Low & Slow Issue 11 1972

Federal exemption on its way for low and slowers !

National local club system started with a local club in Southern California!

Start yours today and advance the art and science of flying near home.

Volmer Jensen, age 62, hung-glided during 1925 and flies much more wonderfully today in his all-new VJ -23 "Swingwing" .... an empennaged mono-plane of very thick airfoil dimensions --our first fully cantilevered modern fully controllable monoplane!

Turkey Fly meet drew 700 people and 20 pilots!

Ernest Feher, at age 15, brings meaning to his dream that was published when he was 8 ..... he wanted to fly that hang-glider that was hanging in the museum.

Volmer Jensen soars on mild slope for 5

1/2 min.

CAR TOWS ARE NOT FOR LOW &: SLOW PILOTS! The high stresses and gust loads and . . . . . . are not to be experienced by any flying device with man aboard unless the system is fully engineered and inspected; the system should be towed only over water. L&:S will leave this system type to FUELED system developers.

FINANCIAL STRESS causes format change in L&:S !

NO wage for 2, 880 hours labor brings us to a L&S that will serve you with 20 pages per booklet.

UNTIL WE CAN OBTAIN OUR OWN PRINTING PRESS (ideas, anyone????????) .................. _...... WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE ARTY AND PHOTOGRAPHY, DO SEND PHOTOS (small) TO HELP YOUR EDITOR REPORT on your doings. Do diagrams and cartoons L&S will not go "newstand", but will serve the thinker and do-er, the dreamer and pilot.

11. 2 NOTICE TO MEMBERS (member-readers, that is) Most are paid up through issue # 12.

Now is the time to renew. # 13 booklet will be ready \iery soon.

13 will have a complete plan of the

(# Mike Flannigan Flying Sailwing Hang-Glider and a complete plan for a 10 foot Rogallo Hang-Glider for ll.Se in butt-skims on smooth slopes by seat-protected 60 to 90 pound pilots .... plus other specials).

BACK ISSUES are still available. Send $6 for 12 consecutively numbered booklets of L&S. The earliest numbers will be sent to subscribers first.

Dr. Lissaman renews. We hope for an airfoil gift from him. I wonder what an optimum airfoil would be for the current 'Icarus I wing configurat on.

L&S 10 -issue financial report: I have mailed issues whose face value is $3, 077. 00.

To do that I spent $3,808.47 on materials and paid myself no wage for 2, 880 man-hours at a net financial loss of about $IQ CXXl. In face of this, L&S will serve with ideas and line drawings and with less expensive means of printing.

Issues will be prepared, not for the newstand, but for friends who want quick information on developments and selected displays of pertinent technology. We do expect that in a year or two we may get to have more photographic display, but for now lets keep in touch and grow in our ability to fly self-launchingly with fantastic ultralight low and slow creative play systems.

After every 12 booklets, please renew promptly.

If you are not on schedule of lumps of 12 booklets, then please forward 50f per issue that will put you on the regular membership schedule. This will save time. ...

0 ,:0 : ,:•Your booklet series will grow in direct proportion to your referral rate.

Tell interested people only:, that they may dream and design and delight with us by signing on with Low & Slow 59 Dudley Ave. Venice, CA 90291

Copyright

@

by Joe Faust, 1972

11. 3

MONTGOMERY CONTROVERSY (Ref: L&S 9. 19 bottom) {See also 2. 4, 6. 15, and 8. 20) The only documented evidence of Montgomery building and flying anything prior to the turn of the century was a comment in Chanute's "Progress in Flying Machines" (1895), pp. 248-, in which he describes in detail what Montgomery told him about his flights. According to Montgomery's story to Chanute, "the glider had two wings, each 10 feet long and an average width of 4 1/4 feet, united together by a framework to which a seat was suspended. It was provided with a horizontal tail which could be elevated or depressed by pulleys. The wings were arched beneath, like those of a gull, affording a sus taining area of 90 square feet. The weight of the apparatus was 40 lbs., and that of the experimenter 130 lbs. more."

"Mr. Montgomery took this apparatus to the top of a hill nearly a mile 1mg, which gradually sloped at an ange of 10 degrees, and placing himself within the central framework, the rods of which he grasped with each hand, ready to sit down, he faced the sea breeze blowing from 8 to 12 miles per hour, and gave a jump into the air without previous running. 11 If one uses the above data and combined it with M. 1 s

~

well known structural methods of 19 03 to 1905, a seemingly accurate reproduction could be built. It should, of course, be limited to the materials available at that time.

