Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Carbon Coolness....
Here are some pictures of carbon fiber. You’re probably thinking that of all the things I could write about I chose carbon. But this is really cool. Look closer at the pictures. One has a 90 degree weave and the other is 60 degrees. The latter is a relatively new product and York used it for the first time on my new winglets (sorry, no pictures just yet).
A little dig here….Hey Bruno….remember I was first.
Think about it, if you use a 90 degree weave you would have to lay alternate layers at various angles to achieve the same results as the 60 degree weave. Plus, it is much easier to wrap around compound curves. See, I told you it was cool.
A little dig here….Hey Bruno….remember I was first.
Think about it, if you use a 90 degree weave you would have to lay alternate layers at various angles to achieve the same results as the 60 degree weave. Plus, it is much easier to wrap around compound curves. See, I told you it was cool.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
We Could Go There....If We Really Wanted To
The 60’s were bad; civil unrest, Viet Nam, the height of the Cold War, and the list goes on. But through it all we caught hold of a vision that was greater than ourselves. Nothing since then has matched the drive and determination that Americans showed by reaching the moon, not once, but many times.Now that Obama has canceled the Ares program we may never see this kind of picture again. We have lost our vision. We have no national goal or objective. We are a nation without a cause.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
One of the best moments of summer
Winter is a great time to remember summer. As I was looking over my log book for the past soaring season I thought about a few flights that really stood out. The best two flights were cross country, one in the Grob with York Zentner at the Logan contest and the other was with Lynn Alley in his Duo Discus (scroll down and read "Flying the Duo Discus"). I realized that I never wrote about this extraordinary day.
Lynn called me the night before and asked if I wanted to fly with him. Note: When Lynn calls just clear your schedule. You don't want to miss an opportunity to fly with him. Later I found out that he called York first, but York said "Take Warren". The next day came all too slowly.
As we prepared the Duo Discus I felt an excitement that I really can't quantify. In soaring every flight is different and you never know precisely what the conditions will allow. Lynn outlined what he wanted to do for the day. He would attempt (again) a speed record from Morgan to Kings Peak to Heber and back to Morgan, a task he has tried many times.
The excitement builds as we towed the plane down to the north end of the runway. I'm like a little kid, giggling inside, but I try to restrain my outward appearance. As I get in the plane I reacquaint myself with the very cozy front seat. I hear the drone of the tow plane as it makes our way toward us. Lynn connects the tow rope, climbs in and says, "You have the controls". Once again I get to handle this lovely plane.
Lynn called me the night before and asked if I wanted to fly with him. Note: When Lynn calls just clear your schedule. You don't want to miss an opportunity to fly with him. Later I found out that he called York first, but York said "Take Warren". The next day came all too slowly.
As we prepared the Duo Discus I felt an excitement that I really can't quantify. In soaring every flight is different and you never know precisely what the conditions will allow. Lynn outlined what he wanted to do for the day. He would attempt (again) a speed record from Morgan to Kings Peak to Heber and back to Morgan, a task he has tried many times.
The excitement builds as we towed the plane down to the north end of the runway. I'm like a little kid, giggling inside, but I try to restrain my outward appearance. As I get in the plane I reacquaint myself with the very cozy front seat. I hear the drone of the tow plane as it makes our way toward us. Lynn connects the tow rope, climbs in and says, "You have the controls". Once again I get to handle this lovely plane.
As we roll down the runway it all seems so effortless. Those 20 meter wings take so little to fly. I hear Lynn calmly giving me instructions and in no time we are off the ground. As with other flights, once I get past 200 feet I usually take a big breath (or let out the one I've been holding for the last few minutes) and relax as I follow the tow plane.
We were cruising along not really feeling much lift when all of the sudden my thoughts were shaken back to reality by a "POP", then the tow rope disappears from view. This was an eye-opener for me as I like being in a thermal when I release, but Lynn has the confidence and knows the area well enough that he knows where to be for the lift. Sure enough, moments later we are climbing in gentle lift.
