Bille Floyd
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2019
- Messages
- 1,221
The VTX will be a motor glider soon ; first step was to find the
exact CG , that I liked , with the pilot onboard.
I test flew the machine at Torrey Pines Ca . The wind was 12 to 14-mph
from the West . It was perhaps not the best conditions , for a test
flight ; but the glider got me up over all the Paragliders , and the
altimeter red 1,100' ASL , (Torrey 's cliff is 312', vertical).
OMG what an Awesome glider ; but the entire flight was mostly dwelling about
the landing, and with good reason . After overshooting the normal landing
spot near the cliff edge ; I opted to head back to the East end of the old
sailplane runway , where a 13 or so floor building now sets . From 300'
AGL over the cliff , and a tail wind with lift from the hot dirt ; I got to that building
about 1/4 mile away from the cliff edge ; with enough altitude to gain 10' altitude
from the ridge-lift off that building.
I left the building from the 3rd floor , and headed
West to land , and ate up 1/2 that 1/4 mile runway , before setting down.
Next flight was with thermals at Crestline in Ca ; 3500 ft vertical Mt , and
a foot launch.
Yea I was nervous about setting down a landing, on a 2 acre field that had
a 1/2 mile open space for the approach. That 2 acre field looks way bigger
on all the other hang gliders I ever flew ; 19.5 : 1 L/D made it look smaller ! LOL
Thermaling a 49.5' glider , made entering a small thermal much different ; I
had to first bank 20-deg and only do 1/2 the 360 in the lift , then add another
20 to 25-deg bank angle to fit the glider into a bullet thermal , but even at a 45-deg
bank angle the vario sang like an opera singer , and it would lift faster than
the Paraglider in the gaggle above me , (they scattered like flies , when i went through them)
This machine is going to make a Great motor-glider !!
Adjusting batten tension to get rid of wrinkles on the sail ; is about all i need to
do to improve performance , (other than learning how to fly it) !!!!!
I now have a Lot of composite work to do to turn it into a motorglider with a ( hopefully)
28:1 L/D , that has a Good range , with 3 gallons of gas.
Bille
exact CG , that I liked , with the pilot onboard.
I test flew the machine at Torrey Pines Ca . The wind was 12 to 14-mph
from the West . It was perhaps not the best conditions , for a test
flight ; but the glider got me up over all the Paragliders , and the
altimeter red 1,100' ASL , (Torrey 's cliff is 312', vertical).
OMG what an Awesome glider ; but the entire flight was mostly dwelling about
the landing, and with good reason . After overshooting the normal landing
spot near the cliff edge ; I opted to head back to the East end of the old
sailplane runway , where a 13 or so floor building now sets . From 300'
AGL over the cliff , and a tail wind with lift from the hot dirt ; I got to that building
about 1/4 mile away from the cliff edge ; with enough altitude to gain 10' altitude
from the ridge-lift off that building.
I left the building from the 3rd floor , and headed
West to land , and ate up 1/2 that 1/4 mile runway , before setting down.
Next flight was with thermals at Crestline in Ca ; 3500 ft vertical Mt , and
a foot launch.
Yea I was nervous about setting down a landing, on a 2 acre field that had
a 1/2 mile open space for the approach. That 2 acre field looks way bigger
on all the other hang gliders I ever flew ; 19.5 : 1 L/D made it look smaller ! LOL
Thermaling a 49.5' glider , made entering a small thermal much different ; I
had to first bank 20-deg and only do 1/2 the 360 in the lift , then add another
20 to 25-deg bank angle to fit the glider into a bullet thermal , but even at a 45-deg
bank angle the vario sang like an opera singer , and it would lift faster than
the Paraglider in the gaggle above me , (they scattered like flies , when i went through them)
This machine is going to make a Great motor-glider !!
Adjusting batten tension to get rid of wrinkles on the sail ; is about all i need to
do to improve performance , (other than learning how to fly it) !!!!!
I now have a Lot of composite work to do to turn it into a motorglider with a ( hopefully)
28:1 L/D , that has a Good range , with 3 gallons of gas.
Bille