About 25 years ago the San Diego Chapter of the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences made an intensive study of this design, and built such a reproduction after making a complete set of drawings. (L&S 6.15) Mr. M. further stated that he made only one glide with this machine, and covered a distance of 100 ft.

Two subsequent gliders were built, each having more wing area, but were not successful. Profile drawings

11. 4 of all three gliders appear in Victor Lougheed's Vehicles of the .Air ( 1909), page 141. At that time Mr. Lougheed was sponsoring Mr. M. and had Mr. M's complete cooperation.

(Future reference: In coming issue will be a presentation of a tandem wing design study done in late 1971 by a team of university students.

Further note here that Bob Lovejoy just recently (Dec., 1971, obtained 7 respectable glides in a system that had a biplane affair led by a monoplane. Future key: 11 Tenderfoot l 11 ********************************************** PHOTO-FLY What kind of fly is that? Well, on Dec. 19, 1971, L&S arranged a gathering of some pretty wonderful people with their designs. The mild weather gathering was to be a chance to capture these people in a photograph for your taste. We will have to wait until fortune greets us before sharing the results.

Present in one portrait were the people most prominent in 1971, the full first year of self-launch flight.

Before you go too much further in your local group, hold a photo-fly and treasure the results. *********************************************** Form Your Club Bring to yourself: *Safety checks *Shared costs *Site privileges ,:•Shared Studies The first local hang-glider (actually they are going to study all forms of pilot-launched fuel-less flight systems) club to be formalize_d was temporarily called the Peninsula Hang-Glider Club. Write L&S for sample by-laws and articles of incorporation or see the presentation in a soon-to-be-printed L&S booklet.

Bring models and full ships to meets and meetings!

Do not be hesitant to disclothes your model; fly United! *********************************************** 1971 Low & Slow fatalities: Zero. Unfortunately, other means of aviation, like car tows, have some.

11. 5

TURKEY FLY November 28, 1971, saw 700 people watching 20 birdmen launch themselves off the sand slopes of Torrance County Beach (we cannot use those slopes anymore except by going through the approval of the Peninsula Hang-Glider Club). Such a windless day it was, yet we were glad to have flown without injury to anyone. Bean's Bird came injured and left injured with Art Bean wondering what to do next. The Lambie team tried out the washed out B. Bird under man-tow at 6 1 altitude.

One could hardly believe that the ship was the same as that which won the 'best craftsmanship for bi-planes' at the Otto Birthday Party.

Dick Eipper, a 25 yr. old Rogallo designer, in his "Flexi Flier" was the only pilot who flew wholly self-launchingly . . . . . . . meaning that he went up the slope by himself carrying his wings without non-pilot-crew help. Thirteen times he went up that slope . . . . . . -a long one, even after not having slept the night before for having to work on an 'Icarus' type (did not finish).

Surprising all of us was the presentation of a fantastically well-crafted 'Icarus #2' by Taras. #2, weighing in at 54 pounds was a bit heavier than# 1, but with the new design changes promises to be many times more safe to fly than was #I. Taras had to have help in bringing his wings up the slope.

THE IMPERIAL ENGINE WORKS, a company of five intrepid pilots led by Bill Liscomb of CA. brought their 'cylindrical Rogallo', one with a circularly curved leading edge. The system flew with easy control. Instead of a triangular control bar, it carried an inverted T bar for control. The groups bird-like costumes pleased all. Fine show!

AN HISTORIC MEETING took place on the field below: Richard Miller, John McMasters, and

Dr. Lissaman opened a new relationship based on MAN-POWERED ASSISTED HANG-GLIDING and PILOT-LAUNCHED -MAN-POWERED AUGMENTED SAILPLANES ! This trio will produce technical paper product that will eventually permit overstuffed turkeys to fly from flat plains without aero- or autotow assist.

Chris Jones and Char Sero operated a flag system that told pilots that the landing field was cleared for flight operations. We thank their all-day effort.

Beach authorities required of our operations a clear take-off and landing area. Spectators are usually not willing to stay clear . . . . . Crowds cannot move quickly; an individual can. Our new limitations state that we should be ? ft. far from crowds. Respect that limitation. And only fly near people who do understand your flight and know when you are flying.

Frank Colver broughtbi.s sailwing frame featuring steel carton strapping as ties to back-up epoxied aluminum bar-angles holding tubes at joints:

~

If STRRPS oOE~ flLLET 80R.

Frank won top plaudits for the flight of his 60 11 model hang-glider. Dan Heflinger was just be hind Fr.Ilk. on this count. Such fun were the flights by these two!

The party went on .... footballs thrown, ostrich runs, butt skims, Class 1, 2 .... no 3 flights.

The pilot of the day was Roy Haggard in his huge 9. 6 oz. wing-loaded Rogallo. His flights were ever so slow in the near-calm, yet he had precise control. His sail was only 4-oz. poly-ethelene.

His sail was of l 6 1 square plan-form, 23 1 keel.

Ernest Feher flew over a fence and landed with only a few feet clearance on three sides. The landing required control and experience. Spot-landing parachutists would envy the performance.

L&S recommends that lines on the ground be drawn rather than having to use fences. Ernest, age 15. •

11. 7

1972 Low & Slow Ad Rates $50 per page, $25 half-page, $15 quarter page.

Send glossy photograph and wording, or finished 100% size black on white layout (velox 85 line matte)

*********************************************

Bits and pieces from <:o:r:-ri:::spondence between.

Richard Miller and Editor: >!<Francois Henri of France bought 'Icarus' plans and will possibly revolution,~lidi:g there. ,:,Northrup MPA Flycycle is not progressing on schedule because of lack of funds (maybe lack of rigidity in the wings ..... maybe )

>:0 R. M., "Volmer ... his work and approach at this

time appears to represent the most solid, responsible and professional one could hope for.

Perhaps this will be the standard a few years hence. I believe future ships will be lighter and that the sail wing will predominate in time, but Volmer' s contribution should provide an excellent model for many of those on the way up the L&S ladder. >'.=Richard, hopefully by summer 1972, I will be able to wear only the editor's cap and drop the high-time-cost hats of Self-G director, PHGC director, liaison for SSA-L&S-F AA, public persuader, meet director, social chairman, and part-time photographer; my family cannot bear any more like this last year. Clubs will be formed and should carry the national thrust of the movement. Someone, not me, will have to take on the job of national director of something like Self-G. >'-<The SSA has an ultralight technical board now as follows: Bruce Carmichael, Betts, Floyd S\11/eet John McMasters, Jack Lambie, Dr. Paiwonshy. >!<Richard, will you be available and willing to be national director? '~oe, No."

•

11. 8 :>!•*ICARUS TIP RETRACTION*>:' . . . . . . . . . please line out item 14-C on page 10. 14.

Do not put wires nor cable in the cockpit parallelograms.

Do follow item 14-D, 10. 14. Snapping of such cables could be extremely dangerous to the pilot. >:•Icarus #2 flew 10 times over 300 feet in a near calm at the Photo-Fly. With improved engineering on #2 and accumulated experience Taras now sets to fly confidently, wind or not.

THE FIRST NON-TARAS' ICARUS is completE;; Chris Jones and wife Vicki have become partners on a flying trip that began at the Photo-Fly of December 19, 1971. The ship was completed in time to get inthe 1971 portrait-of-the-movement.

The ship features an experimental 3/4 11 , • 065" wall, 6061-T6 spar system, a diameter just smaller than the plans indicate. The ship weighs about the same as the 54 pound Icarus #2 by Taras, but the smaller tube diameter means some reduction in the compressive resistance of the spars. We have word that the Kiceniuk camp may share a table of values showing the effects of using various diameters and wali thicknessness on the Icarus configuration. ********************************************** SHORT FLYING WlNG BIPLANE TIPS: *View some early photos of the Wright Brothers while they were kiting their taill.J.ess biplane kites . ..,_C · · th·is,,.i.o. issue · · a pie · t ure -.- oming in is of a Lovejoy biplane flying wing (no tail} that lofted little Jojo Faust over the sands of Torrance beach. *I have a Lambie tailed mono-plane h. g. inthe off:ce with which I have used to make a tail-less biplane. *Jack Lambie brciught to a club meeting early in 1971 a swept-dihedraled flying biplane wing without the controls that Icarus has. Jack's flew well. *Richard Miller, after playing with Joe Faust's free-flight kite train ideas, came to a 1971 club meeting with a free-flight model featuring two wings barely set apart from each other by tension lines.

These wings (flying biplane, tail-less arrangement) were carrying a free-falling payload in a nice glide.

ALL THIS IS TO SAY: The Icarus design will not be the last word in flying wing biplanes. Design o.n . . . . . . . .

11. 9 N. B. C. 's TV show "Chronolog'' will feature the Dick Eipper system of barefoot Rogallo flying.

A slow-motion trip on one flight (composed from parts of many flights) lasting 3 1/2 minutes will be the main part of a quick sketch of Dick.

~:,~:~:~~I~!,:,*~~~\:!*~~*!~~;,~;~:.:;* 1~~*t~~~,~,\~:a PLAN

April,

{This plan ·i-£ not to be made and flown as here presented; use the control and stability knowledge gained in the last 63 years for modifying the plans. Also, use improved materials.)

1909, Popular Mechanics, by Carl Bates:

How to M a k e a ( H a n g } G 1 i d e r A gliding machine isa motorless aeroplane, or flying-machine, propelled by gravity and designed to carry a passenger through the air from a high point toa lower point some distance away.

Flying in a glider is simply coasting down hill on the air, and is the most interesting and exciting sport imaginable. The style of glider described in this article is known as the "two-surface" or double-decked" aeroplane, and is composed of two arched cloth surfaces placed one above the other· In building a glider the wood mate rial used should be straight-grained spruce, free from kn:ts.

First prepare from spruce planks the following slrif6 of wood. Four long beams 3/4 in. thick, 1-1/4 in. wide and 20 ft. long; 12 cross-pieces 3/4 in. thick, 3/4 in. wide and 3 ft. long; 12 uprights 1/2 in fh:ick, 1 _· 1/2 in wide and 4 ft. long; 41 strips for the bent ribs 3/_16 in. _thick,_ 1/2 i~. wide and 4 ft. long; z arm sticks l 1n. thick, 2 1n. wide and 3 ft. long; the rudder ~ticks 3(4 in. square and 8 ft. long; seve_ral strips I /2 m. by 3 / 4 in. for building the vertical an~ horizontal rudders. The frames for the twa_ main surfaces should be constructed first, by bolting the crosspieces to the long beams at the places shown by the dimensions in Fig. I

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11. 12 If 20 ft. lumber cannot be procured, use 10 ft. lengths and splice them, as shown in Fig. 3. All bolts used should be 1 /8 in. in diameter and fitted with was hers on both ends. These frames formed by the crosspieces should be braced by diagonal wires as shown. All wiring is done with No. 16 piano wire.

The 41 ribs may be nailed to the main frames on the upper side by using fine flat-headed brads 7 /8 in. long. These ribs are spaced 1 ft. ap· and extend 1 ft. beyond the rear edges of the rr:ain frames, as shown in Fig. 1. After nailing one end of a rib to the front long beam, the rib is arched by springing down the loose end and nailing to the rear beam. The ribs should have a curve as shown in Fig. 2, the amount of curvature (how much Aasvogel?) being the same in all the ribs.

The frames of the main surfaces are now ready to be covered with cloth. Cambric or bleached muslin should be used for the covering, which is tacked to the front edge, stretched tightly over the bent ribs and fastened securely with tacks to the rear ends of the ribs. The cloth should also be glued to the ribs for safety. In the center of the lower plane surface there should be an opening 2 ft. wide and 4 ft. long for the body of the operator. Place the two main surfaces 4 ft. apart and connect with the 12 uprights, placed in the corner of each crosspiece and beam. The uprights are fastened by bolting to the crosspieces, as shov:m in Fig. 2. The whole structure is made strong and rigid by bracing with diagonal wires both laterally and longitudinally.

The vertical rudder is to keep the machine lea:la:l into the wind and is not movable. This rudder is made of cloth strtched over a light wooden frame, which is nailed to the rudder sticks connecting to 1he main frame. The horizontal rudder is also made of doth stretched over a light wooden frame, and arranged to intersect the vertical rudder at its center.

This rudder is held in position and strengthened by diagonal wires and guy wires. The horizontal rudder is also immovable, and its function is to preiTent the machine from diving, and also to keep it steady

11. 13

in its flight. The rudders are fastened to the glid::r by the two rudder sticks, and these sticks are reld rigid by diagonal wires and also by guy wires leading to the sides of the main frames as shown in Fig. I. The two arm sticks should be spaced ax>ut 13 in. apart and bolted to the long beams in the center of the opening in the lower plane where the operator is to take his position.

The glider should be examined to see that the frame is not warped or twisted. The surfaces must be true or the machine will be hard to balax::e when in flight. To make a glide, take the glider to the top of a hill, get in between the arm sticks; and lift the machine up until the arm sticks are under the arms as shown {see L&S 10. 20), run a few steps against the wind and leap from the grourrl.

You will find that the machine has a surprising amount of lift, and if the weight of the body is in the right place you will go shooting down the hillside in free. flight. The landing is made by pushing the weight of the body backwards. This will cause the glider to tip up in front, slacken speed and settle. The operator can then land safely and gently on his feet. Of course, the beginner should learn by taking short jumps, gra~ually increasing the distance as he gains skill and experience in balancing and landing.

The proper position of the body is slightly ahead of the center of the planes, but this must be found by experience. The machine should not be used in winds blowing faster than 15 miles per hour.

Glides are always made against the ·wind, and the balancing is done by moving the legs. The higher the starting point the farther one may fly. Great care should be exercised in making landings, etherwise the operator might suffer a sprained ankle or perhaps a broken limb. See Low & Slow in 1972 for further details about this form of flying, we in 1909 are just getting the hang of this kind of flight.

In 1925 Volmer Jensen will advance self-. launching flight and return with his So-Lo biplane plans i_n 1971. In 1972 the same Volmer will introauce his all new "Swingwing" . See you then.

1

11. 14

LEARN TO FLY or JOIN THE NEW SPORT in a VOLMER J-11

• Puikl the world's first fully controllable hang glider • Standard aircraft controls •Fully engineered • Cost to build: Aprrox. $IOOQ.Q • Can

be built in 6 weeks spare time

''So-Lo"

· Send $2 for literature and specifications, 3 view, photos.

VOLMER AIRCRAFT Dept. LS 104 East Providencia .Pwe. Burbank, CA 91502 Phone: 213-8428753

1.BobCo on Alameda Ave ,about 2000 bLock) •••• some oeooer aeaia "nan a.

Washington Hardware (L&S 8 0 19) Both L.A., CA. 2 L&S nominates Richard Miller and Taras Kiceniuk as Master Flight • Instructors to baptize other fltght instructors to be n~ed in ]4S as they are recognized for their over-all safety and skill profile.

3. Draw a square and its diagonal. The slope of the diagonal is 1:1, the glide path of the Para-Commander hang-glider. Draw two squares side by side and draw the diagonal from the further left top to the further right bottom corners; this slope is a 2:1 glide path taken by many full-canopy Rogallo parachute hang-gliders. Note that you may make your own 9linometer with a simple piece of wooQ and~ small attached pendulum ,indicating down and thus the horizon). Shield the pendulum from the wind with a shrould of plastic (transparent).

Have an aiming blob; aim the blob top with your object at the bottom or top of a hill, set your fingernail on the indicating edge and tliten read the intended or performed glide path of one of your flights.

The slope wind affects or.changes your ground related path. Still air flights can directly be measured. One could calibrate his new clinometer for various wind conditions to rea.ll relative air glide.

Send in your inputs for very low cost compact clinometers.

4. Cover photographs· or art .work will be awarded $5 starting with issue #13. This will be a token of appreciation from all L&S readers.

5. Thanks go tq Bill Bennett and Bill Moyes, the· two famed professionaa Rogallo flyers and manufacturers, for coming to the Pro-Am Fly-In at Torrance, CA, on Sunday, Oct. 24, 1971. We learned much from each other. It was a fine way to have met you both·. Thank you.

6. Flight time users of a local soaring club, non-L&S: "Tow-car blew up, tow-plane pilot is sick, club sailplane is under repair, other member is using the week-end in our one ship for 'block time', member crallhed and repair will take three months •••• " A L&S Club: Within three months the club has had five ships for five members.

Repairs are done in minutes.

No problems with tow vehicles. Everyone flies.

Another .L&S club: 8 ships in four months for three membeCs. About 500 take-offs have been experienced. reative design changes become part of the club's activity.

Now this club is building their Icarus with the appropriate modifications plus some extras.

7. WHOM DID YOU SEE TO CHECK YOU OUT FOR FLIGirl' SAFETY PRACTICES. Even if you are well experienced in related areas ••••• , try to get with some other flight master and rap about how to keep flying. PLEASE SEND ALL ACCIDENT REPORTS AND INCIDENT REPORTS .AND NEAR*MISSES TO THE LOW & SLOW OFFICE so that I can create a better picture for all on how to succeed by trying!

•• or to be hurt by trying unsafely.

8. The Northrup Institute of Technology man-powered "Flycycle"is really under constru~tion, but the ship is going to haTe two engines. One will be female and the other male 0 The high 1/D airfoil developed by the group is being fitted to a L&S hang-glider to aid in the publicity of the man-powered effort to be at Salton Sea, Calif.

They are not going to release all extraneous weight; some clothes and long hair are being retained for the flight. The flight radius around the Kremer pylons will be 1000 1 because of the low bank.

9. Will Icarus enter the Annual Torrey Pines meet in California? Maybe Icarus #2 will. Maybe. Let's hope.

10. Grapevine has it that the camber on the Volmer Jensen new mono-plaane super hang-glider is 16 11 • 16 11 camber •••. (Hope it is not the same as Mac Riley's scalene triangle wing.) Volmer's other ship: VJ-11.

11. The effort to map L&S type flying sites has failed for this reason: Every city in the U.S.A. has enough sites to fill an issue of L&S. It won't take too long for each pilot to distinguish his place.

11. 16

SPECIAL MESSAGE : from The Rogallo Kite Line Dear Joe, I delayed answering your letter until I had a chance to read all of the seven Low & Slow. If ound them very interesting and envy you in California for the great enthusiasm you have generated for L&S flight systems. It may be caused by something in the California environment, because I caught it during my first 24 years spent there, and I have never gotten over it.

A large number (about 20} patents related to flexible wings have been taken out in my name, solely or jointly with others. The government owns two and has the right to use most of the remainder, although I retain the non-government rights.

The patents apply to both stiffened and completely flexible wings. I have had license agreements in the past with a few companies, including the Irvin Parachute people of Gardena, Calif., but none of these licenses are active at present; that is, I am not now getting any income from inventions.

Many people are using our ideas, inventions, discoveries, or whatever one calls them, which is a satisfaction to us.

We would like to get some monetary return, but this has always been a secondary consideration; so I guess we can't complain.

So far, I don't think anyone else is getting rich at our expense.

The government (officially and otherwise) considered flexible wings of no interest to the government for over ten years after our first patent application. , which was privately financed by us (Mr. &:rvfrs. F.M. Rogallo). I'll enclose a couple of pages from the "Langley Researcher" covering the award you asked about. The IRS later sent a bill for about $21, 000, which we paid; and the final outcome is still in court.

It is difficult to determine L/D from free flight tests. In thermals or in flow over ridges I have observed vertical kite lines and climbing all-flexible gliders. The NASA has made wind-tunnel tests of representative models of many flexible designs. The highest L/D obtained from a complete wing with all lines in the airstream was about 3 1/2 for canpetely

11. 17 flexible wings. This was a twin keel par awing and the results are reported in NASA T. N. D-59 65.

Wings of the Barish and Jalbert types did not do as well, but all types are subject to further improvement, and besides L/D is not by any means the only characteristic of importance.

Our first flexible wing patent states that rectangular or elliptic shapes may be used and that various forms of stiffening may be used, including ram air inflation (see L&S 7. 17). It is sometimes hard to distinguish between new design and new invention, even in the patent office.

NASA people have made a few exploratory tests of double-membrane, ram-inflated delta wings, and some with scoop inlets near the aft end of the wings.

I have notices that the press regards every man who builds a home built aircraft as an inventor, even if he has made no changes in someone else's design. It must make a better story that way, and probably very few people really care about the origin of technology, only about its final application.

I can't say what motivated some other inventor to do what he did. Sometimes I don't know why I do what I do.

I have a nuber of different commercial stick kites, but do not fly them much. I have heen flying some 3 mil Mylar. no-stick kites while trying to make some improvements in them. I also fly some man-carrying all-flexible wings, single and twin-keel designs, usually on an anchor line on the beach, but at times in tow behind a boat, or in free flight down the big dune (Jocky Ridge) at Kitty Hawk or near there. So far I have kept out of the press, but others have not.

I hope I have answered most of your questions.

Sincerely, F. M. (Rog) Rogallo Following from 11 Langley Researcher 11 , Aug. 2, 19 62: NASA HONORS ROGALLOS WITH LARGE CASH AWARD Francis M. Rogallo and his wife, Gertrude S. Rogallo, whose innovations as kite-flying hobbyists

11. 18 sparked development of paragliders, recently received the largest cash award ever made to inventors by NASA, Rogallo, who has been a scientist at the Langley Center since 1.93 6 and is now head of the 7-by-10 foot Tunnels Branch, Full-Scale Research Division, and his wife were presented $35, 000 by Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator of NASA, in ceremonies at NASA Headquarters on July 17.

The Rogallos were selected for their two inventions cover:ing the flexible wings that can be can be pacl<a.ged and deployed.

The innovation has led to large-scale development work on paragliders by the NASA and the military services. It is estimated that NASA and the Army alone have more than a million dollars involved in these programs.

A version of the paraglider is being considered for use as the principal recovery system in later phases of the Gemini Program which will place twoman spacecraft in earth orbit for periods lasting up to two weeks.

The NASA Inventions Board explained that the Rogallos' award was based in considerable part on the Government's use of a privately-owned invention without any claim for royalties or a request for a license from the inventors.

The Rogallos hold two patents, one is sued March 20, 1951, and the other June 19, 1956.

Dr. Dryden, in his :rpresentation statement, noted that the couple on their own initiative and expense "devised the vehicles, procured patent protection, reduced the invention to practice, and pursued continuous development to perfect· the application of the principles involved. " The Rogallos' ideas grew out of their hobby of kite flying. · When they first approached Government agencies around 1950, they found no one interested.

It was several years later that possible aeronautical and space applications were seriously considered.

**************~******************************** ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR NEW KITE: My wife, Joanne, is giving anchor to the kite line of our new yet unnamea kite. At birth, cord severed, we will have a released kite, or "Hang-by-her11 JPF, ed.

11. 19 "c). ••

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EIPPEB·FOKMANCE FLIGHT

SYSTEMS

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Frank Colver covers his full-size modified Miller Sailwing (modified and improved Model E Rogallo), and proceeds to complete his fantastic flying wing.

The wing 'feels' a bit heavy. We are sure of finding some items that could be advantageously different.

Some plans of the models (scaled down from the full-size) are still available at $2 from Frank Colver Make 3 2" or 60" 3076 Roanoke Lane flying models or Costa Mesa, CA 92626 go to full size !

********************************************** TOOLS: Nico-press pliers Wire cutters Hacksaw Files Pencil Tape Patience

Sheet metal rnllers Hand drill Center punch Protractor Measuring tape Ideas, plans, sµce A frimd who wants to fly too.

11. 20

Above: A modern Wright Brother man-powered lowaltitude slow tail-less biplane experiment with helmeted editor's son on board. Craft is a collapsible car able by Bob- Lovejoy of Torrance, Calif., U.S. A. Such experiments can be safe only after gradual training and adequate design. The two tow lines were connected at the upper leading edge tip vertices. One tow man is not shown. Little Joe has trained for 4 of his 7 years for such kite play.

No experiments are entered that have risk factors any higher than those encountered by climbing on the neighborhood jungle gyms. Learning to fall is a prerequisite to such play. The above situation is one with low tension kite lines in mild breezes over soft sand with a craft of superior quality built to hold 180 pounders in free flight. · (However, the above kite is not a good-enough free flight glider until one would design some stabilities into it.

Little Joe is under a hang-gliding training program similar to that being experienced by 5 yr. old Chris Knowles, Jr.. Free flight controlling is a bit different from under-tow controlling. Overland training is much drier, and if done properly, more safe than over-water training. One does not drown over-land. Towing over land should be very low and man-powered. Ostrich hops will be the first form of free flight. Cb.case conditions carefully!