The Cloudbase Mayhem podcast is where you will find fascinating and educational interviews with the best free-flight pilots in the world. If you fly a hanglider or paraglider, if you fly acro or cross country, the Cloudbase Mayhem podcast is where we glean how the great pilots of the world get there. Hosted by Red Bull X-Alps pilot, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and current holder of the North American foot launch record, Gavin McClurg. Follow me on Instagram @gavinmcclurg or on Facebook @ facebook.com/gavinnmcclurg or Twitter on @cloudbasemayhem.
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Episode 136- Rene Falquier and the ABC’s of Glider Design
Many of our listeners have been requesting more shows on gear and especially what goes into wing design. Here you go! Rene Falquier recently completed a year-long aeronautics and engineering thesis with BGD in France. In this episode we dive into how a wing comes to fruition. How much is science vs craft? How much is wing development driven by design philosophy? How does the design process work? And critically- does knowing anything about wing design help us become better pilots? You be the judge! Rene and I had a blast with this show, and I learned a ton. We’re trying something new out starting with this show after getting all the great podcast survey responses by dropping in a tip at the top of every show- let us know what you think and enjoy!
Here are the links to Rene’s thesis if you want to take a deep dive!:
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1359785&dswid=-4304
https://www.flybgd.com/en/paragliders/rene-falquier–pilot-142-1503-0.html
Here is the Base 2 tech video we discuss in the show from 1:01:37 to 1:02:37:
Show Notes:
* A review of travel and medevac (repatriation) insurance best practices with Bianca Heinrich
* The thesis, sailplanes, aeronautics
* Design tools manufacturers use
* Technology in wings
* Changing the degrees of freedom
* Paragliding design and surfboard design
* The design loop and possibly eliminating prototypes
* How do gliders improve and is something as radical as the Sharknose in our future?
* What about test pilots?
* Objective vs human criteria of a glider
* The “black art” of design
* The certification process and the cost involved in bringing a wing to market
* The roadblocks to wing progression
* The fluid structure interaction- lift and drag and aerodynamics
* Does understanding design help us pilot better? Analysis vs feel
* Confidence in design
* Risk and attitude
* Flying polars- get off the brakes! How much bar?
Mentioned in the Show:
Nik Hawks, Bruce Goldsmith, Bianca Heinrich, Eduardo Garza, InReach, Garmin, SPOT, GEOS, IMG Signature, Global Rescue, World Nomads, DogTag, JD Castile, BGD Designs, Felipe Rezende, Gin Gliders, PWC, Tom Lalise, Niviuk, Ozone, Torrey Pines, Kari Castle, Malin Lobb, FlyEO, Chrigel, Aaron Durogati