On Friday, February 7, 2014 4:42:47 PM UTC-8, wrote:
On Monday, February 3, 2014 5:42:26 AM UTC-8, Stephen Michalik wrote:
Saw this on the OZ report... seem applicable to gliders!
http://www.designfax.net/cms/dfx/ope...earticle&pn=03
I could see a pilot throw a line out with 50 of these on/inside a flying tube that recharges a battery in 10 or 15 minutes. Reel the line back in and store for the next recharge. Especially when flying wave eh?
S9
I have a thought, I'm speaking from an airline pilot point of view and low-time glider pilot with only a smidgen amount of aerodynamic knowledge. But why not take the ADG (air deployed generator) that they use on some Jets, like the DC-10 etc and make something you can deploy with a handle (like for example a sustainer engine type thing but much smaller of course) which could be raised (or lowered ) into the slipstream to charge batteries when altitude or speed is not an issue - lots of excess altitude and airspeed, popping thermals but dead or soon to die batteries. Somebody could design something light-weight with an easily installed mechanism (on the belly or top aft of the canopy) that can be retracted with sealed doors.
Here's an article on a similar concept
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...983673,d .cGU
Craig
7Q