White Wing
I sold the wing to Ole in March of 2007.
Ole calls it the "dirtybird" and even though it isn't dirty, I like it.
You can read all about Ole at his web site in my links.
--------------------
February 10, 2007
I flew the Fusion and tracked the flight with my Garmin GPS and Google Earth (I use a Apple Computer at home).
Conditions at Sheba Crator in Northern Arizona were pre-frontal with lenticular clouds upwind above the San Fransisco Peaks. At launch the wind was compressing at 25-30 with gusts to 38. This is fishbowl style flying, out front, there was excellent soaring conditions and if this wasn't the first flight on a double surface glider in more than a decade, I would have flown a lot longer and higher.
It seems to me that there was a standing wave out there to find and explore, with tracking on a GPS, you can map it out and after the flight, show where these waves stand. I think you could actually predict them with a little homework...
The wing flys straight and true, the trim is perfect, handling is easy, flys as I thought, a very slick wing.
--------------------
February 4, 2007
Set up for the last time static in the yard and hung in the harness, the hang loop length seems good. Maybe 1 or 2" high but the harness is new and will settle at least an inch so it's a go for now. I will get to the sprogs but I feel safe flying the glider as I won't be flying in strong conditions yet. They do need to be checked and I'll do it but I think it's ok to wait for now as everything looks good so far...
I'm hoping to fly it this weekend.
--------------------
January 13, 2007
Glider bag repair back from High Energy Sports.
I need to completely assemble the glider up at a flat spot, I'm looking at doing this at the Boys and Girls Club Gym to get a baseline measurement of the sprog setting. I'll also have a friend come over and hold the keel while I measure for correct hang length and if necessary, order a stock or custom hang loop system from Wills Wing.
The glider is ready to fly, just a couple of finishing touches.
I'm looking at having the uprights powdercoated white and placing the name on the upper third in paint.
I'll replace the sweep wire before summer.
STOKED!
--------------------
December 24, 2006
I obtained the tools and went to work today on the white wing.
Installed the polynet, block retention bungee, keel end cap, siliconed the keel and center piece retention webbing.
I put the cross country bag on and I'll have Betty at High Energy Sports reinforce the handles on the regular bag as the stitching tore free.
The only thing that needs to be done is to have the correct length hang strap installed. I'll go with a custom from Wills Wing so now I wait for my CR to come back from the HES. I'm having a para-swivel installed as well as keeping the manufacture supplied deployment handle integrated into the HES deployment bag.
I am now looking for a name for the glider.
A couple of weeks...
--------------------
December 16, 2006
I replaced the number one, two and three batten string on each side as well as the two nose batten strings. Replaced front, back and side wires and lubed the string pulley at the bottom corner as well as further inspection of all fittings.
I'm getting pretty close to having the glider ready, it is flyable now but there are a couple of things I want to finish and have the glider done.
Silicone/lubricate keel crosspar centerpiece slide.
Install the polynet covers at the crosspar center.
Replace centerpiece nut cap.
Replace keel end cap.
Install forward block retention bungee.
Gliderbag handles need restitching at attachment points.
As it stands, the glider is ready to fly but I should be able to complete this final list in a couple of hours on a weeknight.
List of needed items.
Circlip pliers
Rivet Gun and Rivets
Shoe Goo
--------------------
November 4, 2006
Complete glider wash and dry
Further inspection
Trimmed loose thread and mylar pocket fuzzies
Dacron patches applied x 4
Zippers siliconed (sprog, side wire access, center set)
Block retention bungee replaced
Inspection reveals that side wires and composite cross bar center section protection needs replacement.
#2 Parts Order
Fusion SP 150 Side Wire Set
15P-2011 Poly Netted Sleeve 4" OD x 6" x 2ea
15K-1521 Rivet Plastic 1" Head 3/8" Stem x 2ea
Order placed today through Eric Smith at Arizona Airfoils.
--------------------
October 28, 2006
I pulled out the wing and started the detailing and cleaning.
