Oz Report

Draft version Wallaby Open turnpoints

These are not official and probably won’t be complete as there is currently a move to add about ten more, including new goal fields.  You can find them at:

www.davisstraub.com/Glide/draft2002WallabyOpen.sa8

The format works with G7toWin and Street Atlas (6.0 and above, at least).

Discuss "Draft version Wallaby Open turnpoints" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Brauniger Galileo

Flugelectronic GmbH

Flugelectronic GmbH|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann

Bräuniger Flugelectronic GmbH «info» responds to questions published in the last Oz Report:

Beside our free PC-GRAPH 2000 software (which is a very simple program), we are in contact with SeeYou to make it compatible with the Galileo.  Also Ernst Lehmann is designing new logging software.  (Later we will document these in our manual.)

“What type of total energy compensation it uses.  I assume it picks up from the pitot speed sensor?”

This is correct, we use the Pitot signal.

(editor’s note: Initially the Galileo will only be available with metric units (m/s, etc.). Later, but not too much later, they will have a Galileo available that will do both sets of units.)

Discuss "Brauniger Galileo" at the Oz Report forum   link»

The other screw

photo|record

John "Ole" Olson|photo|record

(?-i)John "Ole" Olson|photo|record

John "Ole" Olson|photo|record

Almond, Neville «neville.almond» writes:

We too in theUKsuffer from widespread use of those crap doggy tie downs.  For the 'Big fat Record camp' in Spain this year (at Zapata style encampment in Spain, one of Europes XC havens, see http://mysite.freeserve.com/BIGFATaerotow - see photos of screws there) we are looking for a suitable screw down for our tugs & gliders.  We managed to locate a good item sourced from Oz, but it worked out to be too expensive.

Now we have THE item.  It's called the 'Wormi', and is a 12" 'Screw' (just like a big woodscrew, but with a uniform thread), with a large hex nut on the end, with a hole drilled thru it. There two options, one is a hard plastic moulding (known as the 'sandwurm', approx $6), and another stronger one in cast aluminuim (known as the 'Super', approx $11).

I'd recommend the ally one, although the plastic one would probably do the job.  Certainly, the plastic one is more cost-effective for (secondary) wingtip ties, assuming a primary (ally) one anchors the hang strap.  Prices above are in US Dollars.

See www.wurmi.co.uk for more (pictures, etc). They do mail order.

I've obtained some, and believe me they are the ultimate in screw-in's!. The distributor was keen to know how I got on with them, as he says he's had loads of interest from the field of aviation (mainly for tying aircraft down). They were originally intended for caravans & big tents, etc.

Discuss "The other screw" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Rigid wing data base

Well it’s hard to get this information from the manufacturers who treat it as a trade secret.  We believe that customers have a right to know and thankfully Jim Zeiset is about to get all the information.  Jim «JimZgreen» writes:

Have been working 16 hr. days for the last ten days and am finally caught up. I have an ATOS, ESC and Ex set up in my hanger.  Trying to get Bob Lowe's GB over here too.  I'll be photographing and measuring sweep, dihedral, twist, taper ratio and "D/C". Will send it along as soon as available.

I’m happy to see that Jim’s business has picked up and look forward to seeing the numbers.  I’ll share with Oz Report readers as soon as Jim makes them available.  I’ve asked him to measure the balance point also.  We should compare the balance point to the range of hang points.

Discuss "Rigid wing data base" at the Oz Report forum   link»

New Rotor harness

carbon fiber|Larry Jorgensen|Paris Williams|Rhett Radford|Wallaby Ranch

Carlos Bessa from Wallaby Ranch just came back from the Nationals in Brazilwere he did very well and with a new harness from Nene Rotor.  Carlos, after hearing about my tuck and fast descent rate, decided to fly with two parachutes.  BTW, Paris Williams, who has had to throw his chute, also flies with two parachutes.  Last time I checked, so did Larry Jorgensen, who also has thrown his chute.  Do I detect a pattern here?

None-the-less, Carlos looks like a pregnant guppy with two chutes, but they conform very nicely when he tucks his elbows.  His harness has white Mylar on the top and a new black material on the sides:

You’ll notice how smooth it is. Like the Moyes Matrix there are pockets in the inside of the sides that allow you to place you bags in there to contour the harness behind the parachutes.

