Flex Wing Spiral After Batten Tips Come Undone

[Tex]

[MEDIA=vimeo]106099298[/MEDIA]

 

 

[Kununurra]

Great post ?

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

That was pretty scarey the way it washed off height so fast. Notice how the trailing edges were flapping and how it locked into the turn. If he survived the impact and resulting cartwheeling i guess he will be looking for a better hand deploy system for his back up 'chute. What a useless bit of safety gear that was.

 

 

[Keenaviator]

It looked like he made no attempt to roll out of the spiral.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Great post ?

Just click on the blue box that says " watch on vimeo" and it will play.

 

 

[alf jessup]

It looked like he made no attempt to roll out of the spiral.

Laurie,

 

Looking at the video it looks like he was trying to roll out but it didn't want to play the game, he looked like he was trying to push across to the right side of the A frame initially for a number of seconds then gave up going for his chute.

 

Damn scary to watch that, wouldn't have thought a tip batten could give you so much grief.

 

Alf

 

 

[Kununurra]

Thanks Dazza 38

 

 

[Tex]

He didn't use his weight efficiently but they actually set up the same situation with a 'test' pilot ... locked in also and deplyed reserve succcessfully.

 

The pilot in the video did not make it. Yes failed deployment of reserve. They aren't that hard to get out but you need to practice.

 

Flex wings are just that. If they luff because of say G and speed, or batten failure there can be hidden dragons lurking.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Can someone please explain to a flex ignoramus what happened here & what batten tips are? What was he trying to do digging at his tummy, was that a parachute?

 

 

[alf jessup]

Gnarly Gnu,

 

Batten tips are rods at the extreme end of a flexwing, they run on a 45 roughly inboard from the rear trailing edge to the front spar tube about hmm 10" or so in on the main spar, they are used to allow for washout at the end of the wing so the outer wing won't stall before the root of the wing, the other battens that run from leading edge to trailing edge in a straight line profile the wing.

 

I think the dude was going for his chute in the video

 

Alf

 

 

[Tex]

Look at the trailing edge of the wing. You can see the end of the battens, the black batten tips. unclip (not the tip battens) and come out of their recess in the seam at the trailing edge of the wing. As a result the trialing edge can move and luff without the restriction from the battens holding it properly. Now that is how a weight shift aircraft works, sail manipulation; move weight to one side the cross bar/keel move and the sail will respond.