On Friday, January 16, 2015 at 12:45:58 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
...Or raise the lowers ala the Slingsby Vega tail wheel with a
mechanical linkage.* Of course, it should be simple to make the
linkage connect automagically during assembly.* Is it April 1 yet?


I thought it would make a good wing tip skid or with a small wheel fitted , a wing tip wheel, no?
Khanh



On 1/16/2015 6:42 AM,
wrote:



On Friday, January 16, 2015 at 7:10:17 AM UTC-5, wrote:


I started the split scimitar discussion as a bit of a joke, but as noted, when SWA is on board, this is serious.

I think that adapting SS winglets to gliders will require "retractability" for takeoffs or landings or we will be spending a lot of time and money repairing the fancy things. I'm sure someone with extensive modeling time can come up with a battery-powered RC motor that could lower the bottom blade after release and raise it before landing. Now all we need is someone from API to allow access to their patented technology so we can shape the new tips appropriately. (I knew I should have kept my wind tunnel.)

SF (Only sort of tongue-in-cheek)


Prior art: Peter Masak built and flew a set of similar split winglets over 20 years ago for his Nimbus.
Imagine- a landing gear position interlock that raises your hangie down things when the gear is down.
Before all this exotic and questionable "art" is applied to a glider, it would pay to have the best single element winglet. Many ships have winglets with significant improvement potential.
UH





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Dan Marotta