I first pulled out the mylar inserts and pulled off the Wills Wing sticker and removed the adhesive. Then I pulled off the WW on the L-Side and removed the adhesive there and washed off the Goo Gone remover. I found someones blood near a couple of the batten stations. hmmm. While I was doing that, I removed some stains from that wing tip and the sail washes clean pretty easy. While inspecting the batten spring ends, I find a repair with a common nail, it's a good repair and I'll leave it alone...
This glider is going to clean up well.
So I left it out in the yard for the wing tip to dry while I took the bags out back along with the battens and gave them all a good scrubbing down and inspection.
I'll inventory the batten tips that need replacing and order them along with the front and rear wires.
That will get me in the air and I can continue to replace the side wires and anything else I choose along the way.
#1 Parts Order
Velcro set (glider ties)
Batten ends (string side) W=3 B=3
#1 Batten string for both sides
Regular batten string (enough for 6 battens)
Front and Rear wire set
Bolt and nut x2 for basebar
(WW #10C-5121 and the nut that goes with it)
Bolt and nut x2 for basebar upright fitting
(WW #10C-5241 and 10N-1740)
Cleavis pin x2 with Small Saftey Rings x2 for uprights
(WW #10G-1330 and 10P-1100)
Keel End Cap with Rivets x3
(WW #158-2012)
Order placed today with Eric Smith at Arizona Airfoils.
--------------------
Turns out I purchased the glider from the guy who bought it from High Adventure.
So I know the wings history, time to get it cleaned up.
--------------------
From: Wills Wing
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:03 AM
To: hangwind
Subject: Fusion SP Questions
It was made in August of 2000, originally for Mitch McAleer, who was working for Wills Wing at the time. It was later re-sold to a local area pilot through our San Bernardino dealer, High Adventure Hang Gliding.
In the technical bulletins section of the web site (under Support, on the top menu bar) you can select technical bulletins by model to check for any bulletins that pertain to that model glider.
Sincerely,
Wills Wing, Inc.
500 West Blueridge Ave
Orange, CA 92865 - USA
Phone 714 998 6359 FAX 714 998 0647
www.willswing.com
--------------------
October 17, 2006
I sent Wills Wing a e-mail with the glider serial number and asked them who it was made for and when. Above is what they sent to me.
--------------------
What the glider looked like before the work
October 15, 2006
Sweet!
The last slik glider that I flew was a custom ordered Wills Wing "Ram Air" that was one of the last ones they produced in that line before they discontinued it. The Fusion is a progression so I'm essentially picking up where I left off.
The above photographs are from the first time I set the SP up in the front yard.
Initial impression: I need an inspection for piece of mind, better overall shape than I thought, very dirty, needs cleaning and some detail work.
List of things to do: Complete inspection first, replace wireset, worn batten strings and tips, small patch to sail on L tip and R nose and where undersurface meets undersurface battens in two stations, cut keel .5" and replace endcap.
I'm very happy at this point and can't wait to get underneath the white wing...
--------------------
A photograph I recieved in e-mail.
Over the course of my life, I have started and quit hang gliding three or four times. For what ever reason, I just put it away, sometimes for good but I always come back to it. The last time I quit was for some ridiculous reason, I had "grown out of it" and I had become someone I didn't know, I didn't have time, no longer important or you pick a reason. The desire to fly did not outweigh the effort it took.
Anyway, enough of that.
Recently, I had the revelation that it was time for me to quit paragliding because I was doing the exact same thing that I quit hang gliding for, I wasn't flying enough. I've been paragliding for nearly 20 years off and on but most of my time was spent gliding, not soaring and with my new paraglider, even the light days you can soar, the problem is, the wing is so easy to fly but the rocks below are still hard even on light soaring days. A paraglider is not a hang glider and hang gliding is what I know. I needed to invest time into manuevers clinics in order to advance in my skill but I didn't want to spend any more time or effort that I was already giving it. So I sold all my new paragliding equipment to purchase better hang gliding things and to keep my limited time devoted to one thing, hang gliding.
