Installing Hang Gliding Display at Curtiss Museum

[wingspan33]

Hello Everybody,

Today a hang glider pilot friend of mine Jeff Ingersoll and I began work toward creating a hang gliding display at the Glen Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY. I took a couple pictures today of us making a standard hang glider look like the sail is actually in flight mode - with the sail inflated - while it is statically suspended from the ceiling. Tomorrow (10/23/19) we will continue with our work. That includes putting a dummy in the seated harness of the standard. We will also be installing a more modern double surface glider with a dummy flying in the prone position. I'll be doing my best to photo document the process as we move along. It's a bit late tonight to put up the two photos I took today. But added to the photos I take tomorrow, they will make better sense.

[Bob Kuczewski]

WOW SCOTT!!!!

That is super cool!!!!     

Please post some photos as soon as you can!!!!!!!     

[SamKellner]

Good Job Scott !

[wingspan33]

Today Jeff Ingersoll and I made some serious progress. That means, making a 1970s Standard hang glider look like it was actually flying. We also set up an Airwave K4 that Jeff has donated for the hang gliding display. On Friday we will suspend both gliders from the ceiling and put dummies into the swing seat on the Standard and in a prone harness on the Airwave glider.

Here are some pictures from today's efforts -

Standart at Curtiss Museum1 sm 10-23-19.jpg (52.49 KiB) Viewed 6871 times

Standart at Curtiss Museum2 sm 10-23-19.jpg (60.75 KiB) Viewed 6871 times

Standart at Curtiss Museum3 sm 10-23-19.jpg (63.5 KiB) Viewed 6871 times

Airwave K4 + Standard at Curtiss Museum1 sm 10-23-19.jpg (59.36 KiB) Viewed 6871 times

Airwave K4 + Standard at Curtiss Museum2 sm 10-23-19.jpg (60.78 KiB) Viewed 6871 times

[Bob Kuczewski]

Very nice work!!!

Jeff did a spectacular job of engineering the sail billow for a static display.

[wingspan33]

Well Bob, not to toot my own horn but the static sail billow engineering was about 50-50. Jeff had an idea then I had an idea etc., etc. I think Jeff and I make a pretty good team.

BTW - Jeff regularly volunteers at the Museum. He and a few other people are currently working to restore a Curtiss P-40. The P-40 was used mainly as a trainer. Back in 1945 two of them collided over the everglades and went down. The wreckage of the two planes was recovered and the Curtiss Museum got them. The two are being used to make one.

[Bill Cummings]

Good work on the display guys.

[wingspan33]

Here are some pictures from yesterday's efforts. Sadly the lift broke down before we could raise the DeltaWing Standard to its final position above the floor.

Airwave K4 + Standard at Curtiss Museum3 sm 10-23-19.jpg (75.31 KiB) Viewed 6824 times

Airwave K4 + Standard at Curtiss Museum4 sm 10-23-19.jpg (76.8 KiB) Viewed 6824 times

Pilot is in the K4 sm 10-25-19.jpg (72.43 KiB) Viewed 6824 times

Close up of Hippie Pilot sm 10-25-19.jpg (60.71 KiB) Viewed 6824 times

Hopefully on Monday the lift will be fixed and Jeff and I can finish the installation of the Hang Gliding display.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Great work Scott and Jeff!!!

It's authentic right down to the tie-dye shirt on the "hippie hang glider pilot".

Hippie_Hang_Glider.jpg (104.67 KiB) Viewed 6815 times

[wingspan33]

Hello Everybody! Today Monday 10/28 Jeff Ingersoll and I finished installing the old Standard hang glider from the mid 1970s as well as the more current Airwave K4 hang glider.

Here are some pictures I took today -

Final HG Set Up1 sm 10-28-19.jpg (63.28 KiB) Viewed 6792 times

Final HG Set Up2 sm 10-28-19.jpg (83.48 KiB) Viewed 6792 times