Kenny,

I have access to SolidWorks I have modeled some ribs and the spar. It is hard to get the assembly to work out perfectly, as in I have not been able to get everything to fit together. I have not even started on the fuselage. I am not sure what the fuselage is doing for performance in the micro speed range. It looks cool and Jim's concept picture on the literature looked a lot lighter. Implementing the concept out of wood turned out to be harder and heavier. I followed the progress of the development and build, took vacation to go to Tehachapi CA and talk to Jim and look at the prototype. I was working in the filament winding advanced composites industry and flying hang gliders cross country. Seeing the prototype was a huge disappointment I was expecting to see a composite glider with a lot of carbon parts! All I could see was a big wooden glider that looked like it came out of the 40's and it was way over projected weight. I now know more about how the Skunk Works worked and have seen some early lifting body stuff under the skin. It was natural given Jim's background to make it look like a conventional sailplane but throws the foot launch static balance off. To me the Swift cage makes more sense and it would allow foot launch. Like a VJ-23 that you could recline in under the wing. The swift cage may be lighter than the wood fuselage. I flew an Ez-Riser for a while and flew a Magic IV hang glider 120 miles. Top end speed was a problem with the Ez-Riser with all the wires and round tubes. The Magic IV would go 50 mph with a decent glide and me in a pod harness. I like the 3 axis control and low sink rate rigid wing but would not mind sitting like a Super Floater a little in front or under the wing. I do not think the un-faired p[ilot would be much more drag at the slow thermalling speeds.

I have been working off of the 1/4 scale scanned pfd and using a steel scale to get non-dimensioned measurements. What kind of input files do you use? Solid models or centerline representations? Full sized plans would make accurate modeling a lot easier but the files I have may be close enough to do FEA on

Regards,

Charlie Johnson
Ogden, Ut

In a message dated 3/3/2012 8:18:36 A.M. Mountain Standard Time, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. writes:


I'm wishing someone would make them CAD files -- that way I could read them directly into the FEM building software I have. Else, I'll have to find time to do it, which means don't hold your breath! And changes for the increased pilot weight etc could be done electronically, which would be a MUCH better way to go about it...