During my life, I've had the opportunity to custom order a few wings just so. I would talk with the Wills Wing people, "What's the lastest cloth that you have?" and imagine what the upper surface colors would look like as they bleed through with the sunshine on the lower surface. But I always wanted a white glider, an all white glider.
I had sold my last glider, Cielo (Spanish for "sky") to a soaring friend. He had used the glider's expected lifespan up and had moved on to the newer model by Wills Wing, a topless "Fusion SP" which I understand to be Wills Wing's last topless glider without fiberglass tip wands.
I have a Falcon which I call Aliyah, an entry level wing that you can set up in 5 minutes flat but has very little in the flat glide and penetration department. But this is the glider I will use at our local hills here in Phoenix where the earth is rocky and filled with cactus, not kind places to launch and land. Our big sites are more condusive to higher performance gliders and landing options are much more kind with larger unobstructed fields, some of which even have grass. In season, if you are going to get anywhere, a higher performance glider will help you reach the next thermal or landing zone with far fewer tense moments.
I hate tense moments.
So I bought a used Fusion SP, the latest version of the Fusion before it was replaced by the Talon series. It is a first generation topless glider (I've always wanted a topless glider) and although it is heavy, it has great handling and a large flare window like the Ram Air. I had been looking for one online for a few months and when this one came up, I started asking questions about it.
An old E-Team pilot had owned it, he got it from another E-Teamer and said it was "low airtime" and in pretty good shape. The glider was in Las Vegas, a nearly 300 mile one way trip but the price was right so I got in LaToya (Melissa's RAV) and did a day burner up to get it.
Left PHX @ 6:45a got to LV @ 11:45a
Left LV @ 12p got to PHX @ 4:45p
Total miles 579
At this point in my life, I'm not able to afford a lot of things like time and a lot of money for a new custom hang glider, I did however able myself to afford a new harness because I outgrew (read got fat) my old harness. I like fixing things, tinkering with them and the Fusion SP will get the full on cleaning and maintenance treatment. I'll fully take it apart and go through it and after I fly it a few times to make sure this is what I want, I'll start to upgrade it.
This will be the place where I will keep a log on my progress with my yet unamed wing.
Ole calls it the "dirtybird" and even though it isn't dirty, I like it.
You can read all about Ole at his web site in my links.
--------------------
February 10, 2007
I flew the Fusion and tracked the flight with my Garmin GPS and Google Earth (I use a Apple Computer at home).
Conditions at Sheba Crator in Northern Arizona were pre-frontal with lenticular clouds upwind above the San Fransisco Peaks. At launch the wind was compressing at 25-30 with gusts to 38. This is fishbowl style flying, out front, there was excellent soaring conditions and if this wasn't the first flight on a double surface glider in more than a decade, I would have flown a lot longer and higher.
It seems to me that there was a standing wave out there to find and explore, with tracking on a GPS, you can map it out and after the flight, show where these waves stand. I think you could actually predict them with a little homework...
The wing flys straight and true, the trim is perfect, handling is easy, flys as I thought, a very slick wing.
--------------------
February 4, 2007
Set up for the last time static in the yard and hung in the harness, the hang loop length seems good. Maybe 1 or 2" high but the harness is new and will settle at least an inch so it's a go for now. I will get to the sprogs but I feel safe flying the glider as I won't be flying in strong conditions yet. They do need to be checked and I'll do it but I think it's ok to wait for now as everything looks good so far...
I'm hoping to fly it this weekend.
--------------------
January 13, 2007
Glider bag repair back from High Energy Sports.
I need to completely assemble the glider up at a flat spot, I'm looking at doing this at the Boys and Girls Club Gym to get a baseline measurement of the sprog setting. I'll also have a friend come over and hold the keel while I measure for correct hang length and if necessary, order a stock or custom hang loop system from Wills Wing.
The glider is ready to fly, just a couple of finishing touches.
I'm looking at having the uprights powdercoated white and placing the name on the upper third in paint.
I'll replace the sweep wire before summer.
STOKED!
--------------------
December 24, 2006
I obtained the tools and went to work today on the white wing.
Installed the polynet, block retention bungee, keel end cap, siliconed the keel and center piece retention webbing.
