Message: 1
   Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 19:04:13 -0700
   From: Ken J Dawe 
Subject: Re: Swift'Light Comments?

Hello John and other Class 2 HG group members.

My name is Ken Dawe. My home base is Eugene, Oregon USA. I took possession of Swift'Light S/N 077 at the close of the 2002 Class 2 "World's" competition last July in Chelan, Wa. S/N 077 was flown in the competition by US team pilot Brian Porter. My friend Vim Toutenhoofd (who lives near me in Oregon) also made a similar arrangement for British team member Stephen Partridge-Hicks' glider. After talking with Vim about answering the questions in your posting, it was decided that I would take a stab at giving at least a preliminary answer to ones I was comfortable in answering. Vim happens to be very busy at this time. I say preliminary because though neither Vim nor I have accumulated a high number of flights or total airtime in our new gliders, we are seriously committed to posting much more complete impressions when the time seems right. We both would really like to fly the glider more than we have before we take that on. With it now being Autum... it might be a while.

My flight experience with the Swift 'Light amounts to 9 aerotows and one foot launch. I foot launched (and landed) an older Brightstar Swift 7 times at a coastal site here in Oregon early last Spring and flew a powered Brightstar Swift for 3 takeoff and landings in Arizona winter before last. I soared the coastal site briefly after two of my foot launches and managed to "maintain" altitude in light lift after shutting off the engine in the powered version, but all of those flights did not bring my total standard Swift airtime total to even two hours. I might venture a rough comparison between the flight qualities of the Brightstar Swifts vs. the Swift'Light, but... take it for what it's worth. I have never flown a Millennium nor any other rigid wing hang glider. (Vim has quite a bit of airtime in a Mill, and I suspect he will offer a comparison when the more extensive report is posted in a few months.) I have flown flexwing hang gliders more or less continuously since 1973. I have a commercial pilot's licence (SEL) and I built and flew a motor glider called a "Moni" in the late '80s.

Before I start addressing your questions, have you seen the pictures Aeriane recently posted at http://www.aeriane.com/press.htm ? They are shots taken while Aeriane primaries Vincent Piret and Bernard Bleeckx were with us at Chelan. They don't show a lot of detail, but might be of interest to you.

1. Quality of construction:

The Swift'Light is an elegant aircraft. When we first got to see them on their arrival in Chelan (the afternoon before the comps started) I remember being hugely pleased-- and relieved. Vim and I had sent deposit money to Belgium over a year previous to that time, and we were just hoping and praying for the best. My feeling is that Aerian's new wing is not only aesthetically pleasing but is sufficiently strong to easily handle the "big-air" that many of us like to fly in. The 6 S'Ls that flew in Chelan were some of the very earliest to come off the production line, but the quality of the finish we saw on that first day was beautiful. Everyone knew that the gliders would be subjected to serious tests and even punishment during the 8 competition days that followed-- as they were, and any weakness in the wing would be revealed. It was good to have Vincent and Bernard there during some of that time because they were taking notes and actively looking for those revelations. Some weaknesses were revealed, but I belive that the same thoroughness and attention to detail that made them so pretty to start with will ultimately result in refinements that correct all the problems. For the most part, the problems were rather minor. From Velcro that was coming unstuck at the wrong times to some dissent over the configuration of the "tiplets". One much more significant problem was revealed when one of the competitors got into a situation after crossing the goal line too low to do a graceful landing. There was a fairly violent ground loop, and structure of the wing opposite the side that contacted the ground was badly damaged because the winglet is only truly secured at it's leading edge on these "early" gliders. The flex that condition allowed put too much torque load on the aft "locator post" and carbon fiber went flying. Though the damage looked drastic to all of us, Vincent and Bernard were talking within minutes about how they might repair it. Sure enough, the glider was back in the air the next day. The repair was not beautiful, but the strength was returned and the wing continued to compete. Quite a testament to the innovativness of these men I think. Vincent promised me before he left that later production gliders would incorporate corrections and that retrofits would be provided to those of us that were flying these first gliders.

