Flytec
Wills Wing

Oz Report

Volume 15, Number 18
Wednesday, January 26 2011
Stanwell Park, New South Wales, Australia
https://OzReport.com
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

to Table of Contentsto next topic Slide show (power point presentation) of the Australian Morning Glory

Wed, Jan 26 2011, 9:04:51 am AEDT
Like when Jonny was playing with it

Dutcher Sterling|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|picture

http://www.powerpointspowerpoints.com/powerpoints/Curiosos/Gloria_matutina.pps

Thanks to Dutcher

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to Table of Contentsto next topic What can be learned from this "scooter" towing accident?

Wed, Jan 26 2011, 9:05:31 am AEDT
Weak link at the end of a tow line with a barrel type release?

scooter tow|accident

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=20529

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to Table of Contentsto next topic A paraglider pilot spotted the body (two years ago)

Wed, Jan 26 2011, 9:05:57 am AEDT
Now a $30,000 reward

death|PG

A pilot writes:

A paragliding instructor flying over the area found her.  The reward is new news but the death goes back about two years.  http://morristown.patch.com/articles/30000-reward-for-information-on-jody-rilee-wilsons-death-4

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to Table of Contentsto next topic Flying a 2005 Moyes Litespeed S4

Wed, Jan 26 2011, 9:06:18 am AEDT
It's my own damn fault

Belinda Boulter|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr

After the Forbes Flatlands I needed to come up with a different glider as the one I was renting was about to go to its new owner.  Jonny said that I could have his, the glider he had been flying at Forbes (and in the pre-Worlds in Italy). The glider was stacked on an SUV parked down the street from the Vandenberg hotel (Forbes Flatlands headquarters). I parked my rental car next to it and transferred the glider from his car to mine, as Jonny continued to win at pool in the pub.

It turned out that I had taken the wrong glider.  It was the glider than Dave Shields flew in the Forbes meet.  Instead of a newish Litespeed RS 3.5, it was an older Litespeed S 4. But by the time Jonny found out that I had taken the wrong glider (I hadn't relized it yet), he was in Sydney and I was in Mt. Beauty eight hours away one way.  So I was stuck with a glider whose size I wasn't completely happy about.

The RS 3.5 has a sail area of 147 sq ft and a span of 33.7 ft (http://www.moyes.com.au/productdetail.asp?id=115&pg=38&cat=). The S 4 has a sail area of 151 sq ft and a span of 32.8 ft (http://www.moyes.com.au/productdetail.asp?id=104&pg=2&cat=). So more sail area but less span than the RS 3.5.

After flying it and comparing it with the RS 3.5, I don't feel that the S 4 is the glider for me (I weigh in at 175 pounds or 80 kilos, with hook in weight of 210 pounds or 95 kilos) , at least not this one.  Who knows how these things vary from individual glider to individual glider.  And of course, we have to take into consideration the actual conditions that differed between the two flying areas - Forbes and Mt. Beauty/Bright.

My first flight on the S 4 was without distinction.  All of the competitors landed in the bomb out zone at the bottom of Mystic hill.  I came into land in the field that is well known for its turbulence.  As soon as I rocked up I knew I was in trouble as I had not pulled on the VG and I had to really stand on the base tube to keep the nose down (not with my feet). I already knew from my experiences landing the RS 3.5, that you really needed to have the the VG 1/3rd or 1/2 on to reduce the bar pressure for landing.

With the VG almost all the way off as soon as I lifted my left hand up to the left down tube, pressing down on the base tube with my right hand, the glider's nose came up and the glider stalled off to the left.  I took out a down tube.  Thankfully Olli, who had already landed, had a spare at home and Belinda went with him to pick it up while I broke down the glider for another ride to the top.

I didn't have any other broken down tubes landing the S 4 during the Bogong Cup, even in that same field a few more times.  With the VG on I was able to keep the nose down and keep the glider from stalling (in whatever turbulence I experienced later). But I still found the S 4 relatively more difficult to land than other gliders.