I put the cross country bag on and I'll have Betty at High Energy Sports reinforce the handles on the regular bag as the stitching tore free.
The only thing that needs to be done is to have the correct length hang strap installed. I'll go with a custom from Wills Wing so now I wait for my CR to come back from the HES. I'm having a para-swivel installed as well as keeping the manufacture supplied deployment handle integrated into the HES deployment bag.
I am now looking for a name for the glider.
A couple of weeks...
--------------------
December 16, 2006
I replaced the number one, two and three batten string on each side as well as the two nose batten strings. Replaced front, back and side wires and lubed the string pulley at the bottom corner as well as further inspection of all fittings.
I'm getting pretty close to having the glider ready, it is flyable now but there are a couple of things I want to finish and have the glider done.
Silicone/lubricate keel crosspar centerpiece slide.
Install the polynet covers at the crosspar center.
Replace centerpiece nut cap.
Replace keel end cap.
Install forward block retention bungee.
Gliderbag handles need restitching at attachment points.
As it stands, the glider is ready to fly but I should be able to complete this final list in a couple of hours on a weeknight.
List of needed items.
Circlip pliers
Rivet Gun and Rivets
Shoe Goo
--------------------
November 4, 2006
Complete glider wash and dry
Further inspection
Trimmed loose thread and mylar pocket fuzzies
Dacron patches applied x 4
Zippers siliconed (sprog, side wire access, center set)
Block retention bungee replaced
Inspection reveals that side wires and composite cross bar center section protection needs replacement.
#2 Parts Order
Fusion SP 150 Side Wire Set
15P-2011 Poly Netted Sleeve 4" OD x 6" x 2ea
15K-1521 Rivet Plastic 1" Head 3/8" Stem x 2ea
Order placed today through Eric Smith at Arizona Airfoils.
--------------------
October 28, 2006
I pulled out the wing and started the detailing and cleaning.
I first pulled out the mylar inserts and pulled off the Wills Wing sticker and removed the adhesive. Then I pulled off the WW on the L-Side and removed the adhesive there and washed off the Goo Gone remover. I found someones blood near a couple of the batten stations. hmmm. While I was doing that, I removed some stains from that wing tip and the sail washes clean pretty easy. While inspecting the batten spring ends, I find a repair with a common nail, it's a good repair and I'll leave it alone...
This glider is going to clean up well.
So I left it out in the yard for the wing tip to dry while I took the bags out back along with the battens and gave them all a good scrubbing down and inspection.
I'll inventory the batten tips that need replacing and order them along with the front and rear wires.
That will get me in the air and I can continue to replace the side wires and anything else I choose along the way.
#1 Parts Order
Velcro set (glider ties)
Batten ends (string side) W=3 B=3
#1 Batten string for both sides
Regular batten string (enough for 6 battens)
Front and Rear wire set
Bolt and nut x2 for basebar
(WW #10C-5121 and the nut that goes with it)
Bolt and nut x2 for basebar upright fitting
(WW #10C-5241 and 10N-1740)
Cleavis pin x2 with Small Saftey Rings x2 for uprights
(WW #10G-1330 and 10P-1100)
Keel End Cap with Rivets x3
(WW #158-2012)
Order placed today with Eric Smith at Arizona Airfoils.
--------------------
Turns out I purchased the glider from the guy who bought it from High Adventure.
So I know the wings history, time to get it cleaned up.
--------------------
From: Wills Wing
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:03 AM
To: hangwind
Subject: Fusion SP Questions
It was made in August of 2000, originally for Mitch McAleer, who was working for Wills Wing at the time. It was later re-sold to a local area pilot through our San Bernardino dealer, High Adventure Hang Gliding.
In the technical bulletins section of the web site (under Support, on the top menu bar) you can select technical bulletins by model to check for any bulletins that pertain to that model glider.
Sincerely,
Wills Wing, Inc.
500 West Blueridge Ave
Orange, CA 92865 - USA
Phone 714 998 6359 FAX 714 998 0647
www.willswing.com
--------------------
October 17, 2006
I sent Wills Wing a e-mail with the glider serial number and asked them who it was made for and when. Above is what they sent to me.
