Archaeopteryx microlift glider


				*Archaeopteryx microlift glider*



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LATEST VIDEO: start at ChurerJoch, 15 Sept 2012

Ronald's landing at Rossboden,Chur

flyby of our Archy above Churfirsten, 27 July 2012

new video of Bungee launch!

Bungee launch from Alp Scheidegg (Felix followed by Ronald), 1 oct 2011

Video of Ronald's first Archaeopteryx flight on 6 May 2011

Click here for article in IBM magazine...

Below is a chronology of my key adventures with the Archaeopteryx - newest at bottom of the page.

I ordered an archaeopteryx in the summer of 2007. I was assigned S/N 014, and then a long wait started. In May 2010 I was informed that the price would more than double, and as a result got together with my partner Felix Kreier. My partner had already ordered S/N 003. On Dec 2nd, 2010 our series production plane was completed.

On Feb 19th 2011 Roger Ruppert performed the maiden flight of our S/N 003 from Alp Scheidegg (foot launched!) and flew it to Mollis. So the first flight of our machine was already a foot-launched distance flight!

Felix Kreier also manufactures parts for the Archaeopteryx, click here to get to his company.

S/N-003 maiden flight - foot launch (Pilot Roger Ruppert)

On May 6th, Felix and I made our first flights on our Archy! We made three flights each, car winch launched (driver: Ernst - THANKS! Instructor: Walter: THANKS!). This all went very well. First impressions: easy to handle, flies beautifully. Launch and landing very similar to regular gliders - everything just at half speed! This slow flying is a completely new experience....

Ronald's first take off on Archaeopteryx, May 6 2011

Ronald's landing

In the mean time, Felix and I continued with more car-winch launch flights and on to aero-tow behind the Remos G3 - all under the professional guidance of Walter Elmer from the Airsportcenter in Mollis. To qualify for the licence, Felix and I each made our flights of more than one hour, using thermals. The picture below shows the impression of Ronald's 1hr38min flight on June 10th.

Towards Walensee / Schäner from Kerenzer

In weak thermal, Flaps +15, speed 37KMH!

over Mollis

On 17 August Felix and I got our license so we can now fly without instructor. Over the past few weeks we have made our first bungee cord launch.

Ronald's first off-airfield landing (Galgenen)

Arachaeopteryx hooked up for Bungee launch, Alp Scheidegg

Ronald's second off-airfield landing (Wasserschloss, foot Alp Scheidegg)

Well, we had to wait a long time for good weather and various other constraints. My first flight on the Archy this season, taking off behind Remos (Thanks, Nils! wonderful tow) - his first with Archy. Three hours of great soaring in marginal thermal conditions. Had no time to take pictures during the flight - visibility was not so great, but here is a pic straight down a few minutes before landing. (Mollis, 19 May 2012).

Mollis Glider section from Archy at 400m above ground(19May2012)

On 30 June 2012, I had a 4hr51min flight, my 30th, on our Archaeopteryx. This was absolutely amazing! Aerotow to 1600 meters in Oberseetal, then at 2300 I crossed over to Mattstock and then was able to soar along the Churfirsten (twice) to Walenstadt and back, getting up to 2700m. Then I went back to Mollis airfield, as I was worried about weather (possible T-storms and wind) and when I got there saw that weather conditions allowed me to continue. Then I soared along the Wiggis after which I went into the Klöntal and return through the Oberseetal. The track (using XCSoar on a 7" Galaxy tab attached to my knee) is shown below.

track of 4h51m flight on 30 june 2012

On 10 Sept I wanted to get some landing training in preparation for the bungee launch days at Churerjoch on 14-16 Sept. The 2nd flight that day, I flew from Mollis to Wolfhausen and landed in a field about 200m from where my partner Felix lives. The track below shows the flight that took 1h45m. This was exciting! It is easy to land the Archaeopteryx in small fields. I would never want to land in the same field with a regular glider.

flight from Mollis to Wolfhausen on 10 sep 2012

off-field landing Wolfhausen on 10 Sept 2012

off-field landing Rossboden (Chur) on 15 sept 2012

On 6 October the weather was much better than I had expected. I was towed by Nils to the LeistChamm (see picture below - wow!) and there I was able to make it to 3300m! I had a very stiff headwind (see second picture: look at airspeed and groundspeed!) and for the first time ever, I was in a wave! Very cool...

tow as seen from Remos G3 - picture courtesy Nils B (Thanks, man!) - 6 oct 2012

in Wave - see airpeed and ground speed! - and going up... Above LeistChamm 6 oct 2012

flight track around Leistchamm - 6 oct 2012

Here is the German website of the manufacturer.

Roger Ruppert, the designer, constructor and test pilot of the Archaeopteryx has optimized toward a completely different design space from the traditional German glider manufacturers. Instead of making the gliders ever faster, and therefore more heavy and more difficult to get airborne, Roger went the opposite direction. A very light plane that can fly very slowly is the result.

Link to the wikipedia website on this type of gliders (Microlift gliders)

link to the impressive video of the prototype, from Ruppert Composite, 2010

link to Walter Elmers Airsportcenter (instructor)

Link to the innovator's dilemma book

Click here to view Video of the Innovator's Dilemma author keynote at SC10 (one hour, a must...)

(This is a one hour video in MPEG4 format, can be viewed with quicktime)

click here to download Flying Outside The Envelope

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