Recent content by PazHeping

I had already planned on testing with a tether, at the beginning at least. Thank you for your ideas. The bigger picture here is finding a way to get more youth involved in aviation. When a kid is zipping along at 6 feet about the ground, racing with her friends like on a BMX or a 125cc...

A wing in ground effect falls under maritime law. It is considered a boat. Crazy huh? https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=wig Not that I won’t arouse attention, it’s just that the gray areas that exists will keep me on the ‘right‘ side of the law as long as I operate safely and no one gets...

I agree with you 100%. One of the reasons I built my wing ribs first is to learn if I can’t build those, then I can’t build and airplane. Another super wise piece of advice I have listened to is ‘don’t buy your power plant until your fire wall is done.‘ And ,,,, ‘do you want to fly or build?’...

Thank you for this. I read the book on the gossamer albatross and condor. Fascinating aircraft. Skinned with double stick tape and Mylar. They made the spar by wrapping an aluminum tube in Carbon tape and after it cured dissolved the inner aluminum tube with swimming pool acid. Far out. I have...

Yeah. But isn’t that the point? You need to be comfortable with horizons being ‘non earthly’ if you would like to venture into the poetic world that the original post implies.

Here is a paper from NASA that analyzed ion wind propulsion. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20100000021 TLDR; not really. if you are talking about a xenon ion engine then no. The grid disassociates the ion from the ‘circuit’ so it can shoot out the nozzle. I believe you would have to re...

Yes, I know this picture. While the main lifting wing is in ground effect, the horizontal stabilizer is not. In my extensive analysis, you want pitch stability in the ground effect regime as well. Some of the massive soviet Ektaplans use canard for pitch stability and it’s what’s needed for the...

Yes, I have a model...as mentioned before I’m running an arduino with a 6050 IMU. It’s working as a servo controller right now for flaperon stability only and is a baseline for establishing level flight. Currently the model is non flying but it is stand alone and fairly robust. It is based on a...

Hi All, I am working on a wing in ground effect racer. I’m a glider pilot with an engineering background. I want to create a very small very simple craft that will operate in the ground effect regime. Think pod racer from the Star Wars prequels. Most simply it’s a single wing in back that will...

The thought that came to me was: the horizon being pulled out from under me.

Hello All, I’m working on a wing in ground effect racer that will use electric power. Think surfboard sized wings on a BMX. The idea is short races almost track sprints but with a very small vehicle with a wing in ground effect. Propulsion is dual ducted fan or prop in a tractor position. You...