Tow & Stow Glider

[Gyro Junky]

Put this together from footage on my old video camera. It's a glider I designed and built back in the late 90s. It's unique feature is portability w/ a 10 minute set up time, plus blades.


Tow & Stow Glider - YouTube

 

[Fly Army]

That is SUPER COOL ! You should sell plans for that. I'd buy em. You don't see gliders anymore. Great way to learn as long as your tow driver is a gyro pilot too. We built one when I was in college because it was all we could afford. Towed it with my mom's station wagon, great memories.

 

[JDM]

I'd be interested in a set of plans if they were available.

 

[9aplus]

Me too....
nice bird excellent fit for student project

 

[GyroDoug]

Steve,

That was a great video! One of those clips appears to be taking place in a light snow flurry and one of the guys on the glider seems to be wearing shorts. That seems a little crazy to me. But otherwise it looks like you were having a lot of fun. That really is a very creative design for a fold up gyro glider.

 

[Gyro Junky]

Ya...I thought about plans but am a little apprehensive. I don't fully understand the liability issues associated with production and distribution, of such material, in our overly letigious society. At this time, I only have hand scratched scale drawings, notes and around 20 hours of test flight. It might be a good excuse to purchase and learn CAD software, though. Another option I have toyed with is a DVD plan set, providing for video and voice description of each part and some instructional assembly references. If it happens I will post.

Oh and Doug, that kid isn't crazy. He was a buddy involved in ultimate fighting, at the time, and was just tougher than nails. We were going to use him as our initial test pilot cause he bounced so good. Unfortunatey, he forgot his knee pads. :lol:

 

[-willy-]

Most of what is needed to recreate it is in the video. From an uneducated stand point I see that as something that would not be that hard to make a simple blueprint using some of the pieces that are in the video (the folding seats, go kart wheels). Mind you its only my opinion.

 

[Timchick]

Very cool. I never flew in a gyro glider but I'd like to try it.

 

[-willy-]

Same, I think it would be best for novices like me that need some basic flight time to best get a feel for the controls.

 

[ChasingAutumn]

I think it would be a great tool as well! What do you think the cost would be to put something like this together? If it's affordable I could see it being a good tool for each chapter to invest in. Each member could pitch in a little cash to help better train new members. Also you could even use it as a way to introduce people who have never flown in a gyro to see if it's something they want to pursue.

 

[twistair]

That's one tasty wonderful video! Sparkling eyes, happy eyes - that's what is respectively rare to see in many modern gyrovids.

 

[PW_Plack]

Steve, the video is as cool as the glider! It's a fun glimpse into a looser, more carefree time. I'm glad you saved the footage till UDOT's statute of limitations expired!

 

[All_In]

Thanks for sharing the blast from the past!!

 

[okikuma]

This gyroglider was brought to and flown at the KBFFI 2012. Fun to watch.

Wayne

 

[Gyro Junky]

I think it would be a great tool as well! What do you think the cost would be to put something like this together? If it's affordable I could see it being a good tool for each chapter to invest in. Each member could pitch in a little cash to help better train new members. Also you could even use it as a way to introduce people who have never flown in a gyro to see if it's something they want to pursue.

About 1/2 the price of the rotor blades.

 

[gyroblackwell]

Steve,

you provide the sketches with dimensions, and I will put it all in CAD form for you using Solid Works.
I enjoy CAD model building and can probably get you models in a couple evenings of modeling.

I have solid models for the benson style rotor head, and other parts already.

good sketches with dimensions and I will form/fit/function verify them via the model assembly.

from there, you can do what you want with them.

let me know...

Tim

 

[madwinger]

About 1/2 the price of the rotor blades.

Looks like so much fun. If you ever get an itch to take it out again, let me know. I would be all in on that.

Looks like a lot of fun.

Mark

 

[Earthbound]

Steve,

you provide the sketches with dimensions, and I will put it all in CAD form for you using Solid Works.
I enjoy CAD model building and can probably get you models in a couple evenings of modeling.

I have solid models for the benson style rotor head, and other parts already.

good sketches with dimensions and I will form/fit/function verify them via the model assembly.

from there, you can do what you want with them.

let me know...

Tim

Posted June 17 2015 .... Now February 3 2021 - what transpired?

 

[PW_Plack]

The glider suffered a mishap at El Mirage a few years ago, and the folks involved in building, storing and operating it are all out of gyros.

I wound up with a few of the parts, with the idea of building another one, but that never happened.

 

[Chris Burgess]

I sort of wanted to remove the rudder, I see you still had some "stub" back there. Problem comes if you have a cable break. Then you NEED that rudder to be effective and usable. What caused the El Mirage mishap? Just curious. I did some glider flying in Canada many moons ago, wooden rotor at that time. I really enjoyed "kiting" with the B8G.