Low & Slow Issue 19 1972

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JOURNAL OF SELF-SOAR ASSOCIATION

LOW & SLOW 19 or

SUE FLY

Cover:· Sue Moffat c,;ught ln the lens of Joanne Faust beneath a Wey I Rogal lo 20' wing.

She is building her own wing with the help of her brother. She welcomes other single women to appreciate the social health that surrounds hang gliding sites.

We welcome her to our movement. United Airlines is not the only place to fly with the pleasantry of smiling women. ·

Back Cover: Shown is Dove Cronk near home wearing a pre·5 set of airfoil spoilers recently given up for a more simple bent AL frame spoiler. Almost all the reflex is taken out of his personal 5, making pitch feel more sharp. Armour-Dial sold the Dial Ship to United Airlines Captain Stahl; this Dial Ship has now gone through 20 realistic modifications. There is a spirit of com• petition that radi 0 tes between the Stahl groµp and the Cronk followers on who will be able to get the most out of the high aspect ratio flexwing, See this issue for some interesting Kesseler high aspect ratio flexwing plans. Francis Rogallo on December 20, spoke at the Los Angeles local club meeting. He sees the 17: l glide high aspect ratio ship as coming into practical use before tao long. Of course, the NASA developed 17:l cylindrical wing did not account for the pilot drag. We can hope for a podded pil-ot launch Dial or Cronk ship that wi II get a practical 10: 1.

We wi II all have to keep working on this area if we are to achieve an advanced L&S published plan,

CONGRATULATIONS TO US We a 11 did it ! Your editor carefully used your money in our infancy and now we can grow and grow and grow. Year-end accounting will be available to L&S for all of us to see. Our preliminary look shows barely enough capital to go forward but with mucho cap 0 bility purchase to assure success. What would be L&S 25 will be titled Jan, '73. It will be mailed out of our new 5-yr lease-held headquarters an Jan. 14, 1973 and it wi II feature twice the size of issues of the current booklet series PLUS an all-color cover and back-cover, Your editor will try to self-soar the printing ( difficult } of the cover ••• please send hopes. The cover photo,front, is an oncoming classic that wi II not soon be forgotten •.

NEW ADVERTISING FOR YOU Exciting new enterpqses are surfacing

throughout the world aiming investments that wi II serve the many faceted interests and needs of experimenting self-scorers as well as non-bui Id-it-yourself birdmen and ladybirds. Artistis, technicians, scientists, hobbyists, pnd manufacturers are tooki ng up to serve. P Ion makers wil I not all agree to publish their secrets in Low & Slow, although we encourage such.

Unfortunately some products ore presented in such a way the the customer is not sure of what he is purchasing. Watch for reviews on products, We will not be able to review every product immediately. We will try to review those that seem to need clarification

EVERYONE CAN ADVERTISE Our new large size will finally permit the publishing of hundreds of interesting letters to the editor; this is one way to get o free ad ••• sometimes, but n,ainly we need al I of to share ideas for mutua I development.

However, the new classified section of L&S will permit the hobbyist to earn some small coins from an offering that will sell. Most of us can appreciate the worth of circulating creative products to supplement income that wi II let us continue our hobby or sport or interest ct levels not possible sometimes without some enterprising. Our new rates: *CLASSIFIED RATES -Do not count your name, address, phone number, or zip code.

-Do not cbbreviate; it does not make your count lower.

-Count a group of numbers or symbols as only one word.

- Count the countable words.

Send 20¢ for each word with the words clearly printed or typed. If the copy is in by the 10th, it will appear by the following month's issue. Title your letter: Low & Slow Advertising P.O. Box 1860 Santa Monica, CA 90406 *DISPLAY RATES (fee with copy only) For the new large L&S: Send Camera Ready,plus if photo$5 each.

Prepare not more than twice size. Rates given below for ]4" column length for four kinds of columns widths:

2%"

3W'

$2.50

$3.75

7% $5.00

$7.50

Copyright © Self-Soar Association, 1972. P .O.Box 1860, Santa Monica, CA 90406

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Ghostef'9l@f~:t~f~··.P. a. g.•' by:\V,A.All•.11 of Do:v~.·.\. /lbo.u ...· r,n.••.iln~•t'.K.. <ti.de. Liss e's,.. ~'.i·t·:·t·,··.·.•:r.:.r.)·i.}.·. in November. '~'-"~,ster k,te~an was. ribbed. h\r o.fmo?-t de,nbb,ng hi11.1se If on 1-(is. stumble on the Pf~Y.fl~~~·'. His aborted ta~?ff r•1ni11ds us thot the peculi~r ion~\:' ·. ditions of o site ond ~lfiil~qn. di.ctote adj-u~,fnients that might not be obvious, ,We witnessed the visitng mas;°;ff'!~II after ,di.covering the needs of the mcimenti>:% f('.' ..••

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;ofo,~)~~t~ric·~~i;,. ~···ifit

TABLE OF <iJlNTENTS,.

1,Cover ••••••• Sue, b1tg inning h1tr.,,ipping.

2 ................... Notes to .Members

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Phot;; by Joann~.tf£~~··, ':

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3 •••• Ghosted Kilbourne. ~y ~.A.A. ·a.,?~ Table of Contents (hooray, at,la~·~.t~·- ',i 4 •••• Monumontol guest 1td1tor1ol by w,eghmon.

Ghosted Grass Hopper by W.A:A. •. :•.

5 •••• Guest 1tditorial "FOLLOW THAT ZEPHYR" continued. . ., ',;,,( L&S photo insert taken by George Uveges of. Mark Smith, top modeler entefing hang gliding_ with his -first con~truction weighing 20 pounds. It flew a,bj;·: 6_ ••• Seagull Ai~qi:~ft .,~ .manufaitur1tr, custom build~~. plan selJitr, ~;"d pat~if!;~!.~{ _ op1tns f~~;;,!!1ti/~•;~;. Mike Riggs offers among other items t!ie· mosti,i~t~r,i~i~a; single Pi',~f.-i;ori•truction control -bar to fit most any type ofhangiilfJid•r~),/ i '.'' ·''.,':!· .• '. /. '". ' ''

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7.~·:·Tom ~~k~~:;~.;Js~e. Centerspread of L&S 20 ) studies Tart.is Kic~~'it{'as tries out hJ~/9.Jl-n•w tri-wing flight method at his local seH-soar- meet. · .. :.

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Photo~ G~,;~.Uv~ges. . Hangtoon below by .Ecldie P~ul. , ·... · ·. ·::' 8 ••• Eddie Paul Dil~"Jotbu,siness, gives up choppers for se,lf,s~~:iig, a~d/iiiake1, · his first h~ii~~g!"id"t Qffering. We welcome his coming..,afid <:td. Follow' Paul!

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9 ••• LETTERS TO TH't;EDITOR 10, 11, Center spread: Joanne Faust caught flying in the e~e of Young in December at Tho~sand Oaks on a new generati.on mo~oi:iJane "Qil\c:ksilver" Read her story and account in the new Jan.Jai:;ek&$. She was s~'lei:ted ta be guest editor for a substanti~l portion ?f t~~: generation L&S •.

Ge~•

,comer~

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12 •• THE

KESELER PLANS.......... or "How to c011ceil,;;_closely and almost suc~eed." FIVE plan~ for ticklin;.t~,. the flexwing builder.

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PLAN:

Der .Fledermaus

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PLAN:

FLEDERMAUS II

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PLAN:

Der Falke Hangengl~itflieger

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PLAN:

The Albatross: A High

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PLAN:

Der Seg~lf/ugel ·--S~11wit, Bi~l(me

A~J.ct ~~tio Roi~il~:s~IJ\ollig> · .

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(Please send photos and plan modifications if-you build upon these concepts.)

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.Photos surface of an early Lovejoy machine;;;;-fhe:Flying T.etra-Map Fold • .Bob :Lovejoy's_ Quicksi Iver (centerspread ,pidJre}.:iil' the Lovejoy 5, promising to be self-soaring's start intQ a new genoratiorl of weorob~.- ·monoplanes:

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A tip on a new tip. Who. will send a picture and evaluation?\ WUI you? & Hangtaon by Paul: "Sometimes Just Havhig Wing 1_.~~JE~o~9t,'.'

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Cronk pro-5 photo by Doug Margan. Fin~lized Crcink:.s\ii':~~~; $S to ·Self-Soar Assoc.

