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Air & Space
Features the LightHawk
"a little Lift" by Paul Ciotti
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The
April/May 2005 issue of Air & Space contains an article on
micro-lift and dynamic soaring. This outstanding article was
written by Paul Ciotti which features the LightHawk in the opening
paragraph and throughout the article. In addition to Danny
Howell, many other pioneers in this emerging field are mentioned:
Paul
MacCready
Jim
Maupin
Dan
Armstrong
Gary
Osoba
Les
King
Steve
Arndt
Not
mentioned in the article was famed wing designer the late Irv Culver.
In a
recent phone call with me, Danny Howell described the demonstration
flight by test pilot Galen Fisher in the LightHawk for the Air
& Space
article. Fisher was at 200 feet and close to making a decision to
land when he noticed a Raven circling. He joined the Raven in a
very weak thermal and eventually reached an altitude over 8,000 feet.
In just about any other sailplane, Galen would have had to land.
The
Air & Space article contains several dramatic illustrations
demonstrating the various techniques to gain altitude and/or energy
including following micro-strings of lift. The LightHawk meets
all of the technological break-throughs required to exploit lift
opportunities under marginal conditions. As Danny has described
to me in several phone calls and at the recent SSA convention in
Memphis, these break-throughs include: large wing span, excellent
controllability at low Reynolds numbers, very slow
thermalling speed (thus, a very small thermal circle), extremely low
weight and design to accept high G loads (Danny, "This is not an
eggshell."). You can find one or two of these features in several
sailplanes ... but not all in the same sailplane.
To
accomplish the goals of the LightHawk project, the wing design is very
complex, as Mark Stucky stated in the Oz Report, "The LightHawk looks
incredible, it is a series of beautiful curving arcs -- there isn't a
straight line on the glider anywhere."
In
our soaring community, there are many niches (high speed racers,
floaters, club ships, one-design contest ships and more). Danny
Howell expects the "corner" in which the LightHawk exists will become
more popular.
For a Back Issue containing the above article click on:
or write:
John O’Hare … Attn:
Back Issues
Air & Space
Magazine
420 Lexington Ave.
Suite 2335
New York, NY, 10170
Attn: Back Issues
For domestic
residents, back issues are $7.00 each postpaid
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