INDEX:
The Handbook of Glider Aerobatics
History and Evolution of the Glider
Fundamentals of Sailplane Design
Za modré obzory" ("Beyond The Blue Horizons")
Title: The Handbook of Glider Aerobatics
Authors: Peter Mallinson and Mike
Woollard
Imprint: Airlife
Binding: Laminated boards
Format: 246x189 mm
Extent: 128 pages
Illustrations: Photographs and line
drawings
ISBN: 1 84037 110 2
Publishing Date: May 1999
Price: $44.80 Available through Blanik America
KEY FEATURES:
* The first instructional book on this new sport
* Essential reading for all glider pilots
* Excellent diagrams portray the glider's flight path through each acrobatic figure
* Equally applicable to instructors and student pilots alike
* Includes the latest L13 AC BlanikTHE AUTHORS
Peter Mallinson and Mike Woollard both started flying gliders at Nymphsfield in Gloucestershire in their late 20s and their flying careers progressed along parallel paths. They both spread their wings to include powered aviation at an early stage and were soon flying a Fournier RF4D motor glider. This aeroplane with its delightful acrobatic qualities undoubtedly encouraged them in their common fascination for aerobatics. In 1989 they attended a course in glider aerobatics run by the Polish champion, Joseph Solski and were instantly inspired by his remarkable flying and instructing skills. They went on to develop their own instructional techniques which have been used to teach many of the best acrobatic glider pilots flying in the UK today. This book is based on those techniques.
Peter Mallinson lives near Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, and Mike Woollard lives in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
DESCRIPTION
This book provides a reference point for use in conjunction with acrobatic instruction. It aims to help provide an understanding of the important subjects that are essential for safe and successful acrobatic flying.
Section A: Theory
Deals with the following four topics:
I Safety Considerations
2 Flight Envelopes
3 Glider Design
4 Aresti (the graphical system used to portray acrobatic figures)Section B: Flying the Figures
Describes in general terms how to fly some of the figures most commonly encountered. There are eleven figures from the beginners or 'Standard' level and seven from the more advanced levels.Appendix
Includes a step-by-step guide to constructing Flight Envelopes for various gliders.
Title: History and Evolution of the Glider
Author: Giorgio Zanrosso
Imprint: Il Cardo
Paper: Chalk Paper
Format: 300x240 mm
Extent: 123 pages (VOL I), 245 pages
(VOL II), 225 pages (VOL III), 304 pages (VOL IV)
Illustrations: High Quality Photographs
and line drawings
| List | ||
| VOLUME I 1773-1914 | $65.75 | $46.30 |
| VOLUME II 1915-1945 | $82.65 | $60.60 |
| VOLUME III 1945-1998 | $89.25 | $67.10 |
| VOLUME IV 1957-2000 | $89.25 | $67.10 |
Available through Blanik America
Review of Zanrosso's books by Derek Piggott
published in "Aeroplane"
Review
by Richard H. Johnson / published in the Soaring Magazine
DESCRIPTION
The literature devoted to gliding lacks a work that concerns the history and evolution of the glider in the world. The author of this volume has attempted to fill that gap, starting from the early attempts of the pioneers to build machines by means of which they might soar into the sky in gliding flight, up to the building of our modern-day high-performing gliders. SMILIAN CIBIC (Former President and present member of the Gliding Commission of the Aero Club d'Italia, Italian Delegate to the International Gliding Commission, and Recipient of Tissandier Diploma for organizational activities.)
A very thorough and up-to-date section on BLANIK gliders, including 3-view drawings and high quality black and white photographs is featured in Volume III, printed on 223 pages chalk paper sheets 24x30 cm. The Blanik section can be found on pages 142 through 151.
VOLUME I 1773-1914
Pioneers of Gliding from the earliest days up to 1914: Cayley - Le Bris-d'Esterno - Wenham - Pénaud - Mouillard - Biot - Montgomery - Phillips - Langley - Lilienthal - Hargrave - Pilcher - Chanute - The Wrights - Ferber - Corazza - Archdeacon - Weiss - Harth - FSV - Association di Darmstadt. Bibliography - Index.
