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Old August 25th 06, 07:23 PM posted to rec.aviation.homebuilt
wright1902glider
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Posts: 132
Default Electric motor for hang glider

45 kg of batteries alone? What would the total weight of the system
be?

I'm thinking you are going to quickly run out of wing options. I hook
in at 210 lbs. (94kg) and have flown a Wills Wing Falcon 209 & 229 (sq
ft of wing). My glide ratios from a 65 ft training hill were about 7:1
for the 209, and 8:1 for the 229. With an extra 90 lbs of motor and
batteries, you'll need a much larger wing. I havn't researched the
subject in a while, but most of the available wing designs have an
upper hook-in weight of 250 lbs (111kg). And most HG pilots fly a much
smaller wing (150-175 sq ft) since they mountain or tow launch.

Assuming you / your market will buy a wing sized to fly with power,
then a tandem training wing should work. I don't remember exactly, but
I believe I did my tandem training in a Wills Wing Condor.

Now here's another problem. Your wing will need to lift you and the
powerplant at a speed slower than you can run with the glider,
powerplant, harness, and any other gear resting on your shoulders. I
can make launch runs at about 10 mph. Any faster, and the glider will
likely pitch over and nose-plant itself. That ain't fun. Trust me, I've
done it once or twice and narrowly avoided broken bones. Otherwise,
you're talking about some sort of wheel launch.

I meant to ask you in the last post, are you currently an HG pilot? If
so, where from and what rating do you hold? If not, are there any
schools near you? Even an introductory weedend of foot-launching would
shed a lot of light on the piloting aspects of the issue.

Harry Frey
USHPGA #79944
Kicenuik Batso
Frey Stormy Petrel 2, 2a, & 3
Wills Wing Falcon 209 & 229
Wills Wing Condor
Wright 1902 glider