Thank you very much Catia. The Swift is a beautiful glider and the sensations are awesome. Ther are other video's about the Swift on RU-vid. Regards. Christian
Thanks Koen. The beginning is not allways easy but you will see that it becomes simple after a little bit experience. What is very important with the swift is to test each command one by one and not together to test the effect separately. When you have a good idea, you can mix all the possibilities. Take care of you. Christian
Hello James. Thanks very much for that comment. I'm happy that you liked the video. You can discover other better video's of my Swift under my name. Regards
+BRIAN BROWN. Thanks Brian. You can discover my last video where you can see the real flight like if you was on board. Have a goodd view. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yaEeRDkHPW0.html
+hurleyinnh. Thanks very much. You saw certainly the 2 other movies I did. I hope you also will enjoy to see these two other movies. I'm busy to realize another with my flights at Marville. Regards.
Thanks. I'm waiting for the new flight season to begin the flights on long distances with this glider. The motor is only used for the take-off and to come back to the base if the thermals failed.
Nice wing... that's a lot better than foot launching and landing it IMO and worth taking a loss in the sink rate assuming the area was kept the same. Someone needs to make a rigid Kasperwing... another amazing wing design.
+john Ray . Thanks John. I did 3 others movies about my flights in the Alpen (France), at Romorantin (France- Sologne) and at Marville (North of France) where I fly. Enjoy. Regards. Christian
+Paul Randall Hicks (“Randy”) . Hello Paul. Thanks very much for your comments. It is effectively very amazing to fly with the Swift Light. See other video's via our forum : swiftpilots.freeforums.net/ or via You tube. I made video's with flights in the South Alpen, flights at Romorantin (Sologne - France) and flights at Marville (my club in the Noth of France). By. Christian
I see you have him nicely under control. Happy to see that the mixed steering of the pedals finally gets into you. I admit ...must have been hard to adapt to. Greetings, Koen
Wow! Please keep flying! And that is such a beautiful plane. I hope you continue to post vids. Get onboard cameras with split screens of the views outside and the cockpit whilst you control the aircraft. Just an idea. Be safe!
+Dan D. Thanks very much for you comments Dan. I will also try to take more video inside the canopy but there is no place inside to fix the camera. This winter, I will make a video of my flights at Marville (France). You can view the other video's I did in the South Alps and at Romorantin (France). Regards. Christian
+Forclaz Yvan . Hello Yvan. Thanks for your comments. You say "My swift was....". Did you stop to fly with the Swift ? Do you know our forum of the pilots of the swift ? swiftpilots.freeforums.net/ You are welcome on it to explain your experiences. Regards Christian
yes I quit swift to fly because there was an accident with a friend. I attended the first of rigid wing European competition. Always positive engraved in my memory. Since I adapted to my feeling invention www.joystickbike.ch Flying is just wonderful!
Hello Jerry. The Swift Light is a very improved glider and very safe. It is a super concept and the pilot is totally independent with the version Electro and thermic. Regards
Appreciate your concern re on ground handling problems although with drop off outriggers (similar to those on U2 spyplane ( used just for take off) you keep the existing mainwheels for landing and getting back to the hanger. Incidentally, which type of engine is fitted ? Is it a Rotax ?
peter johnson Hello Peter. The engine is a Bailey 4 strokes 175 CC. 17 HP. Very good engine but heavy and the cylander is outside in the airflow, loosing glide ratio. I'm thinking to install another 2stroke polini Thor 250. 18 kg and I can place the cylender vertically and totaly close the engine. 25 HP
Hi Christian. Re the half span outriggers idea, to overcome the weight problem, how about a simple cable release system which would enable 'plug in ' outriggers to be jettisoned after take off.
Hello Ed. It is a Ulm. It means that no aerobatic manoeuver can be made. Than, I experimented the stall and the Swift reacted as a normal glider. I didn't try the spin but the flight manual explains that the spin can be stoped exactly like a normal glider. Thanks for the comment about the video. I have other video on you tube about the swift. Enjoy. Regards. Christian
This looks like a lovely aircraft that was so beautiful in flight! It appeared your head is very close to the closed canopy when in flight, and also it appeared your forward/overhead view is totally blocked by the wing. Is that so?
