Hi, I wish saying that among all the pilots I’ve being observing on RUclips, you're definitely my favorite. I’m always impressed by the precision and confidence shown in your maneuvers. And well, I always enjoy the glove-signature of your videos! :))
The Sigma also has the same rigging wires and probably the Gryphon too. I used the Sigma for power flying on a trike. Additional sleeving and double lower wing wires were added for additional strength. I was looking at the wing in your video and it does look very solid. Please try filming it in comparison with a more modern glider. The 12m Sigma has about 187 sg ft and can thermal well.
I assume this is a bow sprit type glider? In the UK we had the Wasp Gryphon and Southdown Sigma with similar layout in the late 70's early 80's. Neat trick with the gloves at the end.
Had one of these for a little over a year...brought it down to AZ with me...and it was a great thermal glider...fun to fly. Wow...that was a long time ago...1979
The Stratus V comprised one of the handful of design and performance plateaus within the sport. Your video is of a bowsprit version which came about a couple of years after the original design (the best). The Stratus V was the first with 130 degree nose angle; the first with zero (0) degree billow (are you old enough to remember billow?); the first with such a short keel; the first with flexible truncated tips. I was chief test pilot for the company back in the day and flew one (29 pound version - complete) from Mt. Saint Halene to the glider port 9 miles. Jim Lynn was and is the designer and genius behind the Stratus. Lives in Redding, CA now.
Good history! Do you have pictures of the ones you were involved with? The evolution of gliders back then was fantastic. Each year, or even several times each year, dramatically new and different designs were popping up. My first glider was an Eipper FlexiFlyer (standard), so yeah, I definitely remember billow!
@PioneerAviation Yes, the Stratus is (was) a bowsprit glider. One thing a little different from some of the other bowsprits was that it had double wires to the wings; instead of one bottom side per wing, it had two bottom sides per wing, same with the front sweep wires (two per side) and the same on the top. So it had a LOT of cables, but the result was a very rigidly supported airframe. That allowed for a no bend leading edge, and very little induced twist at high speeds or higher G loads.
A picture of the powered version of the Sigma can be found on the British Hang Gliding History web site. The You Tube comments system seems to restrict adding the web site reference but it can be found easily enough if you do a search.
Found it ,thanks. It has more double surface than the Sigma. The early Sigma's only had flexible plastic battens but on later models they were preformed aluminium. Do you know the weight and wing area of the Stratus?
Hi, I wish saying that among all the pilots I’ve being observing on RUclips, you're definitely my favorite. I’m always impressed by the precision and confidence shown in your maneuvers. And well, I always enjoy the glove-signature of your videos! :))
The Sigma also has the same rigging wires and probably the Gryphon too. I used the Sigma for power flying on a trike. Additional sleeving and double lower wing wires were added for additional strength. I was looking at the wing in your video and it does look very solid. Please try filming it in comparison with a more modern glider. The 12m Sigma has about 187 sg ft and can thermal well.
I assume this is a bow sprit type glider? In the UK we had the Wasp Gryphon and Southdown Sigma with similar layout in the late 70's early 80's. Neat trick with the gloves at the end.
Does remind me of my Gryphon, and the Sigmas I built when I worked at Southdown...
Hi. So you knew Ian Grayland? Any news from him?
Had one of these for a little over a year...brought it down to AZ with me...and it was a great thermal glider...fun to fly. Wow...that was a long time ago...1979
That was really neat!!! Now I want to get a GoPro out there far enough to get all the glider in view.
4:08 - May the Force be with you.
The Stratus V comprised one of the handful of design and performance plateaus within the sport. Your video is of a bowsprit version which came about a couple of years after the original design (the best). The Stratus V was the first with 130 degree nose angle; the first with zero (0) degree billow (are you old enough to remember billow?); the first with such a short keel; the first with flexible truncated tips. I was chief test pilot for the company back in the day and flew one (29 pound version - complete) from Mt. Saint Halene to the glider port 9 miles. Jim Lynn was and is the designer and genius behind the Stratus. Lives in Redding, CA now.
Good history! Do you have pictures of the ones you were involved with? The evolution of gliders back then was fantastic. Each year, or even several times each year, dramatically new and different designs were popping up. My first glider was an Eipper FlexiFlyer (standard), so yeah, I definitely remember billow!
@PioneerAviation Yes, the Stratus is (was) a bowsprit glider. One thing a little different from some of the other bowsprits was that it had double wires to the wings; instead of one bottom side per wing, it had two bottom sides per wing, same with the front sweep wires (two per side) and the same on the top. So it had a LOT of cables, but the result was a very rigidly supported airframe. That allowed for a no bend leading edge, and very little induced twist at high speeds or higher G loads.
A picture of the powered version of the Sigma can be found on the British Hang Gliding History web site. The You Tube comments system seems to restrict adding the web site reference but it can be found easily enough if you do a search.
Very cool for a thirty year old glider.
@PioneerAviation I just put a link to some photos of the glider so you can see the planform.
@altairtime Yeah, me too! As soon as the weather turns warmer again, I'll do a lot more angles with the Stratus. :-)
@PioneerAviation Click the dropdown above, "more info" and you will find the link at the bottom...
Sorry, Cannot see where the link is?
Don Liddard has many photos of British hang gliders on his web site.
Found it ,thanks. It has more double surface than the Sigma. The early Sigma's only had flexible plastic battens but on later models they were preformed aluminium. Do you know the weight and wing area of the Stratus?