VOLUME II 1915-1945 Part one: International gliding competitions in Germany from 1922 at Rhiin, in France and Great Britain, from 1922 at Combegrasse and Itford, in the U.S.S.R. from 1923 in the Crimea, in Italy from 1924 at Asiago. Gliders and Gliding activities up to 1945. The 1938 Competion for the selection of the Olympic Monotype. ISTUS and OSTIV. Part two: Rocket-propelled gliders. Gliders and Gliding up to 1945 in France - Germany - Great Britain - Italy - Poland - the United States - Switzerland - the U.S.S.R. Bibliography - Index.
VOLUME III 1945-1998
Early Post-War gliders. Non-laminar airfoil gliders of the 50s. Tailless gliders. Notes on airfoils. Laminar airfoil gliders in the 50s World records in gliding up to 1960 - Bibliography - Index.
VOLUME IV 1957-2000
Notes on composite materials. Composite materials in glider construction. The development of the construction of gliders in composite materials. The production of gliders in various countries. Powered gliders. The World Class. Elementary gliders. Considerations. Bibliography - Index.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
GIORGIO ZANROSSO was born in Schio in 1927, is now resident in Vicenza, holder of a Diploma in Aeronautical Construction, is a member of the Prealpi Venete Flying Club at Thiene and member of the Vicenza Section of the Air Force Association. He has written articles on the history of aviation and, in 1991, a book: "A Motor for the Airship", dealing with the pioneering era of the dirigible.
Here is the
review of Zanrosso's books by the famous Derek Piggott published
in "Aeroplane" Magazine in July 2002:
THE
HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE GLIDER Storia ed Evoluzione
dell'Aliante
(by
Giorgio Zanrosso; four volumes, ISBN 88-86585-20-9 and -23-3 for
vols 1 & 2; unstated for vols 3 & 4; La Serenissima, Via
Lago di Como 152, Vicenza, Italy; 12in x 9in hardbacks).
This set of books is probably the most comprehensive history of
gliding and soaring ever written. It traces the history of the
glider development from 1773, through the pre-Wright Brothers
days up to 2000, with an incredible number of photographs,
drawings and specifications of practically all the gliders. On
each page the text is in Italian on the lefthand side with an
English translation on the right. Each volume makes fascinating
reading and many of the photographs are unique to the books. The
first volume covers the early pioneers from Leonardo da Vinci
through to the 1914-18 War, a period including Sir George
Cayley's work and an extensive section on the Wrights' gliders.
Volume 2 covers the epic stories of the early World Championships
in Germany at Rhön, which drove the development of gliders from
flights of seconds to distances of hundreds of kilometres.
Vintage glider enthusiasts will love this volume as it has
details of all the early pre-war wooden gliders they treasure so
much. Volumes 3 and 4 cover the post war period and the rapid
development in glider design and new materials. Volume 4 will be
particularly useful for pilots looking for their next used
glider, as all the glassfibre machines up to the Ventus 2 and
Nimbus 4 era are illustrated with photos and three-view drawings
with detailed specifications. The author is to be congratulated
on completing this vast and important work.
DEREK PIGGOT, MBE.
Aeroplane, July 2002
Note: Derek Piggot himself is referenced in the books, in Vol I on cover photo and page 26, and in Vol IV on page 278.
The History and Evolution of the Glider, Volume IV by Giorgio Zanrosso is an extensively researched and excellent new book on the world's composite sailplanes, covering the period 1957 through 2000. The major portion of this book is devoted to 3-views, specifications, and discussions of practically every composite glider built worldwide.
Giorgio Zanrosso is an avid sailplane enthusiast who has prepared a series of fine and comprehensive books. Volume IV thoroughly describes the development of composite sailplanes from its very beginnings in about 1957 to the latest German 30.9-meter ETA super performance sailplane that was recently test-flown in Germany.
In addition to a complete history of the use of composites in sailplanes, it presents easy to understand text discussions. Included are related discussions on aerodynamics, meteorology, speed polars, flight envelopes, instruments, glide computers, GPS and data loggers. The section Composite Materials In General is interesting and quite thorough. It contains 13 full-sized pages describing Composite Materials In The Construction Of Gliders. A graph and discussion of the effect of different paint colors on the sailplane exterior surface temperatures exposed to the sun is included.