Hello BigFiveJack. My head is effectively closed to the canopy but there is place enough if you are good installed in the seat. For the other point, you are right. The view forwards is bad. I installed a camera GoPro outside under the front part of the wing and via bluetooth, I have a good view on a tablet 7" to follow the clouds during the flight. Regards. Christian
Hello Brian. Thanks for the comments. I know for the music and the sounds of the engine and the air. See my other videos. This present video is a very basic video and was the first. The other are better but same for the music. Somebody like it , other not. But I let more sounds of the engine to be better in the sphere of the flight. Regards
That is just such a sexy plane/glider. Thanks for post. Just wondering is it possible to fly these with a (motor) glider license or do you actually need to come in from hang gliding?
+Jacques Vrolijk . Hello Jacques. Thanks for watching my videos. Actually, in Belgium and France, the Swift Light with engine (Swift Light PAS) is in the class Ulm. Then, you have to pass the license Ulm. In Austria, it is another system. But you can find more info on our forum : swiftpilots.freeforums.net/ and ask Robert Twiss that fly with a Swift electric in Austria. I'm also a pilot and instructor glider but I was obliged to pass the Ulm License to fly with the Swift light PAS Without engine, this glider is considered as a free flight glider and you don't need any license. I find this very dangerous ... Regards Christian
Hi Christian, I'm planning a trip to the school in Belgium to train on the 2 seater and see how I find it. Did you have any glider or 3 axis experience before the Swift? Also, what do you think of the electric version? Hugh
Hi Hugh, I'm coming from the world of the "true" gliders. I'm a pilot and instructor glider. I fly on glider since 20 years. The Swift was a little surprise because it is a wing glider and the reactions are a bit different as the big glider. The glide ratio is also different : 24 for the Swift light PAS and 42 for the DG505 :). There is a motor and in Belgium and France, this version with motor is in the class ULM. I did my brevet Ulm before to fly with the Swift. For the rest, it is a glider and when you know in which class you fly, there is no problem more :-) See my other video ( A day in Romorantin in 2013 with the Swift Light PAS ) to have a better idea about the flight. Have a good trip to Belgium. If you want, take contact with me and I will let you see my Swift. Send me a personnel mail via you tube mailing or Google mailing. ByBy Christian
I am just thinking about making a human powered flying wing (about 20m wing span). I am more into construction than flying so I want to ask, if it is really more efficient than a traditional glider. Would you recommend me to go for it or go for traditional airplane design. thx
Hello Peter. I'm not a specialist in aerodynamic. Then I cannot give you more suggestions or advices about what is more efficient. But at low speed, the flying wing is more efficient I think because you can develop a flying wing at lower weight. There is effectively no fuselage and no vertical and horizontal steering at the end of the fuselage. But a flying wing is more sensitive in pitch. Good luck in your project. Christian
You have a great plane to start with. I think you should clean the view from inside of metal bars and simplificate the structure without loosing the rigid characteristics.
Hello Skyflyer. You are right but untill now, nobody succeded in this project. Only one pilot tried to do this, Alfred Rhumer from Austria. He realized a cell in carbon. But I heard that it was not a great success and the cabin was heavier than my cell. It still stays a dream to realize a cell without all these metal tubes. If you have a suggestion !!
Christian Hugon Maybe if you didn't consider the possibility of adding Litium to the Aluminium you can have 3% less weight in the cabine structure. The alloy 2198 T8 can be a good start to study, it's density is 2,64 g/cm3 and it's rigid but still stands high tension without breaking (469MPa). There are other 20 varieties of Aluminium alloys. Inside the wing you can do a 5 bars duraalluminium structure for the attack edges and use fiberglass to complete the structure, and after that cover it all with a high tension plastic fabric (I don't know the name in english but it's used for rigid hang glider wings). I don't know your inside design but 95kg is a succes, you have a nice plane.
