| View previous topic :: View next topic |
|
Khalesh
3 thumbs up
Joined: 12 Jun 2011
Posts: 59
Location: Portland, Oregon
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:11 pm Post subject: Size of hang gliders, advantages and disadvantages |
 #1 |
It appears to me that most hang glider pilots want to fit into the least sq ft hg possible. I would think that the smaller you go the more lift you give up especially in light winds but you gain more control/maneuverability & speed?
Looking to hear some thoughts on this |
|
|
|
Jason
3 thumbs up
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 7531
Location: Stapleton, Colorado
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: Size of hang gliders, advantages and disadvantages |
#2 |
| Khalesh wrote: |
It appears to me that most hang glider pilots want to fit into the least sq ft hg possible. I would think that the smaller you go the more lift you give up especially in light winds but you gain more control/maneuverability & speed?
Looking to hear some thoughts on this |
I like small gliders.....easier and less tiring to control, the do fly and sink a *little* faster....but on any good day the the advantage in handling i think is worth it
that being said.....I have been known to fly my tandem glider solo, at 230 sqft I have seen it at 15 mph indicated without stalling, its mind numbingly slow solo, but can turn very tight without any fear of tip stalling
_________________
TSA, DHS, NDAA and SOPA Seig Heil! |
|
|
|
peanuts
3 thumbs up
Joined: 08 Jul 2008
Posts: 1880
Location: virginia
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:38 pm Post subject: |
#3 |
is there a difference in "glider size" and "wing loading"???  |
|
|
|
michael170
1 thumbs up
Joined: 25 Mar 2012
Posts: 141
Location: norcal
|
|
|
|
Suneagle
3 thumbs up
Joined: 29 Feb 2012
Posts: 185
Location: Australia
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:59 pm Post subject: |
#5 |
Being on the upper weight limit will help when you have a headwind task and in strong conditions you'll gain speed regardless of wind direction or strength.
In light conditions a low wing loading is an advantage.
For XC a light wing loading can sometimes be an advantage if you are going downwind and you're not in a hurry or racing the sun.
Fly the glider size to suit your purpose. Horses for courses.
_________________
Member of the old farts brigade: Simply sublime supine and peace of mind.
1980 - Present: McDonald Eagle 5,Moyes:- Mega 2, Meteor, GT, GTR, Xtralite, Lightspeed, Malibu.
Extassy, Airwave Magic III, Vision 5
Airborne:- trikes x 2, C4. Currently flying a REV.
Plus a whole bunch of Paragliders 2008 - 2011
Member: Canungra Hang Gliding Club - Gold Coast, Australia. |
|
|
|
Mavi Gogun
1 thumbs up
Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Posts: 973
Location: Istanbul (not Constantinople)
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:38 pm Post subject: |
#6 |
| Suneagle wrote: |
| Fly the glider size to suit your purpose. |
For any pilot, that should be a size that doesn't limit your development. Too large a kite may radically shrink safe flying conditions for any pilot- but especially for low air time pilots. A relatively small kite will mean insensitivity and blasting through light lift- and, again, slower development. For most pilots who would ask the question, the answer is to fly a glider for which you are close to the optimal center of the designated weight range. The decision to fly light or heavy requires judgment born of experience- and you can't cheat experience. |
|
|
|
blindrodie
3 thumbs up
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
Posts: 3751
Location: Roeland Park, KS
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:10 am Post subject: |
#7 |
I'm at 187 pounds in my flying cloths. Hook-in at 210. My U2 145 fly's VERY well.
Light bar pressure. Lands as easy as my Falcon 195. It was an easy choice
to give up light day advantages. That's what my Falcon is for!
_________________
"Tow me up. I'll find my way down"
Kansas City Hang Glider Supplies
Guggenmos E7
WW U2 145
WW F1 195
FlyTec 6015
CG 1000
Tracer Plus
Organ Donor
Torrey Hawk #212 |
|
|
|
HangDog
3 thumbs up
Joined: 08 Aug 2008
Posts: 1485
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 4:03 pm Post subject: |
#8 |
What would you guys say to someone weighing in at 215 body weight flying a Falcon 3 195 ?
Here's the specs of the Falcon 3 195:
_________________
 |
|
|
|
over50
Joined: 03 Jun 2012
Posts: 49
Location: germany-bayern-südost
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:14 am Post subject: |
#9 |
Today often HGs are in two sizes; for example: seedwings space 14 and 16 qm, like a "small" and a "large" - size.
But what, if you'r inbetween: If you are not 60 kg or not 90 kg, but in the middle, which one ... ? Has somone here got - no matter which model - got both sizes: one for light days and one for the windy ones?
Johannes |
|
|
|
Mavi Gogun
1 thumbs up
Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Posts: 973
Location: Istanbul (not Constantinople)
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 2:56 am Post subject: |
#10 |
| HangDog wrote: |
| What would you guys say to someone weighing in at 215 body weight flying a Falcon 3 195 ? |
I think you'll have plenty of authority, but not so buoyant. With a tandem glider you'll be flying light. The question is: are you 215 pounds of muscle? Without knowing you, I'd recommend the 195 over a tandem (better on the heavy side of the weight range, rather than outside and light)- and loose 10 pounds of something besides muscle. 
| over50 wrote: |
| But what, if you'r inbetween: If you are not 60 kg or not 90 kg, but in the middle, which one ... ? [/b] |
This depends on the pilot, again: if you are a competent, athletic pilot, fly the greatest span you can handle and ballast-up. Why? 'Cuz best glide improves with span. Of course, if you aren't an athlete, you'll be the larger wing's b****. Control always comes first- not glide, not sink rate -control. Remember, nothing maters as much as launching and landing; being super buoyant under a huge sail sucks when trying to land mid-day in instability, when the wing suddenly demands to point toward the tree/powerline/traffic/mother-in-law. |
|
|
|
red
3 thumbs up
Joined: 13 Aug 2007
Posts: 2730
Location: Utah, USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sol III
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 6:41 am Post subject: Size of hang gliders, advantages and disadvantages |
#11 |
| over50 wrote: |
Today often HGs are in two sizes; for example: seedwings space 14 and 16 qm, like a "small" and a "large" - size.
