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  1. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    Sunset --> A good ride, but regrets. To our many followers, the American GEM Flight Training System organization has now officially closed. Due to a confluence of travel distances for leadership, medical issues, and just plain jobs and work, we simply do not have sufficient adult “manpower”...
  2. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    Agreed - an Ultrastar is less weight - we found what we could at lowest cost of acquisition.
  3. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    The American GEM team went to Kokomo IN - Grissom ARB - to show off GEM 1 and GEM 2. Note the longer wing on GEM 2 which is our primary "flyer". Second image shows GEM 1 and a clear view of the Plane-on-a-Post stand without the plane! Working on getting a set of useful drawings/parts list...
  4. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    Sorry for the delayed response. We have the American GEM balanced with about a 120 pound teenager. There area actually weights attached to the tail wheel unit to do this! Then we have a 10 pound "saddle bag" that slides along the boom to final adjust for heavier pilots. Can be seen in some photos.
  5. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    Part Number 1808010 Goose Neck Coupler Head - This is then built into a 2X8 8"square with a hole in the middle for the "dome" and a piece of 3" heavy Wall PVC that is carved to fit the upper tube of the KOLB. (I need to make a drawing of this!) 1" wide soft steel straps are shaped to fit the...
  6. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    And here is our American GEM video - high speed taxi, hopping, grass skimming, and then with a glider pilot - as the file size for the video is too large - PLEASE peek at our American GEM page on FaceBook. (Still have to learn how to use this forum system)
  7. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    And hers is our Any of the Kolb fleet would probably work well - having the strong top-of-frame tube is the key to mounting the trailer hitch type ball joint.
  8. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    The American GEM (Ground Effect Machine) version 2 [GEM II] has completed a rigorous series of taxi tests and ground skimming tests on hard surface and grass runway. We have a few minor improvements to make - padding on some cockpit rails, seat harness arrangement, and maybe longer gear or...
  9. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    The first step for youth in learning to aviate is to understand the interaction of moving air and the aircraft controls. Our American GEM PoP (Plane on a Post) helps get that understanding before actual taxi, hopping and grass skimming. (GEM = Ground Effect Machine) The series of photos show how...
  10. DBN

    American GEM - Youth Flight training System (from Lithuanian Youth Glider)

    The American GEM - Youth Flight Training System consists of: American GEM Ground Effect Machine ( hence GEM) glider, a Plane on a Post [PoP] Stationary trainer rig, powered ground tow line loop, ground school - and sortie by sortie flight plan for students, all of which fit easily into an...
  11. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    Because of the interest - I am starting a new thread American GEM Youth Flight Training System - Ground Effect Glider - Please watch for it! Thanks! (We start Ground flight testing on grass next week - weather permitting - photos soon!)
  12. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    This morning we got American GEM 1 out (Left #2 in the trailer) for a Fly-in Pancake breakfast - Westfield IN. Thank You EAA! Got several younger ones into the GEM for stick & rudder understanding. Did not do the PoP (Plane on a Post) as there was no breeze. Note the weight bag on the boom -...
  13. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    Our two American GEM's are now easily loaded and unloaded from the 22' trailer. Leaves us enough room in the front for the POP rig and all the ground tow line hardware. MIGHT allow for the ground tow line power unit as well, but that could sit in the pick-up truck or Van back space easily...
  14. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    Our team is now working on a modified scooter rig for our Spring (NOW! Yeah!) taxi and hopping testing. More on this as we make progress.
  15. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    Generally agree with your concerns - We too believe the communications are not instantaneous enough to make a hard connection work.
  16. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    If any of the viewers of this topic are in central Indiana - we are having a work day on Saturday the 3rd of April. Happy to have extra hands - Westfield airport north of Indianapolis. Photo of our American GEM and Kolb (now sold) at Westfield.
  17. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    The American GEM project team is in complete agreement with your thoughts! We selected the KOLB Firestar as the baseline airframe because it has folding wings that easily set up without a king post type system. We have a 20' trailer that carries TWO airframes, our Plane-on-a-Post [ PoP]...
  18. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    I believe the Glider you are referring to is the LAK-16 Photo attached with young pilot (10-11 year old) learning! The American GEM project in Indiana USA is trying to replicate this.
  19. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    The American GEM project actually looked at a sort of "slingshot" bungee system. We considered pulling the plane backwards with the small electric winch or golf cart, loading the student and releasing! Based on the students number of recent sorties and grade level, would start with a short pull...
  20. DBN

    US Youth glider program like the Lithuanian one

    We actually considered this sort of thing. Have a simple rig built, but we really like working on grass surfaces and not runways - so came back to the ground tow line concept to minimize grass "runway" damage.
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