I just noticed PJD mention that he's a hang glider pilot. Me too! I've seen EV discussions over on the Hang Gliding forum and now visa versa. I wonder how many people here are pilots of one sort or another. Surely two HG pilots in this community is more than what you would expect in any randomly selected group.
Cheers Jason =:)
I will jump in on this, I have a hang glider a hand\g glider license issued in 1977. I am a pilot I own a Cessna 172 and I fly for a living flying on fire in the west for the forest service. I am the relief pilot for cloud seeding in Fresno California.
Eric Fisher
SiliconeBatteriesUSA.com
I had no idea that cloud seeding was still done. As a kid in the 1960's it was hyped of one of those "marvels of the Future" things.
Now that the issue has been brought, I should admit that I haven't been flying much over the past few years. This season I flew only 6 times or so - maybe 5 hours of flight time. Some of it is uncooperative weather lately, loss of one of the flying sites (I'm still strictly a foot-launch purist), and it seems most weekends have stuff to do on the house, yard, or the scooters.
Going back on topic, are all of you are familiar with Electra-flyer? They build an battery-electric trike (meeting US FAR part 103) and two light-sport class electric motorgliders.
http://www.electraflyer.com/
I wonder how much extra weight one can carry on a hangglider or paraglider but still soar efficiently.
What is the maximum pilot weight for the biggest glider?
Can one build a battery powered paraglider that can still be carried up a mountain by foot? Probably tricky...
I almost got my paraglider license ten years ago, did all the required flying and exams but then got snowed under with work and moving house and never applied for the actual license until it lapsed.
Short bursts of electric propulsion might work wonders if they allow you to get back into a thermal bubble. Or give you that extra control to choose a nice landing site.
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
They make large hang gliders for tandem use. The wills wing Falcon 3 Tandem is rated for 500 lbs/225 kg, they also make even higher weight rated (but higher wing loading and higher stall speed) hang glider wings for 2-seat powered "trikes".
There is also a gas-powered hang glider harness called the "Mosquito" that has reached a certain level of popularity. But being as it is rather underpowered as it is - you need a long takeoff field in hot humid weather - I don't see a heavier electric version coming out.
I believe that a few people have built lithium cell powered paragliders. Due to their cost compared to gas versions, their popularity is not taking off. You don't have to hike them up a mountain, just take off from level ground. The whole object of the sport of paragliding or hang gliding is to find and stay in the lifting air, so using a motor in the way you described it would be rather unsporting.
Did you check the electraflyer website? They build an electric trike-type ultralight.