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ARP wrote:Has any one tried launching a hang glider with a Cody type set of lifting kites?
The line is supported by a train of kites and the man-lifting kite runs up the line, on a pulley, to operational height.
The ascent and descent of the man-lifter could be controlled by the "pilot" changing the aoa of the lifting surface.
A hang glider could take the place of the man-lifter kite but could then release into free flight once the required height is acheived. Further launches could take place once the pulley drops down the line to the ground (a small droge chute slowing it's descent).
As long as the wind is strong enough the operation can continue at no cost and pollution free.
Tony
Your mentioned system is right on target! Many things to play with in your post. Let's develop it.
1. Precise answering on the specific Cody train for precisely lift and drop of a manned hang glider is not in my view yet.
2. A woman was lifted on the line of a Cody train of kites. She easily could have had with her a paraglider for dropping away into an opening and a paraglider flight.
3. We need not stay with Cody kites; we could go to Hargrave kites, to super Jalbert parafoil kites, to kytoons that stay up forever giving a permanent hook in the sky for launching HGs and PGs…and skydivers and batwinged fliers and Last Leapers (instead of using the Golden Gate bridge).
4. Once a skyhook is up, say permanently with a kytoon made of loss-less nanotech smart sheet, then all kinds of secondary methods of getting a hang glider up there for thermal-chasing altitude can be figured…wind or not. Low wind or strong wind.
5. Case study of the no wind scenario: With the kytoon up and the main kite system line now vertical, what do we do? How we get up that line to launch point? The answering of this can be in its own line of posts with a title.
6. Case: Moderate wind, but not enough to move a manned hang glider up the line. What do we do then? Answering this case can be in a titled post in this thread.
7. Case: As Arp presents…sufficient wind to sail the hang glider up an extant main kite line. The wind sets the lifter kite line at a downwind angle. The manned hang glider sails up the main kite line and release at will, perhaps when a thermal is sensed within reachable flight leg. Like water surfing…wait a bit, the wave will come?
8. Of course, if the wind is enough we are with the static or payout tow from a buddied system or an advanced self-soar fliking system that even retrieves all the tow equipment for use at the next flike stop.
9. The modelers and toy kite world send up model hang gliders up a main line regularly. They send up messages, seeds, water balloons, little model hang gliders, parachutes, lights. The situation is just a teasing scale thing.
10. Consider lifting the hang glider separately. Then as pilot-to-be, climb up the line to the HG or PG bag. Then hook in and go.
11. Consider using a second kite system or river-drogue or set of horses or buddies, etc. to lift you and HG from an already Kytooned pulley. The Kytoon is up forever. No wind. You and HG are on ground. The secondary lifting line is already through lofted-already pulley; there are two sections to the secondary line: you hook to the one section's end while the other end of the -through-pulley line is connected to buddies, horses, drogue chute set in a moving river, etc. …lifting force. As there is no wind, we do not have wind as a source in this scenario, but other no-fuel means may be used. Or solar-powered motor for the tug, etc.
12. In a prior note in this thread is the not-to-be-forgotten Space Elevator tether. Pilots with their HGs and PGs can be sent aloft the tether anchored in space. http://www.elevator2010.org/
13. A parachutist has been slung into the air for a launch, but this direction has lots of development left in it. Catapults of large size set via river or wind power could keep the g-force tolerable; sling the bagged pilot to altitude; open and catch the heat.
http://www.floridatoday.com/blogs/talkt ... 708047.gif
14. Design a pod holding you and your wing; the wing is in collapsed stow. Be on a rail. Shoot down the rail powered by the sun. The end of the rail is inclined. Get to speed enough to place you at thermal-catching altitude. Have your smart pod open to winging and off you go for a day of thermal chasing and sight seeing. Roll your pod to the bus. Get on the bus to downtown pod-start station; mount your pod to the underground vacuum tube; press-Go; you shoot off to the hinterlands to the grand EXIT; the exit door opens at the end of the inclined ramp and you bullet to the skies; at altitude you press: "Wing" and your smart nanotech-materialed wing opens and you are in business.
15. On the top of every skyscraper there ought to be a HG&PG launch ramp. And a huge store of ready wings for escape incase of riot or fire. Let's have flight parks on the roofs of every town's skyscraper. Put those roofs to some good use. Elevator up and off we go. $1 per launch? Let the building make a few bucks. Sell food at roof top Inn. Social point. Added bonus for being a building's tenant? What building is best situated for catching thermals?
16. Cannon launch
Cannon launch pilot inside of a streamlined pod; at altitude the pod itself opens to be the wings for our soaring flights. Power the cannon in various ways. 
http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/003746.html
17. Done, but more to explore…on balloon, kytoons, solar balloon sky hooks, long balloons set up in sky for HG resorts, clubhouse in the sky.
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraf ... alloon.jpg
18. Just bringing up for a pause:
http://www.williamolive.com/soliton/PK%20on%20roll%20cloud.jpg
http://www.williamolive.com/soliton/albums/morning-glory-26th/morning-glory-26.html#095
From:
http://spacemonitor.blogspot.com/2007/0 ... ystem.html
"Maglev technology, most known for propelling trains across Europe and Japan at great speeds, is being put to use for another purpose--launching satellites into orbit. Though this contract is only for launching satellites into orbit it is not too difficult to imagine the technology being used for eventually launching spaceships, cargo, and many other things into space." Why of course, HGs and PGs …bring it on.
"" “Maglifter,” a maglev launch assist vehicle originally proposed in the 1980s""::
http://www.physorg.com/news91272157.html
http://www.launchpnt.com/Space_Launch.32.0.html
http://www.wired.com/science/discoverie ... 9/10/31848
This thread is not much into putting damping notes from the real practical cost end of things; those matters can be handled in due course. Safety, communications with authorities, catastrophic measures, actual costs, maintenance, wear, etc. The environmental issues are important. But for now, until the brain weakens for the spark, those matters of sane judgement can be set for some other moment. Feasibility, practicality, real costing, …important, but to the side for some moments…
<hr>Slightly off this post's focus: Surf the frontal lift of a blimp.
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What would it take to have a ground space charged and have the hang glider and pilot similarly charged? Could one get launched? What dangers electrically might there be in such? 