2. Ease of assembly:

I have not personally managed to set the glider up without a couple of minutes help from someone. I can get the first wing on by myself, but I need a bit of help supporting the wing tip while I guide the 2nd wing on to the spar. Bruno Metz, a French pilot, told me that he was able to do it by himself, but unfortunately I never got to watch him do it. I believe Bruno reads posts made to this group... perhaps he will offer us suggestions??? I also find that it's tricky handling a wing when there is significant wind. It can "get away from you" in a heartbeat. -Best to have someone help you carry that big airfoil. After you have the wings on and secured to the cage section, the rest of the process can easily be done by one person. Certainly, if help is readily at hand, I will use it more than what I have mentioned.

I don't walk away from the assembled glider if there are strong winds or dust devils in the set-up area, but for the most part it is perfectly content to sit very stable with the nose pointed into the breeze. The flaps can be set to 5 degrees negative, and that seems to help keep it sitting stationary.

3. Time to assemble from the box for each flight:

I know that Aeriane is working on a complete owners manual but at the present, S'L owners have to simply remember the procedures Vincent and Bernard demonstrated in Chelan. It is not complicated, but like any fairly sophisticated aircraft, things have to be done in the correct sequence. I find that with the help I mentioned, I can get my glider flight-ready in about 35 to 40 minutes. If you install the full fairing, you'll need 15 - 20 more minutes. The glider is still new to me, so I am doing things very methodically. I may well cut that time down as I get the procedures wired.

4. Effectiveness and ease of operation of the rudders and flaps.

I find both quite easy to operate. Vim has had some trouble pulling on all the flaps he wants-- we're not sure why his seems difficult to adjust. The flaps are quite amazing in my opinion. Each increase in flaps that you pull requires a greater nose down command of course, but they are certainly effective. 20 degrees seems to be the preferred setting for foot launch. I liked about 10 -15 degrees while being aero towed behind and Rotax 914 powered Dragonfly. 17degrees for thermalling. 5 degrees negative can be pulled in flight. In my strictly sport flying, I haven't ever wanted to go as fast as that settomg allows, but I can see how it might be useful if you get into strong cloud suck. Rudders are good. It's not the same as having a nice big rudder on a long-moment-arm tail, but they do the job. A job that makes the Swift'Light a VERY different glider than the standard Swift (that did not have rudders). The adverse yaw problem is nearly completely eliminated and coordinated turns are easily done. I found that at times I could quite effectively hold the glider in a thermal with just one rudder or the other.

5. Speed range and glidepath control.

Not being a competition oriented person, I have to admit that I don't know a lot about the upper end of it's speed capabilities. I have not flown it over about 52 mph as indicated on my Brauniger IQ Comp GPS instrument. (This is airspeed, using the little airspeed transducer mounted on a boom in the "clean" air.) I recall that Stephen Partridge-Hicks said that he used about 110 kilometers per hour for his final glide. That would seem quite plausible. My experience is that over about that speed, the glide seems to deteriorate quite quickly. Lower end (thermalling) speed is very nearly the same speed a high performance flex wing would fly at. Flexwings, ATOS types and Swifts all ascended above Chelan Butte together.

Glidepath control can often be done with just the flaps and the simultaneously deployable rudders. But the best way to loose altitude on approach is to use it's capacity to slip. It requires techniques that are somewhat different than a normal "tailed" aircraft, but it is very possible to cross-control the Swift'Light. If you need to loose altitude fast, that is the way.

6. Handling and complexity to fly as say compared to a Millennium:

I've not flown a Millennium. Sorry I can't even stab at that one.

7. Any problems/concerns:

Nothing major pops into my head. I WOULD like to see a complete owners manual as well as a good flight manual. Vincent Piret told me that it was "in work", but I haven't seen it yet. Vim and I have ordered power units, and I sincerely hope that proper manuals will be provided for them.

During the event at Chelan I shot quite a bit of video. It is NOT professional quality by any means, but I think it would certainly be interesting to anyone that wants to see foot-launches, inflight shots and even some landings done by the 6 S'L competitors. There is even a bit of footage of my only (to date) foot launch off a site near Eugene. It is edited down to about 50 minutes. If anyone would like to see this tape, please contact Vim. Vim@compuserve.com

Cheers, kd