Bruce Carmichael offered the following at
the November 2002 TWITT meeting:
"In 1950, while attending the National Soaring
Meet in Grand Prairie Texas, I saw a tiny 26 foot span, 7.5 aspect ratio,
swept back flying wing with all moving wing tip elevons. This had apparently
evolved from a comment that Dr. Alexander Lippisch had made to Dr. August
Raspet pointing out that a very low aspect ratio very low zero lift drag
craft obtained its maximum L/D at a low value of lift coefficient compared
to normal sailplanes. Thus one could obtain better penetration than you
might think. This idea intrigued Raspet. He
encouraged Prof. Franklin Farrar of Vanderbilt University to build such
a ship. With a 175# empty weight and a l75# payload, the wing loading came
to 3.89 psf. An L/D of 36 and a mm. sink of 2.4 ft./sec. was expected.
The pod was entirely below the wing. Entry and exit was obtained by jettisoning
the tail cone. One crawled in on ones belly until your head came to the
transparent leading edge. You stuck an arm out inside each wing until you
grasped a handle, which controlled the all moving elevons at the wing tips.
The photo shows Wally Wiberg and Franklin Farrar with the claustrophobic
wing. The normally wild, risk taking Wiberg made a ground tow but said,
“Thanks but no thanks’ for an offer for aero tow." |