[Chris McKeon]

Ok look: I fully understand how You active Pilots might see Me as simply a Busted Up. Brain damaged Pilot who since His last flight Thirteen Years ago just does not Get it; I suffered a TBI injury. We all know that once You have experienced a Brain Injury. The negative effects are never ending. Hence just read Ny Posts. But nevertheless I fully intend on returning to Free Flight. And this Short Packing has My Attention. I can see how being able to Short Pack My Glider, and then simply pack My Predator out of no Manes land would open up so Many New Possibilities. Also, Here I am asking again for a couple of Stories regarding where a Pilot has used this great6 Concept.

[JoeF]

Chris,
"short pack" per manufacturer's' "short pack" has been a part of hang gliding and has been used in meeting aircraft transport of conventionally sized hang gliders. But the "short pack" size and length is longer and heavier than the topic of this "5-ft-packed" deal, a new game not yet given to actual stories, except for Eddie Paul's early 1970's outlier with a HG that had important challenges. The fresh new era is not here yet, so stories cannot happen yet, except in creative fictional storytelling which is an important part of the movement to tiny-packed hang gliding.

A first real portion of the movement will occur when someone makes and glides a politely-busable handy tiny-packed (at 5-ft-or-less in length in tiny packing) HG probably in conservative bunny slope ground skimming situations. Maybe someone will leap over such early instances of use, hopefully in a safe HG. Anticipated is a period of offers and testing that may go on for some while. The initial explorations could be expensive in more ways than one. Pilots used to buying finished wings may not be the material explorers on this movement.

We are currently in a fresh era where the "5-ft-packed" hang gliding concept is emerging, but practical experiences are yet to materialize. This emerging concept is primarily explored through creative fictional storytelling, which plays a crucial role in promoting the idea of compact hang gliding.

The true transition into this movement will happen when someone successfully designs and flies a compact hang glider, easily packable at 5 feet or less in length, typically suited for conservative bunny slope ground skimming flights. It's possible that some individuals might leap ahead and attempt to use these early prototypes, hopefully doing so in a safe manner. However, it's expected that a period of development, offers, and testing will be required, and this phase may be costly in various ways. Pilots accustomed to purchasing finished wings might not be the first to embark on this exploration.

[JoeF]

Exploring rigging simplifications hereon:

Top rigging: "1s-1c-1r"
Let "s" be "span." Let "c" be "chord." Let "r" be "reflex."
Let the "1" remind of "one." Assume one kingpost. Consider a collection post at the apex of the kingpost.

Closer look at the "1s-1c-1r" invites a captured centering ring of special design. The centering ring might be embedded in a soft line and cinched with line. Or instead of a silicon ring: consider wrapping main line at kingpost wearing region with a wearing sleeve/thread to protect the main 1s or 1c or 1r line. Bifurcate the 1s or 1c or 1r and protect the bifurcated section and cinch-thread the region. The "1" has one continuous line; for the 1s the line goes from left LE to right LE unbroken; for the 1c the one unbroken line goes from nose to aft keel; for the 1r an unbroken line goes from from aft-left mid-sail to kingpost and then back unbroken to the aft-right mid-sail.

1s000a.jpg (14.28 KiB) Viewed 885 times

Bottom flight-core rigging: 1f-1q Let "f" be "flight." Let "q" be "queenpost "1" reminds of one line. In this case consider that the 1f goes unbroken from left LE to left queenpost then to right queenpost then to right LE. Notice how 1f allows not having a beam for the base of the TCF (triangle control frame), but a line as base of that triangle.

Consider the 1q as one loop line that serves at once the path nose to queenposts to aft keel which loop has a left portion and a right portion. The left portion of the loop has a fore section and an aft portion; the right portion of the loop as a fore section and and aft portion. The four portions are all part of an unbroken loop. The making of the loop might even involve a specially long-splice braided line. The anchorings at the four points (aft keel, left queenpost, nose, right queenpost) might see in the loop the protective craft rehearsed above.

In a summary: 1s-1c-1r, 1f,1q. Add those 1 deals and see 5 lines.

