My Quest for Flight

[Willi Von Klugerman]

I at this point,am trying to achieve my dream of taking flight by building a glider.It is a project that I am proud to be doing and I hope it all goes well!

I recall myself attempting to achieve flight since I was about seven or eight years old.I remember placing a long block of wood between my bike frame,hoping that it would make me fly,only to find out that it was a useless idea.But I was young and would have never imagine knowing things like lift,power,stalls,ect.I abandoned trying to fly from that point on.It wasn't until early 2008 when I was in the 8th grade and was 15.

What sparked my interest at trying to achieve flight again was when I found out that a fellow school peer actually flew aircraft and flies a scarlet red fuselage Cessna and twin engines.I was envious that a boy that is about my age is doing such activities that I have been dreaming for years to do.I knew alot more information about flight than my early self so I had just the knowlege to do such thing.Unfortunetly I was too hasty and by April I slopily put pieces of would and a bed sheet and hammered it together without even bothering to be practical.Within a few days I devised a glider that screamed poor work and desperation.

It was a sorry excuse for a glider.It had no tail,the wood in various spots detatched from the nails,the fabric wasn't stiffened and wasn't fastened in some spots.In all,it was a failed attempt and it didn't lift me.Soon it was scrapped and only one pic exsist of the glider was a pic of the family cat and the glider is seen laying on the porch through the window.After that I layed back on the idea but still had high intentions in doing another project, thinking more carefully and practical.

Then about February of 2009 things started to spark again but this time it was devising both a design of my own aircraft and glider (as a back up project) with a retro-1900's aircraft design.After numerous sketches of various designs,enough to make a magazine,I came up with a type that is similar to a Bleriot XI but with some changes.But by Easter break I soon realized I wasn't thinking practical again when I visited a local hardwhare store and knew that building an aircraft was a project that is beyond my capabillities.

I got carried away with myself again,but I still had the thirst to fly.I then quickly went back to the glider idea.This time putting more thought into it and use Octave Chanutes glider as the basis for my design.By late May I started to build the glider and through out the summer.What is humbling about this project is the fact that Im building this during the 100th centenial of the decade of first flight and knowing that a hundred years from this day a person was doing the same thing I am doing.I hope to get it completed soon and make tethered tests and if it passes,I shall test it on a hill slope that is nearby from my house.

Maybe my age,my story,my ideas,and my projects gives me the title of a pioneer aviator.

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Heres some pics of the progress on the bottom wing!

[Varese2002]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

I-----
I got carried away with myself again,but I still had the thirst to fly.I then quickly went back to the glider idea.This time putting more thought into it and use Octave Chanutes glider as the basis for my design.----

A brave choice Willi, but which Chanute glider do you use as a pattern. I guess it will be the 1896 biplane glider with side curtains. The multiplane wing gliders of Chanute are presumably a bridge too far

Cheers

Kees

[Willi Von Klugerman]

The multiplane wing gliders of Chanute are presumably a bridge too far

ObviouslyPlus the multi winger didn't perform well.

This is the design Im going for

[Terrencejones]

Hi Willi,
Great project but I dont think a Chanute type glider is the best way to go.
You would probably be better with a Cayley, much safer, and in keeping with the type you could always get someone else to test it for you

Good luck mate
Terry

PS. Seriously though, dont go leaping off any high places with a Chanute glider, they were crap!

[Varese2002]

Crap ? I think the Chanute (-Herring) gliders belonged to the state-of-the-art gliders of 1890-1900. Octave Chanute and his companions were wise enough not to start testing the machines from high cliffs and that sort of things. They started with low hops as most pioneers would have done.

The Chanute Triplane might be a good build too and it could fly



Cheers

Kees

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Im not crazy,I know better than to jump off from high ground or buildings
Its going to be from a slope (much like the height of the hill where they tested those Chanute Gliders).To me Im satisfied with just seven-ten
second flights.I understand the need to land bum first
BTW,those wooden beams you see under the glider in the fhe first pic is what keeps the frame proped up.

[Terrencejones]

Sorry Kees, crap is indeed an unfair description of Chanutes work. I had visions of the intrepid Willi doing some "Tower jumping" which he clearly doesn't have in mind to do. According to Charles H. Gibbs Smith (The invention of the Aeroplane 1799-1909) Chanutes only major technical contribution to aviation was his excellent bridge-truss method of rigging a biplane. He was of course a follower of Lilienthal who killed himself along with a number of other followers which gave me concerns for young Willi. However Willi has done his homework (which I have now ) as the biplane he is making made some 700 safe flights and was in fact the most successful glider prior to the Wright brothers. A number of successful replicas have already been made and there should be no reason why there shouldn't another.

Willi,
I'm fascinated with this project of yours. Is there any way you can film your progress and put it on YouTube?

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Hmmm,I don't have the equipment to film anything at this point but I'll surely have someone take a pic of it during tests and actual flight.What kind of material do I need to make the fabric stiff?

[Varese2002]

Originally Posted by Terrencejones

----According to Charles H. Gibbs Smith (The invention of the Aeroplane 1799-1909) Chanutes only major technical contribution to aviation was his excellent bridge-truss method of rigging a biplane. ---

In his later book 'Aviation - an historical survey from its origins to the end of the Second World War' (edition 2003 Science Museum) Gibbs-Smith allotted three pages of text to Chanute (pp. 99 - 102). In this pages it is quoted that

Chanute introduced the excellent "Pratt-truss" method of rigging his multiplanes.

As Chanute was a civil engineer he knew about the construction of bridges, where in 1844 Thomas and Caleb Pratt invented a construction of a bridge with vertical members and diagonals that slope down towards the center. He probably used this invention for the strong (and light) construction of wings.

Included is a 1904 US Patent of Chanute for a means for aerial flight. The sketch of the plane is very close to the biplane glider built by Willi.

Cheers

Kees