Search Results for : Flight Design

ST. PAUL, MINN — The season is hot… or at least heating up, what with the 4th ECC92 (East Coast Champs) now over. Other news and There-I-Was stories will tell the tales. Here we’ll do our review of glider brands flown in competition. ••• As expected Wills had the majority at 34% of the field, up a point from ECC91. In a solid 2nd was UP at 28%, up seven points from last year, influenced by five Green Team pilots all flying TRXs (tho even without these, UP still held 2nd with 17%). A rather distant 3rd, Moyes had 13%, all-in-all a respectable finish for an import brand. Another Aussie brand, Enterprise, came in 4th with 12%, while Pacific Airwave — usually a strong contender — managed only 5th with a mere 9% of the field. Only six brands competed; Seedwings (4%) trailed the pack. ••• Some of the reason for Moyes to be showing well may relate to a blur of activity.

ST. PAUL, MINN — With a bit of pride showing through, please note that with this column, "Product Lines" enters its 14th year giving continuous coverage of product-related news in hang gliding. Beginning way back in 1978, your readership made it last; thanks to all of you! ••• On with the show… in a rather unusual announcement, Wills Wing has told dealers they are working on a new competition glider, intended to give an edge to those U.S. pilots flying the WW brand for Team America in the ’93 Owens World Meet. Naturally, they’re still hush-hush; partly because the glider is far from determined yet and also to keep the competition from adapting their newest ideas. They have "several prototypes flying, but do not envision a new release in this category until at least the fall of the year." They did confirm the airframe will be 7075-based, continuing their satisfaction with this material (even though it must be imported, a difficult procurement task given long lead times, quality control checks, and long-distance shipping).

ST. PAUL, MINN — A new year of soaring begins and we can wonder what new records may fall (well, Larry?). What new designs will emerge? In the ’90s decade, UP and their TRX have enjoyed the limelight though sales still trail industry leaders Wills and PacAir. ••• Now UP offers an intermediate model using the successful TRX planform but with aluminum spars (it saves a few bucks). The XTR — once codenamed the TRX L — extends UP’s model line, cleverly employing the remarkable reception to the composite-framed competition model. The Utah-based builder is accepting orders while the glider completes HGMA certification. Selected dealers have flown the XTR and are reportedly excited. ••• Near the end of ’91, National Champ’ Tony Barton and aerobatic guru John Heiney returned from an eastern road tour promoting UP. A western tour is planned next. Contact the factory to be included in these plans.

St. Paul, MINN — Lots of deserving stuff came in for this month’s "Product Lines." While I’m delighted at the response to the column, I can’t use everything that arrives… not enough room. But keep sending your material; who knows? ••• As you know from the ads and editor Gil’s write up, Wills Wing has announced their new glider, the Super Sport. You’ll get all the poop from other sources. But I want to mention that WW has done a first with this release. All three sizes (143, 153, 163) were completely computer designed, flew "right out of the box," and are being submitted for HGMA certification at the same time! Quite a statement of engineering achievement. The Super Sport replaces the Sport AT. All three sizes are priced at $3,595 and have many AT features but no VG. Wills expects to be shipping end of July or so. Road Time ’91 so long distance guru, Larry Tudor, will be doing lots of XC on the ground as you read this.

St. Paul, MINN — With this June issue of Hang Gliding, "Product Lines" enters its 13th year of continuous run, thanks to loyal readers and the many of you who have alerted me to news in our sport. Other columns have begun and eventually their authors retired, but this chatty column keeps flying. Yes, diver fans, there really is enough interesting hang gliding news to keep going for some 125 monthly columns (in the early days of "PL" in Whole Air, the column came out bimonthly). Thanks to all of you. Now, on with the show… ••• Aerotowing! It’s real and real fun, and before long, real obtainable. While ATOL and other suppliers like TLS have provided us with superlative platform towing hardware and the technology to tow to great heights and long distances, many like myself have felt that aerotowing was the superior way to launch. Except that it’s only superior if the tug is up to the special demand of towing hang gliders.

