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From: iiit-sh@cybaswan.UUCP (Steve Hosgood)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Gemini and Rogallo wing
Message-ID: <501@cybaswan.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jun 89 21:41:40 GMT
References: <1989May29.032320.2277@utzoo.uucp> <486@cybaswan.UUCP> <1989Jun4.055452.12921@utzoo.uucp> <1158@cbnewsh.ATT.COM> <1989Jun5.235518.23416@utzoo.uucp>
Reply-To: iiit-sh@cybaswan.UUCP (Steve Hosgood)
Organization: Institute for Industrial Information Technology
Lines: 22

In article <1989Jun5.235518.23416@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
>In any case, note that the Rogallo Gemini would not have had a long gliding
>range, so it wouldn't have gotten a military crew out of hostile territory
>in the event of a major guidance foulup.  The main importance of precision
>landing was getting rid of the recovery fleet.
>-- 

Anyone with access to a National Geograpic collection may want to check out
the photo on page 370, March 1964. This shows an artist's impression of the
proposed Rogallo wing in action with Gemini. My apologies for linking this
project with Apollo in my earlier posting - I was working from memory, and
slipped up.

The wing design shown gets its rigidity from inflatable leading edges,
keel and cross-tubes! Hang Glider pilots who've ever flown a 'Bog Rog'
will also notice it has no keel pocket, which must have made it rather
difficult to steer.

As Henry says, it was expected to glide about 20 miles - not enough to escape
'enemy territory'.

Steve