When will one show at Dockweiler?

[Frank Colver]

When will a Miller (Richard) diffuser tip glider show at Dockweiler?

What was the theory behind the diffuser tip? How was this nearly straight wing pitch stable? Note the dual triangle bar. Safe splat?

This looks like a good candidate for a 5' packed HG. However, I don't think weight shift would do much for turning since it's a rigid wing.

Location: Vineyard Rd. "water tank hill", San Marcos, CA

Frank Colver

Miller diffuser tip HG.jpg (292.46 KiB) Viewed 8701 times

Diffuser Tip wing in flight.jpg (203.34 KiB) Viewed 8701 times

I only saw it at the hill once and that may have been the only time it was flown.

[SamKellner]

Frank,

Thanks for posting this history.

[brianscharp]

Bob Trampenau's SUNSEED



http://seedwings.com/index.php?option=c ... &Itemid=64

The Sunseed flying wing

Rigid wing hang gliders are a bridge in the gap between sailplanes and flex wing hang gliders. The original Sunseed weighed only 55 pounds and might not have passed HGMA airworthiness loads tests today, but the third prototype however was noticeably stronger than the first prototype flown. A rigid wing with a king post and wires is the least expensive, lightest weight just like that of king posted flex wings. The current market for rigid wings however, is predominated by topless and cantilevered configurations where as the market for flex wings utilizes both. The Sunseed was from an era where king posted rigid wings were popular mainly because flex wing performance was less at that time and it was seen as a means to higher performance. Even though estimating the Sunseed's glide ratio at 14 to 1, it was easy to see in the mid-70s that flex wing development would surpass the performance of king posted rigid wings with all those tubes and wires.

[Frank Colver]

As I recall, Bob Trampenau assisted Miller with the diffuser tip wing. I actually think that is Bob flying it in my photo but I didn't say so because I'm not sure.

I remember that Bob and I were flying that hill on the same day, at least once, maybe more, so that very well may have been that day. Richard would always let me know when he knew that a HG flyer, from another area, was coming to visit him and go to that hill.

Here are a couple of photos taken from that hill. One on the same day as the diffuser tip wing photos (nov '76) and the other in Feb 2012.

Frank

Vineyard Rd Hill flying Nov -76 R.jpg (304.37 KiB) Viewed 8673 times

Vineyard Rd hill Feb - 12 R.jpg (397.51 KiB) Viewed 8673 times

[brianscharp]

Nice photos Frank, and a cool looking wing. Thanks for the story behind them.

[Bill Cummings]

Just like the north side bench on POM UT

H-6 RLF.JPG (55.56 KiB) Viewed 8651 times

[Bob Kuczewski]

H-6 RLF         

Can we reduce that to an H-5.9 RLF if the garage door is open?     

[Bill Cummings]

Only if both cars are gone.

[JoeF]

Something close to this will probably show at Dockweiler
some day ...

[JoeF]

Something close to this will probably show at Dockweiler
some day ...