#Rigid wing hang glider plans series

By the way, Star Trek fans might be surprised to learn that Volmer built the Enterprise model used in the original series. A 28-page brochure is available (10 US for 7 aircraft, offshore add 4.00 US) from: Volmer Aircraft Box 5222 Glendale CA 91201 (818) 247-8718. The wing frame was constructed in-house using carbon fibre spars, polystyrene foam ribs and mylar film covering. Plans for the VJ-23 & 24 are available for 125 and 100 respectively. The final configuration featured rigid wings with winglets joining the wing tips, and joined to an A-frame worn by the pilot. (A contemporary hang glider would typically have of up to 14m wing span.) The wing span was reduced in order to keep the overall weight down, since it was proposed that the pilot would balance the rigid wings on himself while being attached to a harness.

The technical challenge and objective was to produce a good gliding performance while limiting the wing span to only 9m. All crafts fly from Bognor Pier, with only a few metres runway before take-off. The International Bognor Birdman competition is an ideal platform to test this, offering a trophy prize for the longest distance or a cash prize for distances over 100m.

#Rigid wing hang glider plans series

With this innovative rigid wing hang glider he researched the possibility of manned flight, propelled purely by the human power means available to a single pilot. Surprisingly, what really launched the powered ultralight aviation movement in the United States was not the Rogallo flexible wing but a whole series of rigid. He also oversaw prototype construction and conducted flight tests as the pilot of this craft.

Chris Hornzee-Jones designed the concept through to the aerodynamic and structural engineering.