U.S. Hang Gliding Pilots

Eddie Paul
From art to flight to custom makes ... hugely colorful life.

This thread invites the hang gliding universe story of Eddie Paul Whitney, aka Eddie Paul.
Start: Interview and video made by Neil Larson for LIFT ezine:
Year of interview: 2010
LIFT interview's Eddie Paul

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Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org

View pilots' hang gliding rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System

Engineering note:
In the video made by Neil Larson, we get both drawing by Eddie and photo of early Porat-Wing having the perimeter cable from cross spar tips going to BOTH the nose and the tail; such helps to keep "column" for cross spar as recently noted by Eddie in discussion with Rick M. at forum post:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1817

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Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org

View pilots' hang gliding rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System

WOW!!!

Great interview and film work Neil !!!!!!!!!!!

The discussions of the Porta-Wing and the early days of hang gliding were super!!!

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Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org
View my rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System
Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you will find that opportunity in your own time.

Historical note about Rick Masters having met Eddie Paul in the 1990s is at
http://ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php? ... 479#p11479

_________________
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org

View pilots' hang gliding rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System

Recent release of a book by Eddie Paul and his partner Renee:
The Nemesis
http://tinyurl.com/BookByEddiePaulAndRenee

_________________
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org

View pilots' hang gliding rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System

Thank's to Rick Masters for the link to the news about Eddie:
Inventor Eddie Paul leaves El Segundo’s Smoky Hollow for Texas

_________________
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org

View pilots' hang gliding rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System

New story on this HG pioneer:

http://www.gizmag.com/eddie-paul-how-to-build-mechanical-shark/42702/

_________________
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org

View pilots' hang gliding rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System

Joe,

I notice how Eddie Paul has/had a perspective on hang gliders similar to how many of us now see collapsible canopies. Some of his comments, as they relate to (even modern) Rogallo wings are still true particularly with SOME basic single surface wings. But with the advent of defined tips, highly defined (aerodynamically speaking) double surface wings, many of the issues he speaks of in the video are, or are close, to non-issues.

I would have to mostly admit that when a hang glider is "weightless" (falling not flying) weight shift can not control the wing.

However, I've had my glider intentionally inverted, on one occasion, (looping it baby!) when things got very quiet at the top. Yet, I could use my body mass as an "anchor spot" and thrust the base tube forward. This caused the lighter mass of the glider to change position (with its attitude now nose down compared to the horizon). Both the glider and myself had forward momentum, yet not flying speed. Considering this, I think that Eddie Paul's comments are overly simplified and based on "old" technology. I wonder if he's seen a late model high performance topless comp wing?

What will always be true about hang gliders is that they fly at similar air speeds to those very commonly present in the lower atmosphere. While flying at 20 - 30 mph, it's not impossible at all for the dynamic air around us to, due to various types of turbulence, equal our speed from behind - causing our wing to have an unpredictable air speed of zero. At that point, your wing is not flying. If that condition is only momentary, great. If it lasts very long you will go from momentarily "floating" to falling - until aerodynamic flying speed is regained. Hopefully that happens before you hit the ground!

This can also occur with faster small aircraft, and even commercial jets - byway of those nasty Gust Front events. So everything that flies can stop flying - due to pilot error OR nasty old Mother Nature.

Finally, consider a small to medium sized boat (suddenly?) surrounded by large waves. The captain of such a boat can find him/herself and the boat in BIG trouble. But a surfer, on a MUCH smaller surf board, with just as big - or BIGGER - of a wave can have lots of fun!

Somebody should introduce Eddie Paul to the new state of the art in hang gliding - if they haven't already.

Another point I would like to add.

Hang gliders DO have control surfaces. In fact, our control surfaces are very similar to those of the first Wright Brothers Fliers.

As I recall, the Wrights had a seat (or shoulder paddles?) that slid side to side and that caused a cable system to deferentially warp/twist the wings in opposite directions on either side of their aircraft. While more complex than modern ailerons, the effect was the same, or close to the same.

Since the design development of hang glider sails with "roach", the shifting of weight (which loads the sail on either side in a differential manner) caused the roached section of the sail to rise on the more loaded wing side and flatten on the less loaded wing side. The mechanism accomplishing this is not the same as the Wright Fliers but the result is similar.

In hang gliders the more exaggerated ability to load one wing more than the other, PLUS the mechanical effect which raises the roached area of the sail, creates a unique turning control system. That system includes differential weight distribution (i.e., wing loading) between right and left wing AND a mechanically induced asymmetrical change in angle of attack within the two roached (wing tip) areas of the sail.

While a hang glider's control system becomes ineffective when the aircraft is weightless, there are very few times where this is the case. And consider aircraft with Rudders, Elevators and Ailerons. A condition where they become weightless is likely to include zero air speed. Zero airspeed causes every one of those control surfaces to also become utterly ineffective.

A unique benefit of the control system in a hang glider is that there are times when the pilot's mass and momentum can hold and exert positive influence over the attitude of the much lower mass aircraft - even in a zero air speed situation! No other aircraft (that I know of) has a similar attitude control ability.

Rick Masters:- "To my knowledge, no cable leading edge hang glider ever passed this test."

The British built Hiway Explorer would have been tested on the BHPA rig and went into production. This glider used a leading edge cable.

As Joe notes:-" Engineering note:
In the video made by Neil Larson, we get both drawing by Eddie and photo of early Porat-Wing having the perimeter cable from cross spar tips going to BOTH the nose and the tail; such helps to keep "column" for cross spar as recently noted by Eddie in discussion with Rick M. at forum post:"

The Splitwing also had a trailing cable to keep the "column" of the leading edge tube of the main wing. It was not tested on the BHPA rig as it was only an experimental glider not intended for production.