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*Folilow that Zephyr*:

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Guest editorial from Ricl).ard B. Wee,ghman, Air Progress, Copyrighi: (Si 1972, P~~e~~~;:;_ . · · Publis~i~g .Co. All Rights Rese.rved. ( Self•soarers, Mr. Weeghman's comments must stand for us as a monumental advance ior m'dem,acceptance of our activity. It desetves·a place in Low & Slow forever • .Parenthetlcals by L&S)

*Lik~I birds, young people with flimsy-looking bamboo biplanes and Rogallo . . ·. , .· , .. kites/ are gliding off hills in California. They're tinkering with airfoils and planforms and odd,appeil~ages that might pass For leading edge· slats. And they'~e:zooming 'off'on gorgeous wheeling eagle-flights down valleys and a~ou¥.· ..· . ma·. .u. n.. t··.~i.hs.·.. . And.· s.ome.ti.mes they're finding out the hard way abo.ut Newtn'feq,.,al-reacti.on law.. · . . ..· ..

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*Han~ g/idfo~~ foo·k~ like_another goo'.y~ devilish b~t inconseq~ential . . burst:ol youthful energy, aimed at burning up adrenalin and scar mg the pants off tlie rest of the ·world's old fuds. It probably ranks right up there with surfiryg, drag-racing, dune-buggying and goldfish gulping - a keen way to wipe out in front of yo~.r peers while demonstrating your technical and athletic prowess. With hang,gliding, who needs football? · *Is hong gliding just another frivolous psychological jailbreak for restless youth, (Volmer,62; Walker, 55; Waterman 78; Millet,62; fvber, 57) hoping to delay the onset of the Wi 1/y Loman drag ? · !

OR IS IT A WAY OF FINDING AND MEETING A CHALLENGE IN AN AGE WHEN ALL OF THE. GEOGRAPHIC AND MANY OF THE PERSONAL FRONTIERS HAVE BEEN EXPLORED, FINGERED, TAGGED, FILED, TELEVISED AND FORGOTTEN? AND WHEN ALL THE SCIENTIFIC FRONTIERS HAVE BEEN ATOMIZED AND COMPUTERIZED BEYOND ONE'S TECHNICAL KEN?

*Does. anybody have real adventures anymore? How do you break out and explore the world beyond the boundaries of TV? Co.nsider the gift of wings, and think how they can open the boundaries of space and time and stereotype.

Colleges and universities have flying couxses as part of their academic curriculum. The CAP sends little kids in suntans close-order drilling on the perimeter of aviation. And the EAA plants inuiguing little biplane building kits in high schools around the counuy.

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*BUT NOBODY HAS REALLY OPENED UP THE DOORS AND FLO D GATES TO THE EARNEST DESIRE OF YOUNG (or old,please) PEORLE TO SPREAD THEIR OWN WINGS AND FLY! despite all the $5 introdLctory ride coupons and elaborate schemes to enlarge the base of the aviatio~ population. ( We, members of the universally open Self-Soar Assoancion, ctn be proud to be the non-org that practically invites all mankind 1 to know really successful individual fuel~less air transport.)

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*As always, aviation is too expensive, too exclusive, too remote. Whery you think "flying club", visions of the old European sailplane gemudichkbic may swim before your eyes, but reality is a cool, impersonal bookkeeping arrangement to take some of the fiscal bite off private flying. Young people without bread--stay away. *Now along comes hang gliding. Imagine channeling some of the inventive energy that goes into flame-painted zoom buggies and H:zrley choppers toward the art of /ow-speed aerodynamics. (please, ·and the great inventive energy of the vast space-age engineering work force channeled into the very real problems of wearable wings.) How satisfying it must be for these budding Lilienthals, da Vincis and Frank/ins to know at least one virgin frontier of science still remains to be mastered. *And consider the discipline of flight. How interesting that the nature of things denies these new disciples of gliding the sound and fury and excess that attends their other mechanical pursuits. The wind must be finessed, not bludgeoned. A spare pound of weight, a ginger of drag or a false curve can spell the difference between a seagull glide and a crunch. *WE MAY BE READING TOO MUCH INTO A SIMPLE DIVERSION, BUT IT STRIKES US THAT HANG GLIDING IS THE MOST INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING BIT OF SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION AND PERSO~AL INVESTMENT IN FLIGHT TO COME ALONG IN THIS PART OF THE CENTURY. I j

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Seagull I and II Planset $5.00 This planset gives complete details for construction of the 82°, 16' and 18' Rogelio Wing Hang Glider.

