Kalbermatten Woopy
German inflatable hang glider design
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kalbermatten Woopy is a Swiss high-wing, single-place, hang glider that was designed by Laurent de Kalbermatten of Villars-sur-Glâne. The aircraft seems to have been just developed to prototype stage and it is not clear if production was undertaken.[1]
| Woopy | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Hang glider |
| National origin | Switzerland |
| Designer | Laurent de Kalbermatten |
| Status | Prototypes only |
Design and development
The Woopy fuselage is made from aluminum tubing, with a conventional tail, a seated pilot position and weight shift controls. The wing is inflatable and based on the same concept as an air mattress, kept inflated by two small battery-powered fans. Launch and landing is carried out on foot.[1]
Much of the development was undertaken using scale flying models to speed construction and reduce pilot risk.[1]
Two models were developed, the Woopy Fly and the Woopy Jump, plus a powered version of the Woopy Fly.[1]
Variants
- Woopy Fly
- Initial model. Its 9.7 m (31.8 ft) span wing is inflatable and has an aspect ratio of 4.58:1 and a wing area is 20.5 m2 (221 sq ft). The glider empty weight is 17 kg (37 lb) and it has a glide ratio of 9:1.[1]
- Powered Woopy Fly
- A powered version of the Woopy Fly was developed in Siberia and flown with a 150 cc (9.2 cu in) two-stroke engine that gave it an empty weight of 33 kg (73 lb) and a cruise speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) with a 70 cm (28 in) propeller.[1]
- Woopy Jump
- More portable development model. Its wing is also inflatable and the glider empty weight is 7 kg (15 lb) and the aircraft can be folded into a bag 160 cm (63 in) long.[1]
Specifications (Woopy Fly)
Data from Bertrand[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Wingspan: 9.7 m (31 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 20.5 m2 (221 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 4.58:1
- Empty weight: 17 kg (37 lb)
Performance
- Maximum glide ratio: 9:1