How to build a home made glider?

How to build a home made glider?

Answer #1

I would not recommend it, for safety reasons:

the past, the Hang Gliding community has seen a few new glider designs that ACTUALLY FLEW RATHER WELL, but they had some hidden flaw.

Any new design might :

  • refuse to pull out of a dive,
  • refuse to recover from a slipping turn,
  • flip repeatedly like a tossed Venetian-blind slat,
  • tuck,
  • refuse to turn,
  • turn the wrong direction (adverse yaw),
  • refuse to stop turning (a spiral dive, into the dirt),
  • refuse to fly fast (high speed is vital, if the wind increases),
  • refuse to fly slowly (to launch and land, how fast can you run, really?)
  • or break structurally.

Any of the problems above may be concealed at low speeds or shallow bank angles, but then suddenly appear, beyond some certain number. That home-made glider that felt so safe and responsive on the beginners’ slopes may one day surprise you very badly, when the air demands more of it than you ever dreamed was required. I certainly hope that you then have a parachute, and the time, altitude, and skill needed to deploy it.

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