maiden flight
First flight of the turkey vulture glider. Friend-for-decades
Rey Chalberg gave me crucial help setting up the radio controls
and operated the camera. Book buddy and long time agitator
Roger Goldstein exacted a promise from me that he would get to
witness this flight.
After 4 years of work on the glider, I wasn't going to wait for the
fog to clear. Actually this was such an interesting, novel, and
challenging bird to build that I didn't want the project to end.
Friends with aeronautical engineering backgrounds were
skeptical. How it could turn without a rudder was a mystery.
All I could say was, "When have you ever seen a rudder on a
bird?"
The glider was very responsive. I launched it a little hard and
she pitched up, but responded instantly to forward stick. Quick
response also to left and right turn commands.
An absolutely brilliant design by Bob Hoey. Built from masterfully
drawn plans with instructions, published by Model Airplane News,
June 2002. More information available at:
maiden flight
First flight of the turkey vulture glider. Friend-for-decades
Rey Chalberg gave me crucial help setting up the radio controls
and operated the camera. Book buddy and long time agitator
Roger Goldstein exacted a promise from me that he would get to
witness this flight.
After 4 years of work on the glider, I wasn't going to wait for the
fog to clear. Actually this was such an interesting, novel, and
challenging bird to build that I didn't want the project to end.
Friends with aeronautical engineering backgrounds were
skeptical. How it could turn without a rudder was a mystery.
All I could say was, "When have you ever seen a rudder on a
bird?"
The glider was very responsive. I launched it a little hard and
she pitched up, but responded instantly to forward stick. Quick
response also to left and right turn commands.
An absolutely brilliant design by Bob Hoey. Built from masterfully
drawn plans with instructions, published by Model Airplane News,
June 2002. More information available at: