US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Ground Skimming
may be done with or without Safe-Splat technology.

This patent is literally proposes cardboard as the major component for the ground skimming wing.

---<)kaimartin(>---

As long as it is kept dry and the load calculations are correct no reason why it would not work. I have built a number of models using cardboard packaging. A V Roe (AVRO) used oiled paper to cover his early aircraft.

For ground effect the closer the wing is to the ground the better. The problem is the wing becomes more vulnerable to damage the closer to the ground it gets.

Tony

The height to which ground effect extends is proportional to wingspan & aspect ratio. The pilot hanging below the glider requires more height distance for ground effect thus requiring more wingspan. I think one would be at the point where the glider would have enough wing size to be used in normal hang gliding as well.

But it's fun to think about merrily skimming over the country side. That is what I frequently did in my foot launched balloon. I loved close to terrain flying over hill and dale. Something I couldn't do in a hang glider unless I was soaring a small hill like Dockweiler or Guadalupe Dunes, Little Mountain, etc., but then I was stuck with one small piece of terrain.

Frank

My first soaring flight was at Guadelupe Dunes. What a great place to learn!
I flew south toward the point from the 300-foot dune, skimming over the rolling dunes only a few feet off the sand, then I turned and flew back north. It was magic.


Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. and his ground-effect vehicle

Ground skimming:-

Notice that Taras is sitting above his ground skimming machine thus greatly lowering the required height to still be in ground effect, unlike the cardboard device shown previously.

One thing I have done with a large R/C glider was fly down a very shallow slope that closely matched the glide angle in ground effect.

It's also good to watch sea birds using ground effect to skirt the waves as they roll in toward the beach. In this case they also use the air being displaced (for lift) by the wave as it moves. But even without a wave it is very obvious when the birds enter ground effect as their glide angle flattens out tremendously.

The landing area at the old SoCal HG site called the "domes" sloped down very gently and when the glider entered ground effect it became difficult to get it on the ground. I had many scary landings there where I came close to overflying the landing area because of that.

That's the LZ where Chuck Kocis was killed when landing. I considered it the worst LZ of any place that I flew frequently. Fortunately, I never had an accident there, but I quit flying there after Chuck's death. He was a good friend and I didn't like the site's vibes after that.

Frank C.