Cootro.l Bar Assembly . · Fits any Rogallo, any size, and also fits . most (:ustom hang gliders. $40. 00

Single piece, 2024-TI, . Hard blc;ick anodized, Mounting chan~el, and All hardware.

Ki ngpost Assembl "I Also 2024-TI, ha.rd black anodized ..

Mounting and rigging hardware included. $8. 00 . 3' assembly . $10. 50 4' assembly · Seagull

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is undergoing·modification and plan change.

(:ATALOGUE_

SEAGULL AI.RCRAFT 1554 - 5 TH · Street · Santa Monic"a~ CA 90401

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~ A TEE PEE"!

NOW YOU CAN FLY - LIKE A BIRO.va

J:'or Under -wrrH-

(,J/,·-h.,,,, a f4,~ Um,;1 c~;~~~~\ /(,f.A//~-

SEND TO:

INSTRUCTION

WHITNEY ENTERPRISES

P.O. BOX 90762 Los Angeles, CA 90009

W/l/1£7()1)/1'/f

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Send $-1 for complete information sheet -thi:s will ba deducted from your fiut pu.-cho:s•.

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Editotial Introduction of Eddie Paul !

.I Harley choppers aside, Whitney Enterprises' Eddie Paul converts to the world of self-soaring. Already fomous for his mechanical expertise through custom choppers, cars, and spacey items;. and further noted nationally for his custom painting, Eddie Paul comes to the light 'flight iworld with a powerful e~thusiasm and inventivenes~ that will bring ~elight, diversion, challenge, and new forms to all of us.

Withstanding the possibility that Eddie may not leave all his fuel mind aside,' and praying a bit that.his high rate recent activity does not bring bpon himself· the rough ..end of experimentation, we have evid~nce that his contributions will ever grow more fr~itful for the movement's benefi:t. ·· ·He is· unab·le to consider joinfng any existing manufacturer because he cannot tolerate the slow pace of innovation thot characterizes an opJrdt1i:on that must set up dupli_~ative proc:esses to serve repetitive needsl We can see an endles~ stream of challengi~g ideas flowing from Eddie if>aut ,. He_ is into the ha!dw:are invention and testing and flying.

Custofer~ ~uying _his plans _and reading sections will be treated with thoug~tful res-ults c~u~ed by an artist-mechanic-dreamer working over real hardware within the striving· f-or different forms of prac:tic:al man. flight.! Alternative ideas will be ~cottered· about a main plan. ~o attempt will be mode to bias the reader toward buying from any certain manufac:turer, but rajher Eddie Poul promises to_'c:oncentrate on servjc:e in general.

We have not been able· to review the fi~ish of his first major offering, but will review it for you as soon as possible.

Pl;ease note that Eddie Paul hos a light side evidenced by his con.

I tributions in this iss_1,1e and in L&S 20 and in L&S 18. Chri_s, his wife, is leor'ning to be a helpful test pilot.

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OILING OKLAHOMA WINGS by Dave Saylors 310 Chickasha Ave., Chickasha, Ok., 7301?

Dear Ed., I'm a licensed pilor, CSMEL, CFI A and 1, A and 1.G. l and self-soaring looks like the best way co go!

George Baker

3315 Penn. Sc. Adelphi, MD. 20783

Dear Ed., Can you believe •.. man-flight in Kathmandu?

Here we sic, teeming with energy now chat the monsoons are finally over. We got ;v:i.nd of self-soaring and are in the process of b.pilding our own experimental ship •. What better place to fly than in the s-:eat Himalayas. What a ride!

Daitiel Connor U.S. Embassy Kathmandu, Nepal

Two snows in the past week have slowed up the hang· gliding. Pictures were taken at Verden, Ok., 6 miles west of Chickasha. The slope I ;was using was 80 degrees steep and 4p ft. high. Wind, 13 mph. out of the NJ;:. On most of my flights I went 200 ft: how• ever, one downwind leg cook me 300 ft from take-pff-ouch!·a thumb scratch.

I thank my father for being photographer and uansportationisc, and also, part financier.