--------------------
What the glider looked like before the work
October 15, 2006
Sweet!
The last slik glider that I flew was a custom ordered Wills Wing "Ram Air" that was one of the last ones they produced in that line before they discontinued it. The Fusion is a progression so I'm essentially picking up where I left off.
The above photographs are from the first time I set the SP up in the front yard.
Initial impression: I need an inspection for piece of mind, better overall shape than I thought, very dirty, needs cleaning and some detail work.
List of things to do: Complete inspection first, replace wireset, worn batten strings and tips, small patch to sail on L tip and R nose and where undersurface meets undersurface battens in two stations, cut keel .5" and replace endcap.
I'm very happy at this point and can't wait to get underneath the white wing...
--------------------
A photograph I recieved in e-mail.
Over the course of my life, I have started and quit hang gliding three or four times. For what ever reason, I just put it away, sometimes for good but I always come back to it. The last time I quit was for some ridiculous reason, I had "grown out of it" and I had become someone I didn't know, I didn't have time, no longer important or you pick a reason. The desire to fly did not outweigh the effort it took.
Anyway, enough of that.
Recently, I had the revelation that it was time for me to quit paragliding because I was doing the exact same thing that I quit hang gliding for, I wasn't flying enough. I've been paragliding for nearly 20 years off and on but most of my time was spent gliding, not soaring and with my new paraglider, even the light days you can soar, the problem is, the wing is so easy to fly but the rocks below are still hard even on light soaring days. A paraglider is not a hang glider and hang gliding is what I know. I needed to invest time into manuevers clinics in order to advance in my skill but I didn't want to spend any more time or effort that I was already giving it. So I sold all my new paragliding equipment to purchase better hang gliding things and to keep my limited time devoted to one thing, hang gliding.
During my life, I've had the opportunity to custom order a few wings just so. I would talk with the Wills Wing people, "What's the lastest cloth that you have?" and imagine what the upper surface colors would look like as they bleed through with the sunshine on the lower surface. But I always wanted a white glider, an all white glider.
I had sold my last glider, Cielo (Spanish for "sky") to a soaring friend. He had used the glider's expected lifespan up and had moved on to the newer model by Wills Wing, a topless "Fusion SP" which I understand to be Wills Wing's last topless glider without fiberglass tip wands.
I have a Falcon which I call Aliyah, an entry level wing that you can set up in 5 minutes flat but has very little in the flat glide and penetration department. But this is the glider I will use at our local hills here in Phoenix where the earth is rocky and filled with cactus, not kind places to launch and land. Our big sites are more condusive to higher performance gliders and landing options are much more kind with larger unobstructed fields, some of which even have grass. In season, if you are going to get anywhere, a higher performance glider will help you reach the next thermal or landing zone with far fewer tense moments.
I hate tense moments.
So I bought a used Fusion SP, the latest version of the Fusion before it was replaced by the Talon series. It is a first generation topless glider (I've always wanted a topless glider) and although it is heavy, it has great handling and a large flare window like the Ram Air. I had been looking for one online for a few months and when this one came up, I started asking questions about it.
An old E-Team pilot had owned it, he got it from another E-Teamer and said it was "low airtime" and in pretty good shape. The glider was in Las Vegas, a nearly 300 mile one way trip but the price was right so I got in LaToya (Melissa's RAV) and did a day burner up to get it.
Left PHX @ 6:45a got to LV @ 11:45a
Left LV @ 12p got to PHX @ 4:45p
Total miles 579
At this point in my life, I'm not able to afford a lot of things like time and a lot of money for a new custom hang glider, I did however able myself to afford a new harness because I outgrew (read got fat) my old harness. I like fixing things, tinkering with them and the Fusion SP will get the full on cleaning and maintenance treatment. I'll fully take it apart and go through it and after I fly it a few times to make sure this is what I want, I'll start to upgrade it.
This will be the place where I will keep a log on my progress with my yet unamed wing.
posted by Adam Trahan at 6:27 PM
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