[JoeF]

Though car fronts find splatted moths and butterflies, etc.,
...in the regular way of things, butterflies seem to have a pretty good Safe-Splat scenario.
Hello Brother Butterfly

[Bob Kuczewski]

Their camera was 1000 frames per second!?! Wow!!

That speed shows aspects of their flight that I'd never considered.

Thanks for the post Joe!!

[Bill Cummings]

Hawks,
About a month ago (Sep-Oct) I was out for my daily walk, here in New Mexico, USA, when I watched a mostly black winged butterfly flying across my path going from north to south.
The butterfly had a different than usual shape. The shape could best be described as a standard hang glider Rogallo shape only this butterfly’s tail end was the pointed end.
The butterfly would flap and glide.
When it was gliding over the parking lot of the Drury Inn Suites it encountered lifting air and started circling.
I stood slacked jawed as I watched it go up.
It made eight gliding circles until it went out of sight behind a pine tree. I couldn’t relocate it.

Someone would have to argue long and hard with me that for the first time in my life I didn’t just witness an insect working a thermal.

I looked on line for a picture of this butterfly but only found the shape and not the mostly black colored wings. I would have liked to have posted a picture of this butterfly but I can’t find it.
I am now totally on alert for black winged butterflies!

Has anyone else witnessed an insect actually circling in a thermal?

[Bob Kuczewski]

Has anyone else witnessed an insect actually circling in a thermal?

I've seen swarms of insects that seemed to sense when to circle in rising air. They can go up at an amazing speed!!

[Bill Cummings]

Has anyone else witnessed an insect actually circling in a thermal?

I've seen swarms of insects that seemed to sense when to circle in rising air. They can go up at an amazing speed!!

Bob,
You can’t imagine how glad I am to hear you say that!
I now feel as though I have regained my firm grasp on reality.

[Bob Kuczewski]

I now feel as though I have regained my firm grasp on reality.

Reality? Like this?



Bill, I really love that video!!!! It always gives me at least a smile ... if not a full laugh-out-loud!!     

[SamKellner]

Hey Joe,

check out the Safe-Splat aqua zone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctDTGS-rek4

[JoeF]

Thanks, Sam! Water ways ....
Smiln' Jack released from wing to splash apart from his hang glider wing. Chanute had pilot be not hook-in for quick release. Parallel-bar hangies were ready to drop into the water. Dickenson's notes had quick release to drop away from wing for pilot to drop into the water.

CAUTION:

"A contestant in a 'Birdman' competition has died after he was dragged underwater by the weight of his hang glider in front of hundreds of horrified spectators.
Li Weng, 44, had hurled himself from a platform above a lake in Hangzhou in China's Zhejiang province, as part of a display to mark local Dragon Boat festival celebrations.
At first spectators cheered when he sunk beneath the surface, thinking it was a joke." SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

-------------------------------------
Consider nose wide-rollers (COULD be float) in combination with wide basebar roller when wanted.

[JoeF]

Consider what has been already intimated in a graphic or so in this thread:

Have a full circle frame that acts as kingpost, queenpost, nose, tail ... in part.
Upon need, the circle meets the ground and globally rolls.
Option: inner-race circle does not rotate, but the relative to the ground, the exterior circle or ring acts as a huge wheel.

Shown pics only hint:




EXPLORE THE WORLD OF MONOWHEELS: http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/ ... torwhl.htm

Monowheel Hang Glider ? Whack-no-more?

[Bob Kuczewski]

I like this one. It's a "StairMaster" on water!!

This looks interesting. I wonder where he got the tire and tube!?!   

That last one seems a likely candidate for a "Safe Splat" hang glider system. Put wheels like that at the ends of your control frame, and you can land on almost any terrain!!