ST. PAUL, MINN — Say diver fans, another World Meet is history and again we didn’t win. We have some of the best pilots, perhaps the best gear, yet the dang Brits beat us regularly. Ah well, you’ll read a full report elsewhere. In this column, we’ll look at what brands were flown by the world’s best pilots at the world’s top meet. Think you can guess? Try. Then read on… ••• Team USA was third, only 2.7% behind the leader (UK). Australia was almost 12% back (in 4th). The stackup of brands reflects something about the largest glider builders. Here we go: #1– Airwave (UK) at 23% of the field; #2– Wills (USA) at 16%; #3– a tie between La Mouette (France) and Moyes (Australia) at 11%. Thus the big four accounted for 61% of the gliders present. In #4– Enterprise (Australia) at 9%, coming on strong with their Foil; #5– Solar Wings (UK) at 6%; and rounding out those with at least 5% is #6– Firebird (Germany) at 5%.

ST. PAUL, MINN — Last month the big news focused on UP; this time look to WW (we all know who I mean). The reason? Wills held their first-ever paragliding seminar. Intended for dealers, the event drew well, including Morningside (NH) and Fly High (NY) from the east, five pilots from Japan, and the usual pros from the west coast (Windsports, Mission, HG Center, and Hang Flight, among several others). Total attendance was 35+ for the 10-day long event. The first days were basic training in flying paragliders, followed by an ICP and advanced canopy handling. The basic days were incredibly reminiscent of hang gliding 15 years back. Guys like Larry Tudor, Rob McKenzie, and Joe Greblo were seen jumping on the launch truck like it was their first day of flying, counting the number of flights they made in a day, and looking ever-so novice as they grappled with new wings and techniques.

ST. PAUL, MINN — This month’s big news focuses on the UP company. As many of you readers are veterans of the sport, the history of UP is familiar. The illustrious SoCal builder has undergone several designers, managers, and owners. Each such change no doubt extracted a toll. As ’91 begins UP launches into yet another transformation. ••• To begin, the mysterious Terry Reynolds wing mentioned in December has now popped up… guess where? Yup! UP will be the builder of the newly named TRX. Check their ad in this issue. Reynolds will fly the TRX in the Australian Nats, then will join fellow ’91 World Team Member, Tony Barton, at the Brazilian Worlds. The TRX is a high aspect ratio wing (8:1) with contemporary span (36 ft) and planform (132¡ nose) that tips the scales very lightly (60 lbs) by using carbon fiber spars built in a $9 million shop.

WASHINGTON D.C. — This month’s “Product Lines” comes from our nation’s capital at the occasion of the USHGA’s fall board of directors meeting. Other reports will relate the actions of the board. But at the gathering, two interesting and nascent product-related stories emerged. ||| No. 1 is confirmation by mainline hang gliding writer, Dennis Pagen, regarding his plans to pursue a longtime desire to design and build his own glider. A rumor that he would abandon his writing efforts (supposedly to focus on a new manufacture undertaking) proved to be baseless. He does plan to take preliminary steps toward a “limited production” of a new design. But “I’m not doing this as a income-earning venture,” says Pagen, “That’s not my present goal.” ||| No. 2 comes after lengthy prototype activities by World Team member, Terry Reynolds of Colorado. Employing exotic new airframe materials, you’ll want to read more on this exciting project next month, after additional tests.

ST PAUL, MINN — According to several newspapers across the USA, Eric Raymond has finally flown his solar-powered ultralight motorglider from San Diego to Kitty Hawk… well, almost. He reportedly called it quits nine miles short. I find this a fascinating project but can’t figure why Eric didn’t talk about it to the aviation press, in whose rags nary a word has been seen. Raymond once told me the project was “secret.” Even the San Diego HGA’s newsletter, the Flier, had to adapt the news from the LA Times ||| The bird looks sleek, with a shape surprisingly similar to Advanced Aviation’s Sierra (see earlier “Product Lines”), and has Sanyo sponsorship, using their new solar cells with a power-to-weight ratio ten times higher than conventional cells. The 57 foot span machine weighs 198 pounds and can cruise about 40 mph. Eric, you talkin’ yet? ||| Mr. Test Rig, Mark West, has a newer yet version to use in dynamically testing hang gliders.