NEW ZEALAND MEET Although pl~s are still in. the making Radio Haurakei's Annual Kite Day will be held sometime in May, 19.73, ..;.rices D.L. Marett of New Zealand.

Marett, who will be piloting a '.CronkKice, will join a hose of other international enthusiasts in the competition.

For more information self-soa:yrs may contact our correspondent at: 62 ~ile Rd, Westlake, Auckland 10, New Zealand. j

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. ' Joanne Faust, after 1 months of nursing her third child , begins her hang-gliding practice with three flights in a new generation monoplane hang glider de.signed by Bob Lovejoy, a past high jump competitor with her husband. Her first flights were· with a slope that matthed glide angle of the flight system, about 6 to 1 when the pilot does not hang so open as shown. She soon experienced the good reason for keeping spped when readying for landing. The wing is named Quicksilver, perhaps in honor of Mercury with his winged feet. She is putting together,·a ma1jor part of our all-new large January L&S with the goal of presenting the reality of self-soar famliflying, picniflying, and friendship qualiflying. ••••.. and she self-soars too ................ .

KESELER PLANS

by Ron Keseler

Der F /edermous:

page 13

This first pion was inspired as a result of the Cronk 3.

I was attempting to cut down the single span length common in most high aspect ratio Rogallo wings. This particular design was made into a model and flew with some success. Some redesigning may be necessary since I designed most of these crafts on the basis of my knowledge of model building and not from my engineering mind.

Fledermaus II:

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Even though the shoulder wing design might tend to be somewhat less stable than the traditional high wing design, I felt compelled to try some revisions on the trnsty Rogallo.

After constrnction of the standard soda straw and saran wrap model, I found that it didn't tend to be any more or less stable than the standard class Rogallo. However, weight shifting for control would be greatly hindered and it was necessary to go to control surfaces for adequate control.

Falke Hangengleitf/ieger :

page 15

This particular glider has the addition of an elevator to help in pitch control. The plan is somewhat small and may have to be enlarged. The basic design should be stable enough if the above Fledermaus II is any indicator.

Albatross:

page 16

The Albatross has not been built nor has a model of it.

It is pocked with hope; ofter I drew up this wing l heard of Bruce Carmichael's flying wing non-cabled monoplane project which is kin to this design. Bruce will be finished by this coming Moy. This is also kin to the recently announced Daedalus wing held in similar hope by a group of enterprising Bostonians.

Der Sege/f/uge/ (Sailwing) Biplane

page 17

In France in 1904 o biplane and triplane Rogallo with full length battens tempted to fly with power. Our modern Australian member Birdman Bill Moyes experimented with a biplane standard doss Roga//o device. The glide angle degradation was problematic. Perhaps with very tight soi Is we can do something. l 'l

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SPAN; 32 FT. AREA; .323 SQ. f1',

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TOTAL WEIGJiT-PJ.Alle

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SCALE.: lCM • 2 PT:

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W!HG TETHER CABLE

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STEERABLE !WODE'R (OPTIONAL)

PLASTIC. 811BBLE oBmlNABLI: 8E'LOW: BUILl)IISLE '15 Nll)DLclUNTe$iEI> FOR MANN El> FLl<itfr

i~NS-1"/IRT;NT DoME. 2of Wl.lO" DJ" CflT. No. ss; 17e 12.Ms r.c:.,c.

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Thi1 demign was an experiment in portability, ~ soda straw model of this craft ihowed little as far as stability or llnything else was concerned, I sllift•d my intn1re~t to shoulder wing monopl~ne consDruotion but someone might be interested in continuing whar~ I left otf.

Note: All of the plans here presented ore to be finished in design boforo clas, 2 flight i, attempted. I hove progressed on my full size Albatross and will later report. to Low & Slow on my progress.

I hope- that anyone doing 1imilorl follow•on development will also

report to our editor so that pract1cal wings can bo offered to all.

DER

SEGELF'LUGEL (SAtLWING) BIPLANE

BY R. KE SI..E R

Jt. GG- rs APfROX, 1'Nl1ff

s- 4-72

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PLEASE REVIEW THE TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR STORY ON THIS SPECIAL HAPPENING. WATCH FOR LOVEJOY MACHINES IN L&S

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· A NEW Tl P

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OF c:o"Rs.e- 1T LL FLY \T 1-\ A'.;:) w I NGS f..11\S.t•.J'T IT

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