[JoeF]

"tiny" --- no longer than 5 feet
  TPHG :: tiny-packable hang glider  

One proposed ribless TPHG's beam count: 20

[5 of 3, 3 more, 2 more] = 20.
Again: in plane five of 3. Out of plane: 3. Then two more. 15+3+2=20. Pack those 20 items to result in a TPHG packing.
The in-plane: LLE, RLE, LS, RS, Keel. Each of those having three separable beams.
Out-of-plane: kingpost and two queenposts.
And two more: sprogs or pitch sticks or washout-keeper sticks
Or: 6 of 3 and then 2 more: 20.
20 is 5x4.
In any dance hereon: 5 shows up here and there.
=============================================
How long will the TPHG era last?
Per year how many TPHGs will be flown in the world? In USA? Year 2023? 2024? 2025? 2026? 2027? 2028? 2029? 2030?
Assume that wingsuiters are not hang gliders.
=============================================
Another proposed ribless TPHG has 14 (option 15) beams. Bowsprit.
CAB, BAC, BAB,C,C,C,D,D.

[JoeF]

"tiny" : 5-ft or less
"short" : longer than 5-ft.
"small, but not tiny": 6-ft
What nation might be leading in the development of TPHGs?
(tiny-packed hang gliders)

Is it Germany? India? China? France? Mexico? USA? .... Hard to tell. Inputs are invited about the question.
Historically there is some outlier data that suggests that the USA had one instance in the early 1970s; but even that data point needs verification for the 60 inches-or-less.

German engineer Thomas Finsterwalder, supine pilot and HG designer, has been manufacturing hang gliders that pack small since 1974!

-LightFex6ftbackpacked.png (206.83 KiB) Viewed 853 times

https://finsterwalder-charly.de/en/hang ... htfex.html
The following does not win the cigar for the "5-ft or less movement" but is a good effort:
Lightfex 151
http://www.fexamerica.com/lightfex.htm

Pack sizes: 17.06, 12.14 and 6.07 ft.!

Not tiny, but "small": LightFex, 43 lb, 6ft backpacked.

WORLD'S LIGHTEST SMALL PACKED HANG GLIDER!
AND WHAT A FLYER!

Surface 150.7 ft2
15 battens
Glider weight 43 LB.!
Wingspan 29.5 ft
SINCE 1974!
Hook in weight 110 to 200 lb.
Single surface
Best between 110 and 160 lb.
Nose angle 120º
Speed range 14 to 45 MPH!
Speedbar
Max glide/trim speed 26 MPH
Aspect ratio 5.8
Glide ratio 1:10!
Supine or prone rigging
Faired uprights and king post
New DHV class 1 (beg. and above)
King post hang system
Pack sizes: 17.06, 12.14 and 6.07 ft.!

In Finsterwalder gliders you will exclusively find tested tubings made from alloy 7075 (Perunal)!

https://finsterwalder-charly.de/images/ ... er_eng.pdf
[ ] Does Lightfex have safety cable inside its basebar?
[ ] What alloy are the downtubes (queenposts) for Lightfex?
===========================
In any TPHG build having cockpit tubes, consider carefully the design. Brittle material choice could lead to spearing or puncturing the pilot in a crash. If brittle material is used, then such might be in combination with a sturdy veiling material that might capture splinters or spears.
===========================

The LightFex 151 does not enter the "5-ft or less" deal, but might be of interest to designers moving toward the "5-ft or less" TPHGs.
====

[dhmartens]

a guy in India started building his own hang gliders. Interesting use of a "U" joint.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Interesting use of a "U" joint.

I didn't catch the U joint, but it has a pretty nice looking planform:

Home_Built_HG_India_800.png (368.17 KiB) Viewed 838 times

[JoeF]

Nice find, Doug!
I was not confident that the builder Ravi Gujjar captured a washout-security deal. Maybe he will answer my note at the video comment.

IsThereWashoutSecurityHere.png (135.54 KiB) Viewed 831 times

Ravi installed six points of pitch security (three per side stayed to the top of the kingpost).
[In my recent rigging coding, that would be a "3r" where each r results in two points pitch-keeping at the TE region.]
================================================================================

[JoeF]

        
... though this is packed super-tiny,
the guess is that a live human will not be onboard.

[JoeF]

alula
Consider letting spreader beam extend beyond leading edge and then using the extended part as a deflexor scheme to stay the outboard leading edge tube. Perhaps even more asset might arrive from judicious use of an extended spreader! Effective use of an alula in HG might end up serving lighter happy packs of some HGs.