Lynn makes a calculated decision to leave the lift, dash back over to the airport which is the start point on the computer, and then dash back to where the lift was to gain more altitude so we can get going on the first leg. I was a little leery because we were about 7 or 8 miles from the airport, but everything worked out great.
Back in the lift we shot up to 12,000 feet and then headed towards Evanston, Wyoming, all the time checking the flight computer to ensure we had enough altitude to get back to Morgan.
We were cruising along not really feeling much lift when all of the sudden my thoughts were shaken back to reality by a "POP", then the tow rope disappears from view. This was an eye-opener for me as I like being in a thermal when I release, but Lynn has the confidence and knows the area well enough that he knows where to be for the lift. Sure enough, moments later we are climbing in gentle lift.
Lynn makes a calculated decision to leave the lift, dash back over to the airport which is the start point on the computer, and then dash back to where the lift was to gain more altitude so we can get going on the first leg. I was a little leery because we were about 7 or 8 miles from the airport, but everything worked out great.
Back in the lift we shot up to 12,000 feet and then headed towards Evanston, Wyoming, all the time checking the flight computer to ensure we had enough altitude to get back to Morgan.
The views were extraordinary. The cumulus were building over the Uintah mountains and it looked to be a spectacular day. Once past Evanston our eyes were fixed in the direction of Kings Peak, but some of the cumulus clouds were overdeveloping. Lynn, being cautious and wanting to keep all options open decided not to pursue Kings Peak, rather, we would turn southwest and head towards Heber and Strawberry reservoir.
It was interesting to note the location of the lift under the clouds. The wind was from the southwest and the strongest portion of the lift was not directly under the cloud as one would assume, but was on the southwest edge of the cumulus. Several thermals proved this and I made a mental note.
Finally, we were over Daniel's Summit near Strawberry reservoir and approaching 18,000 feet. Up to that point I had flown possibly a third of the flight. Lynn said, "Okay Warren, take us home." There was smoke from wildfires in California that obstructed my view of our home airport. The flight computer indicated about 70 miles. Had we really gotten that far away? I put my trust in the instruments and flew a straight line.
Now it was a time to relax. The computer said we had 5,000 more feet than we needed. So for the next 35-40 minutes was spent looking out the canopy and enjoying the view.
When we were over the Morgan airport we had so much altitude that we decided to keep flying north. We were adjacent to James Peak by Powder Mountain when Lynn made a call for a 180 degree turn and we headed home. Still, we were really high, at least 2,000 feet over glide slope. It's nice to have that kind of altitude in the bank. Then Lynn decided to make a withdrawal. "Let's do some Chandelle's and wing overs!" After a few heart-stopping, stomach-bending maneuvers he said, "You have the controls." The pattern and landing went great.
It was interesting to note the location of the lift under the clouds. The wind was from the southwest and the strongest portion of the lift was not directly under the cloud as one would assume, but was on the southwest edge of the cumulus. Several thermals proved this and I made a mental note.
Finally, we were over Daniel's Summit near Strawberry reservoir and approaching 18,000 feet. Up to that point I had flown possibly a third of the flight. Lynn said, "Okay Warren, take us home." There was smoke from wildfires in California that obstructed my view of our home airport. The flight computer indicated about 70 miles. Had we really gotten that far away? I put my trust in the instruments and flew a straight line.
Now it was a time to relax. The computer said we had 5,000 more feet than we needed. So for the next 35-40 minutes was spent looking out the canopy and enjoying the view.
When we were over the Morgan airport we had so much altitude that we decided to keep flying north. We were adjacent to James Peak by Powder Mountain when Lynn made a call for a 180 degree turn and we headed home. Still, we were really high, at least 2,000 feet over glide slope. It's nice to have that kind of altitude in the bank. Then Lynn decided to make a withdrawal. "Let's do some Chandelle's and wing overs!" After a few heart-stopping, stomach-bending maneuvers he said, "You have the controls." The pattern and landing went great.
