Neat toy!

[GH85Carrera]

Cool toys for big boys!

[Z-man]

Cool idea, but it's the landings that I'd be worried about!

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by Z-man

Cool idea, but it's the landings that I'd be worried about!

Looks ultralight weight, maybe no heavier than a big Rogallo wing and touchdown on the video looks no different than with a hang glider.

[krichard]

expensive toy! $82,847.49 for the basic model.....

[bivenator]

It doubles as a coffin.

[Zeke]

The pilot seemed to have about all he could handle in dead weight. The leg landing would have busted my groin. The wheels looked sufficient.

[flatbutt]

all kinds of fun ways to die.

[masraum]

Very cool. Probably not very heavy, but the size probably makes it very awkward, and even worse, if you're standing on a hill that's got a good breeze going, any variation in the strength or direction of the breeze is going to make it even harder to control on the ground. Have you ever tried carrying a 4x8 sheet of plywood when it's windy?

Still, very, very cool. I assume a hang glider is much cheaper. Shoot, I bet an ultralight is quite a bit cheaper.

[tevake]

^^ God you guys what a bummer. I love it. Looks to have a fantastic glide rate. beautiful design. Quite a price tho. Gulp. Those three step take offs were sweet!

Thanks for posting
Cheers Richard
This is much easier to transport.

[masraum]

OK, first site I found on the net for hang gliders showed prices at $4k-5k for fairly entry level models.

Ultralights seem to run anywhere from $10k up to $30k

For nearly $100k, that thing should be REALLY nice. I mean REALLY, REALLY nice. It should have some sort of magical power system that allows it to fly under any circumstances.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by tevake

^^ God you guys what a bummer. I love it. Looks to have a fantastic glide rate. beautiful design. Quite a price tho. Gulp. Those three step take offs were sweet!

Thanks for posting
Cheers Richard
This is much easier to transport.

and I bet MUCH cheaper.

I thought the same thing, three steps and you're airborne. I'm guessing there was probably a decent breeze going too.

[masraum]

I wonder if you can get one of these for $100k?

[Jrboulder]

Or you could buy a C182...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Looks like too much work for me. Hell, at 225 lbs. I'm probably too heavy for it anyway.

A nice ultralight, say a RANS kit, with motor, would run you about half of what that thing costs.

Then again, there are some jokers out there who will pay $5k for a carbon fiber bicycle with fancy doo-dads made by a fishing reel company, when for the same amount of money you can pick up a 600-1000cc sportbike with under 5k miles on it.

[porsche4life]

To me the absolute tranquility that would offer would be way better than a damned buzzy ultralight...

And totally different from a Cessna....

A heck of a lot cheaper to fly too.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by masraum

...probably a decent breeze going too.

As you do with a hang glider, with this glider you run or step off a cliff (depending on the strength of the updraft at a given time) like Torrey Pines, or off a high hill (with similar updraft) as in the video.

Hang gliders, ultralights, all fun; but to my mind, they are not in the same class as gliders. What is significant is, here is a plane you don't need a tow plane to launch and once you're airborne...well, you're flying an airplane not a hang glider or ultralight.

This glider appears to have all the control surfaces and airfoils as a full size glider and I'd imagine is as safe to fly (gliders are very safe to fly). Kites, of course, produce no lift and must be kept generally into the wind, not able to soar and glide (per se)- no control surfaces, pilot is pendulum, hanging from and manipulating the kite from below, watching a streamer off the nose.

Looks heavy to land. Wonder if a strongback/keel were incorporated if it couldn't be landed on the keel with the legs held out straight. First hang glider I flew had a swing seat and the first few flights I kept my legs out straight and skidded to a stop on my ass. No big deal. Until after a few flights I didn't want to stall too high and break ankles/legs (common in early days).

Be a kick to fly (the cheap version) .

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

To me the absolute tranquility that would offer would be way better than a damned buzzy ultralight...

Yes; there's the poetry of harnessing just the power of the wind with sailboats, gliders, ice boats, land sailers...

[s_morrison57]

No Thanks, to any of that stuff

[oldE]

Originally Posted by Z-man

Cool idea, but it's the landings that I'd be worried about!

Another set of videos shows landings. There is a keel under the front and a wheel behind the pilot's butt. Lands like a regular sailplane.

Very cool toy.

Best
Les

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by s_morrison57

No Thanks, to any of that stuff

Just curious; fear of flying in general or just small aircraft?

Gliders, if I'm correct, are a whole lot safer than aircraft with power which can be lost resulting in an emergency landing (if you're lucky) whereas in a glider...