SAILPLANES AND GLIDERS

Year Published: 1940s

Description: This brief film by John and James Love shows sailplanes, and features famed sailplane designer Hawley Bowlus. It was probably shot at Point Loma in San Diego, California. Sailplanes rely heavily on wind currents for movement forcing pilots to behave like birds. The film shows the assembly of sail planes and follows the flight of a newly assembled plane. William Hawley Bowlus was an American designer, engineer and aircraft builder. He was well known for his glider crafts and recreational vehicles during the 1930’s and 1940’s. The film opens with a special acknowledgment for Bowlus (:07) whom was also the chief pilot for this film. The film was produced by John W. Love (:15). The Wright Brothers first flight is pictured in a glider aircraft (:37). An engine was added to the glider making it the first airplane (:41). An early glider flies low over ground (:58). A sail plane zooms towards the camera (1:13). Hawley Bowlus appears in the cockpit (1:33). The foot pedals are noted for steering (1:40). A glider club works on a glider kit (1:48). They sand down wooden pieces (2:04). The assembled glider is taken to the field for a test (2:19). A car drags the sail plane into the air (2:27). A Hawley Bowlus Baby Albatross, tail NX13399, soars through the air (2:43). It glides down an imaginary slope in the air (2:52). Pilots search for rising currents of air in order to lift them upwards (3:02). The pilot also may search for ‘dust devils’ or thermals (3:20). Thunder head clouds are pictured (3:23). Crows and hawks circle on a thermal (3:30) similarly to how the sail plane might. The narrator mentions contour currents are better suited for the novice flier (3:48). These currents are explained (3:55). A sailplane swims in the air over a coastline (4:02). The pilot bends his ship into the wind for a turn (4:11). Another sail plane is pictured under assembly (4:39). Streamline struts support the wings (4:45). The control column (5:03) moves the elevators (5:07). The wheel (5:11) controls the ailerons (5:13). Pedaling is used to steer (5:15). Bowlus is noted on the rudder (5:17). The release is pulled on the control panel (5:25). The pilot straps on his safety belt (5:36). The wind shield is set over the cockpit (5:39). The helper lifts the wing tip (5:50). The speedometer shows the speed increase as the towing crew moves off (6:05). A good shot from the sail plane shows its lift off (6:09). The tether is released (6:17). The nose heads for blue waters (6:26). It bends in the updraft near a cliff (6:35). Another sail glider floats in (6:57). The camera follows the pilot in the cockpit as the move over the ridges of the cliff (7:38). A view from below captures the expanse of the sail plane’s wings (8:14). The ground zooms near as the sail plane readies for a landing (9:19). It skids against the dirt to a halt (9:30). The pilot and support crew notice a bird floating in the air above (9:47) bending along with the wind.

Complete Record: This brief film by John and James Love shows sailplanes, and features famed sailplane designer Hawley Bowlus. It was probably shot at Point Loma in San Diego, California. Sailplanes rely heavily on wind currents for movement forcing pilots to behave like birds. The film shows the assembly of sail planes and follows the flight of a newly assembled plane. William Hawley Bowlus was an American designer, engineer and aircraft builder. He was well known for his glider crafts and recreational vehicles during the 1930’s and 1940’s. The film opens with a special acknowledgment for Bowlus (:07) whom was also the chief pilot for this film. The film was produced by John W. Love (:15). The Wright Brothers first flight is pictured in a glider aircraft (:37). An engine was added to the glider making it the first airplane (:41). An early glider flies low over ground (:58). A sail plane zooms towards the camera (1:13). Hawley Bowlus appears in the cockpit (1:33). The foot pedals are noted for steering (1:40). A glider club works on a glider kit (1:48). They sand down wooden pieces (2:04). The assembled glider is taken to the field for a test (2:19). A car drags the sail plane into the air (2:27). A Hawley Bowlus Baby Albatross, tail NX13399, soars through the air (2:43). It glides down an imaginary slope in the air (2:52). Pilots search for rising currents of air in order to lift them upwards (3:02). The pilot also may search for ‘dust devils’ or thermals (3:20). Thunder head clouds are pictured (3:23). Crows and hawks circle on a thermal (3:30) similarly to how the sail plane might. The narrator mentions contour currents are better suited for the novice flier (3:48). These currents are explained (3:55). A sailplane swims in the air over a coastline (4:02). The pilot bends his ship into the wind for a turn (4:11). Another sail plane is pictured under assembly (4:39). Streamline struts support the wings (4:45). The control column (5:03) moves the elevators (5:07). The wheel (5:11) controls the ailerons (5:13). Pedaling is used to steer (5:15). Bowlus is noted on the rudder (5:17). The release is pulled on the control panel (5:25). The pilot straps on his safety belt (5:36). The wind shield is set over the cockpit (5:39). The helper lifts the wing tip (5:50). The speedometer shows the speed increase as the towing crew moves off (6:05). A good shot from the sail plane shows its lift off (6:09). The tether is released (6:17). The nose heads for blue waters (6:26). It bends in the updraft near a cliff (6:35). Another sail glider floats in (6:57). The camera follows the pilot in the cockpit as the move over the ridges of the cliff (7:38). A view from below captures the expanse of the sail plane’s wings (8:14). The ground zooms near as the sail plane readies for a landing (9:19). It skids against the dirt to a halt (9:30). The pilot and support crew notice a bird floating in the air above (9:47) bending along with the wind.

