FRANCIS ROGALLO, "FATHER OF HANG GLIDING," DIES AT 97

May this aviation innovator rest in peace.



FRANCIS ROGALLO, "FATHER OF HANG GLIDING," DIES AT 97
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#201129)
Francis Rogallo, who patented a flexible wing design in 1948 that has
been credited with spurring the development of hang gliders, sport
parachutes, and ultralights, died at his home in North Carolina on
Sept. 1. In the 1950s, Rogallo and his wife, Gertrude, who was
credited as co-inventor of the wing, gave their patent to the
government and began a series of experiments with NASA, who renamed
the design the Parawing. The wing was tested at altitudes as high as
200,000 feet and as fast as Mach 3 to evaluate it as an alternative
recovery system for the Gemini space capsules and spent rocket stages.
NASA conducted test flights of a Parawing aircraft called the "flying
Jeep" and a weight-shift Parawing glider, both manned and unmanned. In
the 1960s, the Rogallo wing design was adopted by the hang-gliding
community. "Millions of people around the world have enjoyed flight as
a result of Rogallo's invention of the Flexible Wing," according to
the obituary published by the Rogallo Foundation
(http://www.rogallofoundation.org/).
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#201129

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(http://www.rogallofoundation.org/).
http://www.rogallofoundation.org/ima...is_Rogallo.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 2, 2009
Contact: John Harris
The Rogallo Foundation
252.441.1719, ext. 210

Beloved Father of Hang Gliding Dies at 97
(Francis Rogallo, 1912-2009)
Outer Banks, NC - Francis Rogallo, inventor of the flexible wing
passed away September 1st in Southern Shores, NC next to Kitty Hawk,
NC. Francis and Gertrude Rogallo invented the flexible or Rogallo wing
in 1948 which led to a genie’s bottle of flying machines and allowed
millions of people around the world to experience the joy of flight.
The invention led to the development of the hang glider, paraglider,
ultra lights (light sport aircraft), sport parachutes, delta kites,
stunt kites, parafoil kites, sport parachutes, and kiteboarding kites.
Francis Rogallo was born in Sanger, California on January 27, 1912. He
graduated from Stanford with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and
Aeronautics in 1935 during what is called the Golden Age of Aviation.
He joined the National Advis y Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), now
known as NASA in 1936 in Hampton, Virginia. Rogallo was responsible
for planning and supervising theoretical and experimental aerodynamic
research and airplane development. He managed the research for the
giant low speed air tunnel at NASA, and in addition to the “flexible
wing” he held patents on wing controls, slots, airfoils, target kites,
and advanced configurations for flexible wing vehicles.

In 1948, Francis and Gertrude Rogallo invented the flexible wing at
their home. Their dream was to build a wing that would allow
inexpensive personal flight. The couple experimented at home using a
homemade wind tunnel that was constructed from cardboard and a window
fan. The first successful prototype was made from Gertrude’s
kitchen curtains. The Rogallo wing is considered one of the simplest
airfoils ever created. A wing using the airfoil could be used to carry
payloads, tanks, jeeps, or pilot-control assemblies. For
years the couple tried ceaselessly to attract both government and
industry interest in their flexible wing, and they licensed a
manufacturer in Connecticut to sell a kite based on it.

When the DuPont Company announced the development of Mylar in 1952,
Rogallo immediately saw how superior it would be for his kite, and the
five-dollar toy “Flexikite” became one of the first products to use
the plastic material. The Rogallos found themselves traveling to
kiting events around the Northeast to fly and promote the toy.

It was on October 4, 1957 when the Russian Sputnik began beeping its
message from orbit that everything changed, and the space race caught
the imagination of the newly formed NASA. The Rogallos gave their
patent to the government so that it would be used for public good, and
with Francis Rogallo’s help at the wind tunnels, NASA began a
series of experiments testing the Parawing (NASA renamed the Rogallo
wing the Parawing. Modern hang glider pilots still refer to it as the
Rogallo wing). The wing was tested at altitudes as high as 200,000
feet and as fast as Mach 3 in order to evaluate it as an alternative
recovery system for the Gemini space capsules and spent rocket stages.
By 1960 NASA had already made test flights of a framed Parawing
powered aircraft called the “flying jeep” or Fleep and a weight shift
Parawing glider called Paresev that was both manned and unmanned.
In 1967 NASA stopped projects focused on the Parasev in favor of using
round parachutes. NASA was not in the business of applying Rogallo’s
family of airfoils to personal aircraft such as hang gliders and
powered light aircraft, however the technology used in the Paresev
series of aircraft provided all the fundamental mechanics that could
be simplified to create a lighter personal aircraft. The task of
modifying what the Paresev team had done with the Rogallo Wing was
taken up by independent designers around the world: Barry Palmer in
1961, Richard Miller, Thomas Purcell, and Australians John Dickenson,
Bill Moyes and Bill Bennet were among the first to tap into the
technology for manned personal-craft glider/kite use, also known as
hang gliding. As people became aware of the concept, the development
of a multifaceted line of flexible wings was developed including: the
hang glider, ultralight aircraft, paragliders and sport parachutes,
flexible wing kites or parafoils, delta kites, stunt kites, power
kites, kiteboarding kites and snow kites. Certainly new developments
will continue as the original ideas are mixed with the imagination and
dreams of future generations.

Mr. Rogallo has been recognized worldwide for his contributions to
sport aviation. He has been honored in Japan, Australia, Switzerland,
Germany and France for his contribution to personal flight and is
considered the Father of hang gliding around the world. Millions of
people around the world have enjoyed flight as a result of Rogallo’s
invention of the Flexible Wing.

In 1963 NASA awarded Mr. Rogallo the highest cash award to date for
his generosity of freely giving the government the use of his patents.
He was inducted into the NC Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, and on May
11,1997, the NASA Langley Research Center recognized Mr. Rogallo “for
(your) many contributions to flight”. Rogallo has also been recognized
by the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute “for
outstanding achievement in aerospace technology”.

The Rogallos indeed opened the genie’s bottle of personal flight
making it possible for all of us and many more around the world to
experience the joy of flight. Mr. Rogallo often commented, “that when
he was a young man, people (mostly kids) only flew kites in March, but
now all ages fly kites year round”.

Gertrude passed away on January 28, 2008, and Mr. Rogallo is survived
by his children, Marie “Bunny” R. Samuels, Robert S. Rogallo, Carol R.
Sparks, and Frances R. MacEachren.

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken hang gliding lessons in
Rogallo wing type hang gliders at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, an
enormous sand dune that is located five miles from the site of the
first powered aircraft flight. Mr. Rogallo was a frequent visitor
to the park, and was usually seen flying his red and white hang glider
in his 60’s and 70’s. He took his last hang gliding flight on his 80th
birthday.

In 1992 The Rogallo Foundation, a non-profit corporation was founded.
The mission of the Rogallo Foundation is to honor the Rogallos,
preserve their priceless records, artifacts and research, interpret
their incredible story, and protect the legacy of free flight. Each
year pioneering flexible wing contributors are inducted into the
Rogallo Foundation Hall of Fame. You can help this effort by joining
the Rogallo Foundation or making a donation to the Rogallo Foundation.
PO Box 1839, Nags Head, NC 27959. 252-441-1719, ext. 210. For more
information on the Rogallo Foundation visit rogallofoundation.org.
The funeral service for Francis Rogallo will be held at All Saints
Episcopal Church in Southern Shores, NC on Sunday, September 20, 2009
at 3:30 P.M. A kiting and hang gliding fun fly will be held in honor
of Mr. Rogallo at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC on
Sunday, September 20, 2009 from 10 A.M to 12 P.M