A brief history of a few of the hang gliders and R/C sailplanes I've designed, built, test flown, etc.
Date(s): 1973 through 1982. Album by Aero92, NMERider. Photos by Aero92, NMERider. 1 - 41 of 41 Total. 1878 Visits.
1 1973 - 16' Kilbo Kite built from scratch using "True Flight" plans from Dave Kilborn. I under the glider and the late Phil Jones is standing by. We were 14/15-year old high school geometry classmates.
2 1974 - The phrunobulax was my first original hang glider design. Loosely based on Dave Kronk's wing. It used spoilerons for roll and turn control.
3 1975 - The Tempest was my 2nd original design. I buiilt it while working for Dan Johnson at Firecraft in Chicago. Inspired by the Princeton sailwing concept from Mike Markowski in Scientific American.
4 1975 - The Tempest being test flown at Mt. Trashmore in James Park, Evanston, IL.
5 1976 - I built the Dart in one night from the remnants of the Tempest. 30' wingspan. Very manueverable. Decent glide ratio depending on the airfoil.
6 1975 - 8' scale model of a 42' concept. It flew great! In early 1976 I built a 36' version with joystick billow shift and other features.
7 1976 - Me at 19 w/ my Hobbie Hawk @ Niles West High School athletic field. Skokie, IL "great! you are almost the sa..." View Comments...
8 1976 - Hobbie Hawk R/C sailplane on high start lauch. I loved this glider. I did a lot of thermalling with it. It was a joy to fly and tricky to land with no spoilers. "Jonathan,
The high ..." View Comments...
9 1976/7 - scale model of a double surface, strut braced topless hang glider. I built the full scale version which never flew.
10 1976/7 - double surface, strut braced, topless hang glider. Never flew due to divergent stability. Scraped the project.
11 ~1980 Saggitta 600 with my own wing design.
12 1983? Saggitta 900.
13 1984? Son of Monster Magnet. Original 2 meter electric sailplane.
14 1979 - White Tailed Dart v1. Test flights at Mt. Trashmore in James Park in Evanston, IL.
15 1979 White Tailed Dart v1
16 1979 - White Tailed Dart v1 flown by Larry Mansberger at Warren Dunes in Bridgeman, MI.
17 May, 1979 - White Tailed Dart v2 flown by yours truly at Warren Dunes. Note the cardboard V tail duct taped to the rear rigging.
18 5/1979 - White Tailed Dart v2
19 Panoramic view of WTD in flight
20 5/1979 - Warren Dunes, MI. Typical spring/summer day. I'm on top waiting to lauch.
21 White Tailed Dart v3. This was the best flying version before I rebuilt it.
22 White Tailed Dart v4. 34' span. Rebuilt from v3. Great potentional but was never fully developed.
23 1979 - White Tailed Dart v4 test flight at Mt. Thrashmore.
24 White Tailed Dart v4
25 White Tailed Dart v4
26 1981 - Moyes Mega II with Soarmaster power unit on landing approach in friend's backyard in Barrington, IL
27 At the point of no return. The neighbor's yard was much bigger but I just made my choice!
28 Final approach. Landing at dusk in high humidity. Stall speed had increased to 22 mph
29 I was heading straight for a thorny bush so dove at it.
30 I flared out just over the top of the bush
31 Landing at 22 mph I couldn't run out and had to let it roll out, stopping 3' from the property line hedges.
32 What a relief to have landed safely in a tight squeeze at dusk
33 That's Eddie who drove home and told his mom what I was about to do.
34 Me in my 'Eipper diaper'. Mosquitoes immediately began chowing down on me. Thanks to Midge Bohlke whereever you are for taking these!!!
35 4/7/08 - The venerable Swag-It Tool for Nicopress sleeves that I bought from Eipper-Formance in 1972 or 3. I built a lot of gliders with it and if I had kids, they'd inherit it one day. I just donated it to Ken de Russy for his museum.
36 1982 - Moyes Mega II, just before I sold it. This was my last hang glider. I had converted it to double surface at one point and it flew much better than stock. I had many wonderful flights along the Lake Michigan sand dunes from 1980 through 1982. "Where, while flying one day ..." "That was Larry Mansberger wh..." View Comments...