Skyflyer Seadiver Thanks for all these information but I'm absolutely no ingeneer and It's difficult for me to understand all these details you give me. I'm only a pilot. Don't forget that the true ingeneers are Bernard Bleeckx and Vincent Piret that bouth the concept and developped the final concept : the Swift Light and Swift Light PAS. I think that the wing don't have to be changed. It a fulll carbon-kevlar ultra light and I don't know if it is possible to do better for a wing. The glide ratio of 27 for the Swift light is coming from this fantastic wing design. But the problem is coming from the design of the cell, especially fot the Swift Light PAS with the engine Bailey 175 CC.First, I think it is possible to develop another design to integrate the engine and decrease the turbulences. Secondery, There a re to many tubes in the line of the view. The tubes in the rear side of the canopy could be more bent and not straight. But if these tubes are bent, they would be perhaps bigger to allow the tensions. I think that this design ( www.rhino3d.com/gallery/7/38088 ) would be the best. But, how to realize this and at what price ? :) You always can contact me in private to develop these idea if you want. Thanks for this discussion.
+bluestudio67 I had a swift that I flew for a couple of years, and set four world records on it strictly by thermal flying. It does just fine, though you need to keep in mind that the pitch is much more sensitive than a glider with a tail.
Hello Dom. Absolutely not. There is no problem for the take-off and the landing. If you place the winglets ontherwise, the risk is to break the wing at the landing. The place of the winglets are very important for the stabilization during the flight and in the thermals. If you place support from the bottom of the cockpit, you increase the drag. The only problem of the Swift is the place of the pilot under the wing. The view is very bad forwards. I'm busy to think about. Greets ! Christian
Hello. The Swift is not delivered in kit. But you can ask a kit to adapt for example the Swift light to the Swift light PAS or to the Swift light electro. For the rest, the Swift is composed in several pieces : the structure of the cell in Aluminium parts and steel parts, the 3 epoxy fairings of the cell, the two big wings and the two winglets. Regards. Christian
peter johnson You are right for the wheels but more wheels is more weight. I'm thinking about this modification since two years. For the music : it is not easy to chooce music for everybody :)
looks a bit comparable, but the Mitchell U2 is less safe ( notably because the pilot CG is ~centered with aircraft CG level), and the mitchell was a pure homebuilder aircraft, the Swift light not (high technology composite), the cost difference is gigantic...the most U2 i see, fly never as glider and as bad aerodynamics because very bad engine installation and no folding propeller...
Hello Ted, Happy new year. The CG cannot move a lot and you must respect the calculations. If you place more accessories on board, you have to pay attention about the CG. Then, I always place the differents new things on board around the CG. But the Swift is very stable, more than another glider. It is very sensible on the axe of pitch but when you know that, you use the stick very carefully. No change in strong winds or few winds. Regards
on flying wings is the position from the centrer of gravity against centrer of lift very important for the agility and stability, i known that from the Fauvel AV361(a light pilot need to use weights on the glider, but less if this glider is fitted with a self launching engine), but the airfoil strategy use is completly different: a Fauvel is a straight wing, with autostable airfoil without tip twist: this make it very safe, but produce a bit more drag, the swift light as conventionnal airfoils, twisted tips and sweep wings, such flying wings (like Horten or Northrop) are safe only with the low CG against center of lift (the pilot is under the wing)+the vertical fins at wing tips (or computed piloting on the B2 bomber...), i think on the Swift the changes from CG with pilot weight are minimal...(on Fauvel, the pilot is forward the centrer of lift to improve visibility, the pilot CG close from the aircraft CG)
Bill True . Thanks Bill. If you like, you can see the other videos. See here under to access to the two other video's I did about the Swift. Best regards.
Hello. The manual give the method to find the CG. It is not a problem. The CG is calculated with fuel and pilot on board. There is a fuel tank under the wing for 7,5 Lt, just on the CG. The max take-off weight cannot exceed 191Kg. Regards.