Most of these side mounted harnesses have covered pockets on the side opposite the parachute.  Carlos has his radio up inside in a pocket near his shoulder.

The back plate has been changed to widen out near the shoulders and the ends of the back plate curve down to go around the shoulders.  You’ll notice in the details shot that a zipper is used to close off the parachute pocket, similar to that used on the Moyes Matrix.

All the buckles are inside and the bottom buckle uses the Tenax system.  The top buckle is padded on the inside.

Carlos was also using a specially designed speed bar shown here (just sitting on top of the regular base bar.)

Apparently a number of pilots in Brazilhave attempted to copy this design, but failed because they used only carbon fiber and not carbon and chrome moly steel.  Rhett Radford designed and built this speed bar to allow Carlos to old the bar at his chest while racing into goal while other pilots had to hold the bar at their waists.  The angles of the bar give him substantial side to side leverage.

Discuss "New Rotor harness" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Fixed Rotor backplate

Tryg Hoff

Tryg Hoff «tryghoff» writes:

I know the world is waiting anxiously to see Tommy's fixed backplate to his harness so I won't keep you guys hanging in suspense.  Here's a picture.

Discuss "Fixed Rotor backplate" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Superfloater fixes

Dave Broyles|Hal Hayden|Max Broadway|PG|sailplane

Max Broadway «maxb» writes:

As a former sailplane pilot now into hang gliding, I have been reading with interest the discussions on the superfloater.  Would that I could have a test fly!  However, I digress.

Prior to gliding days, I used to motorcycle a fair bit.  After a few hours "in the saddle", the seat foam of the Yamaha I was then riding would compress solid, and at that point I'd have been just as comfortable sitting on a solid steel beam for all the cushioning from road shocks it provided.  I noted that, once I started flying sailplanes, the same would occur.

Seats in the IS28's I flew for nigh on 10 years were made of the same poly foam as on my motorbike, and the ex-armchair cushions provided by the gliding club to alter pilot positioning were of the same kind.  I am fairly short for a bloke at 5' 7", and nearly always had to rely on extra foam to reach the glider rudder pedals.

Initially, it was fine, but 2 hours in the seat and it was Numb Bum for sure!  However, some pilots began to realise that the risk was greater than just Numb Bum - there is also potential risk of spinal damage from the deadly combination of fully compressed foam and a hard landing.  I understand paraglider pilots may also suffer the same risk.

At that point, confor foam was often promoted, and offered a solution to the problem.  See: http://www.seatfoam.com/prod01.htm for more info.  Perhaps this is similar to the hi-tec "dynafoam" Nick quoted, or the Temper/Astronaut foam mentioned by Steve in issue 55 of your report?

I know from seeing samples that confor foam comes in differing densities which could be utilised to maintain seat cushion thickness for differing pilots, and this also may be a useful characteristic for maintaining C of G on superfloaters and the like.

Hal Hayden «hal» writes:

Dave Broyles is right - the Superfloater flies very much like an ultralight taildragger.  He allowed me to fly one of his soon after he got two of them in 1995 nearAustin and it was a blast.  It was a very light late winter afternoon and I was truck-towed to about 1200 feet.  I felt comfortable both on tow and after release.  The SF felt very secure and predictable and I was able to crank it right around to work the small weak thermals that day.  Landing was straightforward, too.  (I did have quite a bit of 3 axis time, including sailplanes.)

Now that I have some land with a runway and hanger, I am considering adding a SuperFloater to my flying toy collection.  Are they still being made?  Probably not.  I'll have to start looking for nice second-hand one.

Oz Report list serve

Want to discuss something you've read in the Oz Report with other readers?  You can sign up to the Oz Report mailing list server at: «Oz_Report-subscribe» or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oz_Report or click picture below..

Often an Oz Report article will prompt discussions on the hang gliding or rigid wing lists, and I'm not trying to stop those avenues of discussion.  It's just that you now have another option.

When you want to respond to an article write to: «Oz_Report»

Discuss "Superfloater fixes" at the Oz Report forum   link»