Now, I also had trouble landing the RS 3.5 especially at first.  Since I transition from one glider to another during the year I often notice that I have to relearn how to land each time and each different glider has different landing characteristics.  My mind has to reset itself for landing each time I switch.

Overall I'd say that these two Litespeeds were relatively difficult to land when compared with other gliders.  Topless gliders are not known to be especially forgiving on landings, requiring lots of pilot attention.  Of course, you are always welcome to blame the pilot, and you can do that in this case also.

BTW, you'll notice that Jonny comes into land on the base tube prone close to the ground.  I'll rock up at about ten feet off the ground but keep my hands on the base tube until about three or four feet above the ground.  Jonny, being prone and on the base tube will have more control of the glider and by not rocking up until the last second will have much less chance of stalling the glider.

Of course, it must be said that other pilots find the RS 3.5 and the S 4 quite easy to land.

In the air, the S 4 felt "too big" to me. By too big I mean that it was relatively difficult to initiate into a turn, and at times felt that it was tossing me about rather than me throwing it about.  I prefer a glider that seems to be under my control.  Right away I was less willing to put the glider close to the hillside than I would be otherwise.

Now, I had been flying the RS 3.5 in Forbes and I mentioned how smooth the thermals were there.  The thermals were not nearly as smooth at the Bogong Cup.  So I am not comparing the RS 3.5 and the S 4 incomparable conditions.  The thermals were often weak and broken during the Bogong Cup and there was trashy air due to the topography.  On two days I decided to land early because I didn't feel comfortable in the air.

No one likes to admit that they landed because they couldn't handle the conditions.  I do so basically because of my commitment to the truth here at the Oz Report.  But, the truth is hard to get at.  Was the glider at fault for my feelings about the conditions?  Was it the conditions?  Was it just me? Maybe some of each.

On one day in weak conditions I was able to fly the glider and enjoy it and myself over the flats.  The lift was weak and broken but I was not being tossed about.  It was pleasant being in the air.

Overall I'd say that the RS 3.5 had better handling than the S 4 (the ones that I flew) despite the greater span.  I felt more in control of it.

I mentioned (http://ozreport.com/15.006#4) how I found that the RS 3.5 had a sweet spot at full VG and that I was naturally inclined to go right to that sweet spot with the easy to pull VG line.  This did not seem to be the case with the S 4 that I was flying.  It was much more pleasant to fly with as much VG as possible, but unlike the RS 3.5 I didn't feel that I was encouraged by the glider to yank on that VG and get it fully tight.  It was more work to do so and the glider just didn't settle down in that position.  Maybe because the conditions required me to keep taking the VG off and putting it back on. I do have a well developed callus between my thumb and forefinger.

I would say that one just doesn't want to fly the RS 3.5 or the S 4 with the VG rope off.  Even when you are thermaling.  They are difficult to control with the VG off.  I let it off often to get the best climb rates, but just as often I would thermal with the VG on for more control.

The S 4 I was flying had an aero aluminum base tube instead of a carbon fiber one.  I missed the carbon fiber version with my tennis racket wrap on it. I fly with fingerless cycling gloves (to feel the connection between me and the glider) and it's nice to have the extra grip of the wrap.

I can only report my personal experiences with these gliders and you can see all the qualifiers that I have included in my descriptions.  I have no idea if my experiences would correspond in any way to the ones that you might have.  Perhaps some will think that I shouldn't say anything if I can't say something definitive and universal (and nice), but few of us have anything beyond our personal experiences to share and if more than a few of us share them, maybe we can have a better picture of whatever the actual reality is (or maybe I can flush out a more "objective" view by publishing mine).

My wing loading: RS 3.5 = 1.93 lbs/sq ft. S 4 = 1.88 lbs/ sq ft.

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The Oz Report, a near-daily, world wide hang gliding news ezine, with reports on competitions, pilot rankings, political issues, fly-ins, the latest technology, ultralight sailplanes, reader feedback and anything else from within the global HG community worthy of coverage. Hang gliding, paragliding, hang gliders, paragliders, aerotowing, hang glide, paraglide, platform towing, competitions, fly-ins. Hang gliding and paragliding news from around the world, by Davis Straub.

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