Once on the ground I asked Lynn how long we had flown. Thinking it was about 2 1/2 hours I was stunned when he said, 4 hours 14 minutes. Time really does fly!!!!
There is huge difference between flying and soaring. For most people flying is about getting to a destination by the use of thrust or horsepower. Soaring is about HOW you get to a destination and the satisfaction of achieving your goal by the use of your incredible flying machine and your wits.
There is huge difference between flying and soaring. For most people flying is about getting to a destination by the use of thrust or horsepower. Soaring is about HOW you get to a destination and the satisfaction of achieving your goal by the use of your incredible flying machine and your wits.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Winglets for the Epic
Stay tuned... the Epic flies with its new winglets on December 28, 2009. A report will follow.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Soaring in the Alps....
You just gotta see this cool video.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO6GJLDqnYY
Sunday, December 6, 2009
New pictures added....
If you look at the slideshow on the right you'll see the Pik-20 getting a new paint job just before I sent it to a new home in Kansas.
Catchup (not ketchup) Time
I can tell there's not a lot of activity on my blog because no one is reminding me to keep it updated. I have been pretty slow, but finally decided to at least write a few things and post some pictures.The above picture was taken in August (I told you I was slow) just after York Zentner and I finished a 4 plus hour flight at the contest in Logan, Utah. It was my first cross country flight and it was a lot of fun. We didn't set any records but we made it to 16,000 feet and finished the course.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wow! What a video!!!!!
Bruno does it again. Check out http://phoebus.vassel.com/ and click on the video "Ridge Run North of Logan, Utah". Stunning!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
"G" does not stand for glider...
This is a replica of the wings worn by glider pilots of World War II. One pilot of that era remarked, "The G doesn't stand for glider, it stands for guts." Considering the plywood contraptions they flew, and the conditions which they flew in, I would say that he is most certainly correct!
People say the darndest things:
I have been asked many times by the curious and unknowing, "How can you land a plane without an engine?" For the life of me, I can't understand how to land a plane with one.
I have also been asked "Why don't you wear a parachute?" It's not required I replied. But what if you crash? Then I guess I don't need it, do I?
One day I hope to fly powered planes. During my training it would be my supreme joy to cut short my pattern, kill the engine, and perform an unpowered slip to landing, all just to see if my instructor raises an eyebrow.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tail Mount Camera...
Check out my friend flying his glider with a camera mounted on the tail. http://phoebus.vassel.com/
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Greenbird...Part aeroplane, part sailboat, part Formula One car
March 29, 2009 With a wind speed of just 30mph (48kmh), British engineer Richard Jenkins has set a new land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle at blistering 126.1mph. Driving the Ecotricity sponsored all carbon fiber land yacht Greenbird across the Ivanpah dry lake bed on the Nevada / California border Jenkins eclipsed the previous benchmark set a decade ago by American Bob Schumacher by almost 10 mph. It also continued a the rivalry between Britain and the United States for setting speed records that dates to the 1920s, when Sir Malcolm Campbell set several records on land and sea.
The Greenbird team were on stand-by in September 2008 at Lake Lefroy in Western Australia but were unable to run due to unseasonal rain. Jenkins has been chasing his dream of setting the record for 10 years and Greenbird is the fifth version of of the land yacht Jenkins originally called Windjet but renamed in a nod to Bluebird, the record-setting racers Britain's Donal Campbell drove in the 1950s and '60s.
The Greenbird is a 600 kg carbon fiber composite vehicle that uses wind (and nothing else) for power. The only steel in the vehicle is the wheel bearings and bearings used to make the vehicle steerable. The land yacht is a very high performance sailboat that uses a solid wing, rather than a sail, to generate movement. The aerodynamic design and light weight allows the vehicle to achieve speeds three to five times faster than the wind speed thanks to a phenomenon known as ‘apparent wind’.
