[Rick Masters]

You guys aren't very smart. You aren't very skilled. You're not really very good pilots.
A pigeon makes better decisions faster and can fly circles around you. (Around me, too.)

Wait 'till a pigeon deliberately drops a gift on your head, then you'll figure out what I'm talking about.


"The yolk's on you, skybarge."

[reluctantsparrow]

So, the object of light observed by 6 or 7 hang pilots that suddenly went from hovering to vertical travel at an estimated 1,000 feet per second. Off the top of my head isnt that around 70,000 mph? There were multiple witnesses and none of us pilots have ever spoken of it since. Now why is that?
it is important to understand how humans can witness something they cannot explain and then never talk about or investigate such a thing. The phenomena of witnessing something like this and then blotting it out of our minds is a very common human trait.

[KaiMartin]

One of my ideas for future HG design is to have flexible vertical posts at each batten station. A cord would connect at the mid point of each post. The lower surface battens would also be flexible in the area of the high camber point (of the upper batten).

So you want to connect the top battens with the bottom battens and shorten their distance on demand. (Does this correctly represent your idea?)

Pulling symmetrically on the cord would create a better slow speed profile to the airfoil.

Slow speed airfoils are those with high lift coefficient. The lift coefficient is is about proportional to camber.

To increase camber, both sides of the airfoil should increase their bend. This will only happen if both ends of the battens cannot move relative to their cousin. Else, a pull on the chord might flatten the airfoil rather than make it more cambered.

I don't see much of a negative associated with this idea (except a tiny weight penalty).

The pulling force has to be countered by the air frame. Making a good hang glider sail involves balancing dynamic forces and leading edge bend. Depending on the relative magnitude, the pull on the chord may add to the bend. I am not sure whether the effect would be desirable or not.

---<)kaimartin(>---

[reluctantsparrow]

correctiion to my previous post....1,000 feet per second is 6818.182 mph, not 70,000 (so much for doing math in my head)
But back to a new HG design.
Materials and new design parameters:
I agree there are some exceptional materials that could make some amazing HGs but I also agree they are very expensive.
What I would like to see is the return of an affordable hang glider design (but safer) that a wannabe aviators can build in their dads garage.
I built my first Bamboo batso for 20 dollars. that was a bit Too affordable.
I like some ideas posted by FrankC on a separate thread about his ightweight inflatable boat. I would love to see an inflatable hang glider but even those lightweight materials are very expensive. The last lightweight camping pad my girlfriend bought cost 300 dollars (for just a camping pad)

What about Tyvek for a sail Material?

[ARP]

Reluctantsparrow,


I think if you do the calculation again you will find you are out by one decimal point ie:- = 681.18' mph

[Bob Kuczewski]

To increase camber, both sides of the airfoil should increase their bend.

Things are much easier for a single surface ...

batten_bender.gif (14.57 KiB) Viewed 5679 times

[Bill Cummings]

To increase camber, both sides of the airfoil should increase their bend.

Things are much easier for a single surface ...

batten_bender.gif

Am I looking at a batten bender blender?

[wingspan33]

Hmmmm,

A pigeon can't fly for 5 hours without flapping its wings - but I can. It also can't fly circles around me at 5-10K over the terrain.

I've also seen evidence that pigeons aren't really that good at making fast decisions. A local raptor leaves partial piles of pigeon feathers near a local common pigeon nesting area. I've counted at least half a dozen new and different pigeon feather piles over the last few months. One day I even got to see the raptor in action. As for me, no raptor has ever eviscerated me and left my inedible bits laying around.

You guys aren't very smart. You aren't very skilled. You're not really very good pilots.
A pigeon makes better decisions faster and can fly circles around you. (Around me, too.)

Wait 'till a pigeon deliberately drops a gift on your head, then you'll figure out what I'm talking about.


"The yolk's on you, skybarge."

[Bob Kuczewski]

Am I looking at a batten bender blender?

Good one Bill.    

I actually thought about using Blender, but I already had a Java program that was a much closer starting point. If I had used Blender it would have looked much better!!!

[KaiMartin]

To increase camber, both sides of the airfoil should increase their bend.

Things are much easier for a single surface ...

batten_bender.gif

Single surface airfoils like the one you sketched above, come with some disadvantages:

• The sharp front edge makes for a sudden transition into stall → hardly recoverable
• The airflow on the underside separates long before the top side → inefficient
• No space for a spar

---<)kaimartin(>---