Hello. For the price, you have to contact the firm Aériane at www.aeriane.com/ . But normally, a Swift light without engine costs around 25.000 euro and a Swift Light PAS (with engine) 42.000 euros, with all the accessories.Regards. Christian
Hello Jeffrey. The Swift Light pas needs 40-50 m to take off on the concrete runway and approximatively 80 m on grass runway. You can see it on the other movies I did. The last film will be ready soon and you will see the different take off. Regards. Christian
+Randy Winner . Hello Randy. There is a two seater version at the Swift School at Beauvechain (Belgium). This version has no engine and is brought in the air with an Ulm (Dragonfly at Beauvechain). The two seater is only foreseen to learn to fly and is a two axes version. It is not very funny to fly but it gives a very good idea of the flight. The glide ratio is also very low. See the video's of nestofdragons on ru-vid.com Regards Christian
Hello topspeed10. The total weight of the Light PAS is 95 kg on the manual. In this weight, the fuel tank is 7,5 liter and the engine 4 stroke Bailey of 175 CC is around 25 kg. The Swift is a super technology. 95 kg for 12,82 m wingspan is fantastic. The Swift Light (without engine) weight 55 kg !! Greets. Christian
Christian Hugon You have two other movies about my Swift Light PAS and other film if you write "glider Swift light aeriane". Swift Light PAS in the Alpen- 2014- Short version A day in Romorantin in 2013 with the Swift Light PAS Have a good view
Swift Light PAS in the Alpen- 2014- Short version is the short version of my flights in the Alpen. You also have the same film long version for those who appreciate these types of movies. LES ALPES VUES DU SWIFT is the film of a friend. Beautiful movie !!! Have good view.
Thanks cowboy. But The video is more important than the music. I suppose that at a certain level a views, they analyse the detail of the video. No problem. That was my first video ...but with a lot of success. I don't understand why :) Thanks for your suggestion. Regards. Christian
Hello Lalle. No idea. You Tube I think. It was my first video and I thought that the music was not authorized. I will put new music when I will have time.
Hi Johnny. It was my first video and I was searching to mix the noise of the engine and a little bit piano. In each video, I try to let a little bit noise of engine during the take-off and the rolling on the ground and than, when I'm flying in the configuration glider , I place music on the film. Each person appreciate or not :). It is not always easy to choice the good music. Regards. Christian
Christian Hugon There are perhaps millions of music videos on RU-vid, in comparison very few videos of these wonderful flying machines, my suggestion, music at the beginning and the end. I look forward to many more videos of that magnificent machine. Happy New Year.
Thanks for this comment. You can find many others video but the best is the film of Didier Givois : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2GLZe7TYp7w.html I did two other videos : - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JDr32iFNat4.html - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WJFMtcVW3Dg.html Happy New Year Christian
Hello Jean-Michel. The important thing in the video is the glider. The rest depends of each person :) Somebody loves the music :) Give me your comments about my plane ...Regards. Christian
John Reap Hello John. Tha,ks for the comments. It is difficult to realize a video that please to everybody. Some people found the music fantastic ?! The choose of the music is very difficult. Best regards. Christian
Hello Warren. Thanks for the comments. Sorry for the music. Somebody like it, others don't like. Difficult to satisfy everybody :) The important thing is the Swift Light and the video about this glider.Regards
Well done fantastic, I was gliding for three years and just loved the air noise. I now fly a karatoo6, back off the power in a thermal and I'm almost with you.
Hello guys, I think it is not important to squabble to much about the music. Each person is different and has his preferences. But I understand the different comments about it and I try to make my best in each new video. In the other videos, even if I place musics, you always can hear the engine when it runs ;) This video was my first first first video and I tried to do my best. I'm not a professionnal. I only try to show my experience with the Swift and show you this super glider. Merry Christmas to everybody :) :) And good flights...always in security. Tanks for your comments !
+Robert Seviour . Hello Robert. Thanks for your comments. But this video was the first and there are many mistakes. The music was a choice. It is difficult thaht every body loves the music. Watch my last video. Regards. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yaEeRDkHPW0.html
+Christian Hugon excellent music choice, esp. the first half of the video. Keep flying! I wish I was in a community where experimental flying as yours and many other videos show was more of a norm.