Also included is a full section on the World Class Sailplane Design Competition, and the development of the low-cost competition sailplane.
This book is printed on high-quality paper, and is a large 9 by 12 inches in size. Its text is in both Italian and excellent English. There is an indication that it might be available sometime in the future on a CD-ROM.
If you are interested in Volume IV, then you may be equally interested in reading Volume III which is similar but covers the non-composite sailplanes that were developed worldwide from 1945 to 1998. Giorgio did an excellent job with that book also. He included a full account of the historic RJ-5 laminar-winged sailplane design and development during the late 40s and early 50s at Mississippi State University.
The complete set of 4 volumes would make an excellent reference library. Volume I covers the period 1773 through 1914 and contains many interesting photographs and drawings. Volume II covers 1915 through 1945 and includes the start of gliding competitions worldwide.
Richard H. Johnson / Review published in the Soaring Magazine, November 2000.
Title:
Fundamentals of
Sailplane Design
Author: Fred Thomas
Translated by: Judah Milgram
Format: 270x240mm
Extent: 275 pages
Illustrations: High Quality Photographs and line
drawings
Tables: Design data for over 150 sailplanes
Price: US$76.80 plus shipping and
handling
Available through Blanik America
Fundamentals of Sailplane Design
Modern sailplanes are among the most beautiful and efficient aircraft ever built. The competitive demands of the sport of soaring have led to graceful, highly optimized sailplanes with glide ratios approaching 60:1. From the beginning, much of the progress in sailplane design has been due to the work of the German Akafliegs (Academic Flying Groups affiliated with Universities and Technical Schools).
This unique book by Professor Fred Thomas of the Technical University of Braunschweig grew out of the author's work with the Braunschweig Akaflieg. In its original German, it served as a textbook for an introductory course in sailplane design and a valuable reference for students in the Akafliegs. This English edition has been expanded and updated to include many sailplanes and technical developments that have appeared since the latest German edition.
However, this book is not only for the designer - it is also intended for sailplane pilots who wish to better understand the aircraft they fly. The discussion is kept at an introductory level, with emphasis on visualization and understanding the physical relationships rather than mathematical detail.
Experienced engineers will appreciate this text as well. The book.contains an outstanding collection of detailed information on sailplane design, including discussions of sailplane airfoils, certification regulations and sailplane flight testing, an extensive bibliography, and an appendix with design data for over 150 sailplanes.
Contents:
Basic Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics: Fluid dynamics and the sailplane - Airfoil and wing theory - Performance and handling qualities - Aeroelasticity
Design Requirements: Certification regulations - Cross country theory -Weather models
Sailplane Design Optimization: Basic considerations - Wing planform - Variable geometry - Flying wings - The World Class - Fuselage and wing-fuselage junction - Empennage and controls
Performance and Flying Qualities: Performance prediction - Wind tunnel and flight testing
Trends in Sailplane Development: Class definitions - History of sailplane development - Outlook
Appendices: Tabulated design data and 3-view drawings - "Zacher" flight test program - German-English glossary of technical terms
Title: ZA MODRÉ OBZORY "Beyond The Blue
Horizons"The book "Za modré obzory" ("Beyond The Blue Horizons") reports on the making of the world soaring records by Hana Zejdová (with the assistance of her father) during the "Kangaroo Expeditions - Soaring in Australia", over the past decade. Hana holds more world records than any other person in the soaring history (49 records), and in 1999 was awarded the aviation world's most-prestigious Otto Lilienthal Medal.
The book is printed on chalk paper. On eighty pages the reader can read the fascinating accounts of making of the world records during the expeditions, and view the results achieved. Eighty five pages contain color photos. The book is written in Czech with an English summary.
