I think that Dr. MacCready was also at the 1980 US National Hang Gliding Competition in Ellenville, NY but I don't remember seeing him. I think he was just visiting. I may have met his son (or sons) since a few young people were fascinated with the small Styrofoam "flying wings". Fellow HG pilot Roger Baker had created these wings and was handing them out (free) to anyone who wanted one.
Unique to my creative nature I found a 2' x 3' piece of 1/4" plywood and used it as a "slope" for the small gliders to soar. You had to walk or run to create the up flow needed but it was quite amazing to see what these little wings could do. I or a couple of us adults also figured out that the air being deflected by our bodies - and/or properly positioned hands - could also keep the small "styros" in the air. There is an actual video somewhere of MacCready's now adult son is flying a different but similar small flying wing.
I just found it -
In the video that Joe put up in his initial post here you can see MacCready's son flying a small (non-Styrofoam?) wing using a panel of something to keep it aloft - back in 1977. Now, I know that no one, young man or other adult pilot, gave me the idea to use the piece of thin plywood. So it seems there was (semi) parallel development going on. Brilliant minds think alike, I guess.
