František in the Czech Republic

František in the Czech Republic

I received this picture and video from František, a young man in the Czech Republic. František cut his own foam, experimented with the Baby Bug and Thompson Jagwing gliders; and he created this elegant, charming biplane from 2 Jagwings. His glider also has a tail, and his video shows very well the challenge. If the updraft of air hits the glider more in the back or the front, then the glider dives or stalls. I have asked František to experiment with holding the board at a less steep angle and see if it is any easier to fly. David Aronstein has created many walkalong glider designs with tails, and in his interview did a great job of explaining the challenges and how to mitigate them. Thomas Buchwald , Mike Thompson and Heinrich Eder have all created cool walkalong glider designs with tails.

KTG 10 and His Little Brother

I really like this video. It appears that this young man hands off the camera to his little brother and then demonstrates formidable flying skill. He reports that he made the front weight from scrap copper wire. I now advise people to start with the Jagwing because the Baby Bug is more complex; but this young person got it right--perhaps an aerospace engineer in the making!