On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:57:56 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Sep 20, 7:47*am, "Vaughn Simon"
wrote:


For several reasons, I don't think primary gliders should have any role in
initial flight training (a good subject for another thread)
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Dear Vaughn,

Thank you for posting the URL of the strut-braced primary glider.
This is nearly an exact copy of the primary whose drawings I will
post... as soon as I find them :-)

But my view of who should be flying the thing is diametrically opposed
to yours. I want to get youngsters into the air as early -- and as
often -- as possible. By using ballast weights we should be able to
launch everyone, right down to nine year olds. With foot restraints,
shoulder harness and a hard-hat, there's virtually no combination of
attitude & altitude that could result in injury to the pilot. Indeed,
I would like to see a 'work-up' system, where the builders earn
'Flying Points' by working on the construction of the glider. In the
same way, once it its built, the 'Bungee Crew' earns 'Flying Points'
by stretching-out the bungees. Points may also be earned by returning
the glider to the launch point and doing maintenance. (I was allowed
to wash & wax wings. Didja know Primary Gliders have HUGE wings? :-)

Give a kid a task, you'd be surprised how well they do WITHOUT any
intervention from us know-it-all adults.

-R.S. Hoover

opinion without direct experience thankfully.
my read of primary gliders years ago was that they fell out of favour
because of spinal injuries on hard landings.
now these days we have polystyrene in blocks which is one of the most
useful el cheapo spinal protection systems on the planet.
you simply make the seat out of a big block of the stuff and hotwire
the seat profile to something comfortable.
you could hotwire each kid his/her own seat base and velcro it in
place. if the ballast to make each pilot weight constant was
incorporated at the very base of this block it would make a pretty
good spinal protection system.

these days as well we should be able to find an aerofoil with decent
characteristics and a docile stall break.

I'm not averse to Bob's line of thinking here. My original exposure to
the Primary Glider design was in an old book "The Model Aircraft Book"
by F.J.Camm the editor of 'Practical mechanics'
this details a number of designs from around 1935 and ends with a full
writeup and construction plans of a Zoegling type primary glider by
"E.W.T"

btw Bob I went out to the workshop and had a look for the book in the
middle of typing this. it sits here beside me. if you want I can scan
the 28 pages of the complete building article and email them over to
you.

btw the most perfect glider approach and landing I've ever watched was
completed by a little redheaded 17 year old girl in an air cadets
camp. she was flying the club puchatec solo, bought it in absolutely
wings level, rumbled the wheel on and came to a stop still wings level
then just slowly sat a wingtip down. when she hopped out and rose to
her full height she was only 4'8". what a little dynamo.

there is plenty of evidence that these ideas can work. those air cadet
camps used to solo between 10 and 30 kids every season.

Stealth Pilot