How did they get the Gemini-Rogallo test vehicle airborne? [ Big G Gemini Question]

Thanks to Pat for the Gemini Rogallo references. My questions is: how
did they launch the piloted Gemini-Rogallo test vehicle for its glide
landings? I think a helicopter was used to tow the boilerplate with
attached inflated Rogallo wing, but it would probably take repeated
viewing of some actual footage for me to understand how it was done.
Anyone know the answer?

John Charles
Houston, Texas

John Charles wrote:

Thanks to Pat for the Gemini Rogallo references. My questions is: how
did they launch the piloted Gemini-Rogallo test vehicle for its glide
landings? I think a helicopter was used to tow the boilerplate with
attached inflated Rogallo wing, but it would probably take repeated
viewing of some actual footage for me to understand how it was done.
Anyone know the answer?



We discussed this here a couple of years ago, but I haven't been able to
find the thread via Google. I think Mary Shafer knew about this.

Pat

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:43:55 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:



John Charles wrote:

Thanks to Pat for the Gemini Rogallo references. My questions is: how
did they launch the piloted Gemini-Rogallo test vehicle for its glide
landings? I think a helicopter was used to tow the boilerplate with
attached inflated Rogallo wing, but it would probably take repeated
viewing of some actual footage for me to understand how it was done.
Anyone know the answer?

We discussed this here a couple of years ago, but I haven't been able to
find the thread via Google. I think Mary Shafer knew about this.

Wow, I'm really late getting back to this.

They towed it aloft behind the Pontiac convertible they used for the
lifting bodies.

There's one bit of film of the Rogallo wing that always makes me
laugh. Milt lands rather bouncily and tips over, resting on the wing
and the rear wheel. He's stuck--he can't reach the lakebed, although
he tries. They stop the film before the ground crew comes over and
tips him back up, though.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer

Mary Shafer wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:43:55 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

John Charles wrote:

... My questions is: how
did they launch the piloted Gemini-Rogallo test vehicle for its glide
landings?

They towed it aloft behind the Pontiac convertible they used for the
lifting bodies.

Mary, thanks, but I think you are referring to the Parasev test
vehicle built by Milt Thompson and NASA out of odds and ends at
Edwards. Later, North American Aviation actually built an inflatable
Rogallo wing (of the same configuration that was intended for Gemini
landings) and attached it to a Gemini boilerplate capsule, and had a
test pilot (sometimes it was Jack Swigert, before he went to NASA) fly
and land it.

THAT is somehing I have read about and imagined, but would love to see
the footage!

John Charles
Houston, Texas

John Charles wrote:

Mary, thanks, but I think you are referring to the Parasev test
vehicle built by Milt Thompson and NASA out of odds and ends at
Edwards. Later, North American Aviation actually built an inflatable
Rogallo wing (of the same configuration that was intended for Gemini
landings) and attached it to a Gemini boilerplate capsule, and had a
test pilot (sometimes it was Jack Swigert, before he went to NASA) fly
and land it.

THAT is somehing I have read about and imagined, but would love to see
the footage!


I want to see the footage where it has a really hard landing, and they
decide that this is _not_ the way that Gemini is going to land.
So...what about rotor blades on the capsule? Then it can autorotate in
to a landing! The Soyuz team came up with this idea:
http://www.astronautix.com/graphics/s/soyrotor.jpg
See the rotor blades? See the landing legs? See the reentry capsule? See
the big dent in the side of the reentry capsule?
'Nuff said.

Pat

Pat Flannery wrote:



John Charles wrote:

Mary, thanks, but I think you are referring to the Parasev test
vehicle built by Milt Thompson and NASA out of odds and ends at
Edwards. Later, North American Aviation actually built an inflatable
Rogallo wing (of the same configuration that was intended for Gemini
landings) and attached it to a Gemini boilerplate capsule, and had a
test pilot (sometimes it was Jack Swigert, before he went to NASA) fly
and land it.

THAT is somehing I have read about and imagined, but would love to see
the footage!


I want to see the footage where it has a really hard landing, and they
decide that this is _not_ the way that Gemini is going to land.
So...what about rotor blades on the capsule? Then it can autorotate in
to a landing! The Soyuz team came up with this idea:
http://www.astronautix.com/graphics/s/soyrotor.jpg
See the rotor blades? See the landing legs? See the reentry capsule? See
the big dent in the side of the reentry capsule?
'Nuff said.

Pat

I had a plastic model of a Gemini spacecraft. The kit came
with the option of modeling the craft for landing on land.