[Frank Colver]

Hmm.....comfort, it sure looks like it beats the Sears swing seat.

Great flying site you have there

My Eipper FlexiFloater 1974 Cantamar Mex.

me at Cantamar 1974.jpg (484.17 KiB) Viewed 5035 times

Frank Colver

[Rick Masters]

This “innovative” attempt at reducing fatigue on long flights was the future of flight back in 1949. The design was meant to help air force pilots withstand the stress of a strong gravitational pull which would minimize blackouts. The caption of the photograph reads: ‘United States Air Force pilots are finding it much safer and more comfortable to lie down while handling the controls of a plane’. Well, there you have it: the future of flight.
http://www.lostateminor.com/2013/02/18/ ... aboratory/

[Rick Masters]

I just realized, after 40 years, that we should be dialing in dihedral to land.
It really is the first thing to consider.
I'm not talking about sail tensioning, which is an engineering and aerodynamic compromise.

Wing Dihedral is the upward angle of an aircraft's wing, from the wing root to the wing tip. The amount of dihedral determines the amount of inherent stability along the roll axis. Although an increase of dihedral will increase inherent stability, it will also decrease lift, increase drag, and decreased the axial roll rate. As roll stability is increased, an aircraft will naturally return to its original position if it is subject to a brief or slight roll displacement.
http://www.aviation-history.com/theory/wing_dihedral.htm

[Bill Cummings]

I just realized, after 40 years, that we should be dialing in dihedral to land.
It really is the first thing to consider.
I'm not talking about sail tensioning, which is an engineering and aerodynamic compromise.

Wing Dihedral is the upward angle of an aircraft's wing, from the wing root to the wing tip. The amount of dihedral determines the amount of inherent stability along the roll axis. Although an increase of dihedral will increase inherent stability, it will also decrease lift, increase drag, and decreased the axial roll rate. As roll stability is increased, an aircraft will naturally return to its original position if it is subject to a brief or slight roll displacement.
http://www.aviation-history.com/theory/wing_dihedral.htm

And it was right under our noses and so obvious that we all were looking around and past it.
How about an over center lever to add four inches to the lower flying wires? (tight when dogged over center and loose when un-dogged.)
I couldn't find exactly what I wanted on the internet but here is a concept of the idea I'm thinking about.

over center binder.JPG (11.13 KiB) Viewed 4956 times

not quite as crude as a chain binder:

[Rick Masters]

I would look more to a base tube that expands perhaps 8 inches or so at the release of a latch, transferring the tension from the base tube to an interior cable.
The flexing would have to be accommodated, I would think, by minor changes in nose plate leading edge mounting points and perhaps crosstube restraint.
On-vehicle stress testing would then have to be accomplished.
Although this feature would be used at flare, you would still want to test it at negative G.
The negative G test could result in automatically re-latching the base tube in its shorter length when tension is transferred to the top cables, and you would want to be sure the design provided for this by using a spring or elastic tensioner, or perhaps it would be better to have the base tube extension lock positively at both lengths.

Having nearly been killed with both, I do not like levers or rope tensioners on hang gliders.
They create a potential to snag the harness or clothing and result in control issues.
Button releases, however, are cool.

[Bill Cummings]

A push button length adjustment on the basetube (two position ie: short flying position, long landing position, with limiting cable)
Using an idea along a similar idea as an adjustable crutch:

push button basetube adjustment.JPG (14.34 KiB) Viewed 4943 times

[Rick Masters]

With the added bonus that if it doesn't work and you crash, you can make an adjustable crutch out of your base tube.    

[JoeF]

One sector of Safe-Splat (sm) activity is the landing of a hang glider on an asphalt or concrete street going downslope on purpose with deliberate repetitions; run down the street; fly; land going down the downsloping street. Wheels and disc brakes? Skis and ablative replaceable material on the ski face?

[Bill Cummings]

With the added bonus that if it doesn't work and you crash, you can make an adjustable crutch out of your base tube.    

[reluctantsparrow]

One sector of Safe-Splat (sm) activity is the landing of a hang glider on an asphalt or concrete street going downslope on purpose with deliberate repetitions; run down [youtube]the street; fly; land going down the downsloping street. Wheels and disc brakes? Skis and ablative [/youtube]replaceable material on the ski face?

JOE F. about a third of the way into this video I do a "roll in landing" in suprone.....works well so far. During touchdown I actually "pull in" a small amount to maintain my balance above the basetube (it is easy).
I then use the "feedback" from the down tubes to maintain my balance in much the same manner as we the "feedback" from the down tubes to tell us when to flare.....had a lot of fun making this one...wish Rick Masters lived closer to Jam with....
Next video is going to be a complete tutorial on how to build a Fly Bar and safely mount it to a glider....later...sj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olW8rpKEhm0