For an example of apparent wind, imagine you are riding your bicycle on a completely calm day with no wind. You can feel wind on your face and it feels stronger as you pedal faster. That is because as you move forward, the motion creates its own wind. Now imagine you are riding your bicycle but there is a strong breeze coming at you from the right. This natural wind is called "true wind". When you add this side wind to the cycle ride, the wind the rider feels is now somewhere between the true wind (from the side) and the man made wind (from ahead). This resultant wind is know as the ‘apparent wind’ and will have a speed and apparent wind angle, measured from the direction of travel to the apparent wind angle.
Iron Duck, the previous record holder driven by American Bob Schumacher was a similar design and the record was set at the same location. The primary difference between the two is that where Greenbird is all carbon fiber the Iron Duck was steel framed with foam and fibreglass fairings.
Richard Jenkins also has an ice version of the Greenbird so the next challenge is to settle the debate about whether traveling on ice or land will be faster.
Paul Evans
The Greenbird team were on stand-by in September 2008 at Lake Lefroy in Western Australia but were unable to run due to unseasonal rain. Jenkins has been chasing his dream of setting the record for 10 years and Greenbird is the fifth version of of the land yacht Jenkins originally called Windjet but renamed in a nod to Bluebird, the record-setting racers Britain's Donal Campbell drove in the 1950s and '60s.
The Greenbird is a 600 kg carbon fiber composite vehicle that uses wind (and nothing else) for power. The only steel in the vehicle is the wheel bearings and bearings used to make the vehicle steerable. The land yacht is a very high performance sailboat that uses a solid wing, rather than a sail, to generate movement. The aerodynamic design and light weight allows the vehicle to achieve speeds three to five times faster than the wind speed thanks to a phenomenon known as ‘apparent wind’.
For an example of apparent wind, imagine you are riding your bicycle on a completely calm day with no wind. You can feel wind on your face and it feels stronger as you pedal faster. That is because as you move forward, the motion creates its own wind. Now imagine you are riding your bicycle but there is a strong breeze coming at you from the right. This natural wind is called "true wind". When you add this side wind to the cycle ride, the wind the rider feels is now somewhere between the true wind (from the side) and the man made wind (from ahead). This resultant wind is know as the ‘apparent wind’ and will have a speed and apparent wind angle, measured from the direction of travel to the apparent wind angle.
Iron Duck, the previous record holder driven by American Bob Schumacher was a similar design and the record was set at the same location. The primary difference between the two is that where Greenbird is all carbon fiber the Iron Duck was steel framed with foam and fibreglass fairings.
Richard Jenkins also has an ice version of the Greenbird so the next challenge is to settle the debate about whether traveling on ice or land will be faster.
Paul Evans
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Lenticular...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Lake Effect Snow
Once in a while, when conditions are just right, we get a good storm that really dumps on us. Today was one of those days, 14 inches of wet snow. We've had a few good storms lately and in the past week we got 32 inches. Global warming? I think not. (click on picture to see a larger version) Saturday, January 3, 2009
Flying in the dead of winter...
I got to experience a soaring simulator called Condor. My friend, Bruno, has been talking up this program for a year or so. Now I know why. Not only is it quite a bit like flying my own plane, I was able to fly along with other pilots...online. Very cool.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
It's been a long time...
...since I've shot a large caliber hunting rifle. Okay, I know there are bigger calibers but a .30-06 is big for me. 12 shots and 12 holes, all from 100 yards. It's a start. On the drive home I was wondering when I've shot last. About four years ago I shot about 30 rounds of .22. Fourteen years ago I borrowed a .243 from a friend; one shot and I brought a deer home. Twenty-seven years ago I bought a Remington .308 and only shot it a few times. So you see, I have very little experience. Must shoot more.
1 Jan 2009
The New Year has finally arrived. And what do have to look forward to? " Obama-tics". On a brighter note there is quiche in the oven and black eyed peas in the crock pot. I think I'll go sight in my rifle. It's going to be a good day.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A Disappointed American
America...you have just made the biggest mistake. You have just voted for socialism by buying in to the "redistribution of wealth". You have voted for higher taxes, larger welfare rolls, bigger government, regulated business. Things will not get better. They will get worse.
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