But what, if you'r inbetween: If you are not 60 kg or not 90 kg, but in the middle, which one ... ? Has somone here got - no matter which model - got both sizes: one for light days and one for the windy ones?
Johannes |
Johannes,
I'd never buy two of the same model, in different sizes. Given the money and the patience, what I do is to buy one glider that is known as a "fun-floater," and later, one known for speed. Trying to buy one glider to fit all needs is always a compromise, and you do not get the best of either situation. I recommend getting the slow, easy, fun-to-fly glider to start, even knowing that on some strong-wind days, you will not get to fly it.
As your skills increase, just wait a while, and you will find the right fast glider to complete your "quiver." Then like any good archer, you pull out the two-feathers for power or distance, and the three-feathers for accuracy.
The Brits might say, "match the horse to the course."
You can generally find very good prices on little-used "advanced" gliders, where the pilot has bought more glider than they can handle. I do not recommend rushing to buy an advanced glider, before you have a lot of good experience on your "entry-level" glider. Even when you do "move up," if you need to sell the slow glider, you should keep the slow glider for a while, anyway. Then there is no pressure to fly the advanced glider in a challenging situation, before you have confidence in your skills with the advanced glider.
_________________
Cheers,
........Red.........................
Pssst! New pilot? Free advice, maybe worth the price,
http://www.xmission.com/~red/
H4, Moyes X2, Falcon Tandem, HES Tracer, Quantum |
|
|
|
over50
Joined: 03 Jun 2012
Posts: 49
Location: germany-bayern-südost
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:56 pm Post subject: |
#12 |
Dear red,
thank you for your helpful link under your signature - it's really worth the (free!) price - even if your native language isn't mine.
Johannes |
|
|
|
red
3 thumbs up
Joined: 13 Aug 2007
Posts: 2730
Location: Utah, USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sol III
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:21 am Post subject: Size of hang gliders, advantages and disadvantages |
#13 |
| over50 wrote: |
Dear red,
thank you for your helpful link under your signature - it's really worth the (free!) price - even if your native language isn't mine.
Johannes |
Johannes,
"What do you call a guy who only speaks one language?" American . . . 
Here are two websites, offering a "machine translation" of entire web pages. For English, the results are fair, or at least understandable. The Internet offers several such "machine-based" services, and some commercial software packages, You may wish to find better translator machines there, too. I am certain that some of my little jokes will not translate well.
Linked below here, GoogleTranslate does a fair job at translating languages. The MicrosoftTranslator once was BabelFish, which was rather capable, also. I have not tried the MicrosoftTranslator since it took over the operations of BabelFish. Good luck!
http://translate.google.com
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/
_________________
Cheers,
........Red.........................
Pssst! New pilot? Free advice, maybe worth the price,
http://www.xmission.com/~red/
H4, Moyes X2, Falcon Tandem, HES Tracer, Quantum |
|
|
|
over50
Joined: 03 Jun 2012
Posts: 49
Location: germany-bayern-südost
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:32 pm Post subject: |
#14 |
Yes, Red,
I actually use/need the google translater: it offers a wide range of german versions; but really not always it's "hanggliding compatible" - then fantasy is required, but that doesn't matter.
Johannes |
|
|
|
jj colorado
3 thumbs up
Joined: 23 Apr 2009
Posts: 217
Location: Colorado
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:08 am Post subject: |
#15 |
| HangDog wrote: |
| What would you guys say to someone weighing in at 215 body weight flying a Falcon 3 195 ? |
I'd say, "Have fun."
215 is in the "optimal weight" category. It would be optimial for that wing.
They handle great and can work light lift very well. They also set up and take down very quickly.
_________________
jj
H3 - U2 160, Falcon3 195
P2 - BuzzZ4 |
|
|
|
HangDog
3 thumbs up
Joined: 08 Aug 2008
Posts: 1485
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:35 pm Post subject: |
#16 |
| jj colorado wrote: |
| HangDog wrote: |
| What would you guys say to someone weighing in at 215 body weight flying a Falcon 3 195 ? |
I'd say, "Have fun."
215 is in the "optimal weight" category. It would be optimial for that wing.
They handle great and can work light lift very well. They also set up and take down very quickly. |
Oh I am very familiar with the Falcon. I've got over 63 hours on my old Mark IV-19 double surface when I was flying in Utah and did all my training on falcons and had some good time on soaring up in Georgia too on the falcons but then I had my crash in Utah and had to stop flying for a while.
Since then I put on a few pounds so I was wondering about buying a Falcon 3 with my added weight. I was 195 back then but now I'm at 215 and was curious about the Falcon with my new weight and also because a falcon is priced low based on other wings out there which are averaging around 4.5 grand on up for the same type of single surface.
Prices have really gone up now on gliders like Malibu's, Fun's and so on but Falcons are a lot cheaper and would seem the way to go to get back on my feet again or should I say in the air again.
Thanks
~A~
_________________
|
|
|
|
|
Unanswered
Highest rated...
Topics