BOOK SUMMARY
Beyond The Blue Horizons
PhDr. Dusan Schneider, Author
In this book we present two record-breaking champion glider pilots, Mr. Vladislav Zejda (1934), and especially his daughter, Miss Hana Zejdova (1962). In the course of our narration, we will mention some details of that beautiful silent sport and of Australia, where Hana since the beginning of the 1990s has attained a number of national and world gliding records, so as to break them in a relatively short time again and again. To make a comparison, we are going to offer the life stories of another two woman pilots, Hanna Reitsch from Germany and Amelia Earhart from the USA.
Hana Zejdova started gliding at the age of sixteen and so far she has taken part in a lot of national and international competitions and championships, and achieved good placings at them. As early as 1997, she held the full 40% of all female world gliding records and she even beat some of the world records of men. On January 4, 1997, as the first glider pilot in the Czech Republic, she was successful in reaching the 1,000 km-distance: 1,025 km and 100 m! with Nimbus-4DM (VH-ZBY). During that amazing flight, she had to keep on assessing her situation according to the weather, and satellite navigation, making her decisions and weighing chances and risks. There are already 28 types of gliders and 3,500 hours, which equals 175,000 km, in her pilot log-book. By the way, Hana's mother, Mrs. Ruzena Zejdova, was a glider pilot too.
Since 1991, in November of every year, both the Czech pilots have left their country and their city of Brno in order to spend summer in Australia with our antipodes, but not on a beach but at hard work. Their gliding activities are organized within the framework of the "KANGAROO EXPEDITION" at Tocumwal Airfield with its SPORTAVIA SOARING CENTRE - the best equipped and world famous gliding school with good facilities near the town of Tocumwal and the Murray River, New South Wales.
We need not emphasize that organizing and running such an expedition is a very demanding business, and it is Mr. Vladislav Zejda, who shoulders the heaviest responsibilities not only at home to obtain sponsors providing financial support (there are absolutely no subsidies by the state or the Czech air civil organizations) and prepare all the necessary things for the next trip, but also in Australia where he acts as the manager of all the expeditions. He spares no efforts to run and do everything: planning, calculations, technical maintenance, securing weather-forecast, communications with Hana and providing help and safety for her while she is flying
or forced to make an outlanding, contacts of various kinds, in particular those earning some money. He started gliding as a young boy and very soon did he begin to gain gliding badges and participate in national and international competitions and championships. Let me mention that in 1960 Mr. Zelda carried out a straight long distance 644 km-flight from the town of Zamberk in the Czech Republic to the town of Brad in Rumania with an L -21 Spartak single seater glider. A year later, he reached a 10,510 m-altitude in Slovakia (now the Slovak Republic) with an L -13 Blanik single seater glider. Both the national records have not yet been broken up to now. Mr. Zejda has flown 46 types of gliders and spent 4,300 hours in the air, which equals 118,000 km.
Nevertheless, we can ask why the Zejdas go
gliding to such a faraway continent. Briefly, there are several reasons:
1) The fall of the "Iron Curtain" and the former Communist regime in 1989 made
such expeditions possible.
2) There are very good thermal and other meteorological and geographic
conditions for long distance flights there, even if the bush or desert -like
terrain can be very dangerous. It seems, however, that the Australian weather
gods mostly smile upon the gliders there.
3) The Australians themselves, including airmen from other countries, e.g.
Germany and Japan, are excellent and wonderful friends, who once enabled quite
an unknown couple from Europe to become first-rate gliders very soon. And our
people who in the past emigrated to that continent also continue to help.
That is why we have every reason to believe that the Zejdas will fulfill their goals step by step in the years to come: to break the present national and international records, and to carry out straight long distance flights of about 1,500 km. To accomplish those they have good knowledge, a high degree of discipline, technical understanding and skills. What they will need is a good glider or a superglider, favourable skies, accident free stays and a lot of good luck in their endeavours. Of course, we fully trust their competence.
Dear Reader, I have good news for you: Writing this SUMMARY, I hear that FAI (Federation Aeronautique Intemationale) awarded Miss Hana Zejdova its highest distinction for the gliders - "Otto Lilienthal's Medal”. Congratulations!
PhDr. Dusan Schneider, Author of “Za Modré Obzory” , Beyond The Blue Horizons. Brno, mid-March 2000. Czech Republic
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