Transcription

have you ever watched the beautiful effortless flight of a soaring bird of course you have people have always dreamed of flying like birds the Wright brothers first flight was in a glider when they added an engine it became the first airplane and then bigger engines noisier more powerful engines were built but some men couldn't forget the birds whose secret they long to discover for 40 years those men labored and today their ships are so different from early models like this primary glider that they've changed the name they call them sailplanes what is a sailplane well you could say it's an airplane without an engine only it is lighter more graceful more fun to fly great strength with lightweight comes from skillful use of aluminum and straight grain spruce and paper thin plywood the ship can take a lot of bouncing on rough ground the fuselage is carefully streamlined and contains the standard flight controls we have the control column foot pedals for steering and the instrument panel most pilots assemble their own planes this glider club has bought a kit containing all the factory finished parts club members put the parts together in their spare time soon they'll be flying their own sail plane sailplanes have soared as high as the loftiest peak in the world the great Mount Everest they've stayed up over 50 hours they flown 465 miles and incidentally boys some of the records are held by girls now let's find out why a sailplane doesn't need an engine to accomplish these things the ship is pulled into the air at the end of a very long rope by an auto or a winch when the sailplane is as high as the Rope will allow it to go about 300 feet the pilot pulls the release which drops the rope there it goes and his flight begins the sailplane maintains flying speed by gliding down an imaginary slope of air when the air is still our craft will glide to the ground in a very few minutes to fly higher or stay up longer the pilot must find a rising current of air to carry him up thus he can fall with respect to the air but rise with respect to the ground in the search for an upward current Flyers look for what are called dust devils or thermals which are caused by Sun heated air rising from the earth like smoke from a bonfire sometimes these warm currents end in piles of cumulus clouds called thunderheads you've seen crows or hawks circling on a thermal letting the warm air carry them up and up to dizzy heights well sailplanes do the same thing spiraling round and round in the updraft but thermal soaring is for experts beginners ride on what are known as contour currents when the wind blows against a hill or cliff it has to rise in order to get over so a sea breeze blowing against a rugged coastline is just what a sail plane pilot needs it makes an ideal contour current in turning about the pilot always heads his ship into the wind to take full advantage of the updraft thermal and contour currents are the power of the sailplane in favorable weather we can stay aloft many hours and land whenever we wish how would you like to fly in a sailplane right now that is as soon as we can assemble it and get our launching gear ready for towing the wings are supported by these streamlined struts the whole ship weighs only 250 pounds and was carried here on a light trailer there are plenty of helping hands and our sky bird is soon made ready for flight now let's sit in the cockpit and check the controls before taking off working the control column back and forth moves the elevators which knows the ship up or down this wheel controls the ailerons on either wing tip which bank the ship on turns we steer with these pedals which are connected to the rudder then we test a hook which releases the rope by pulling the releases on the control panel yes it works ok so our assistant replaces the rope on the hook and signals rope fastened and now to fasten our belt all pilots do this for safety the windshield comes next this will reduce air resistance and still give us an excellent view forward to the side and down now our helper picks up the wingtip waggles it to signal the towing true that we are ready to make the flight the slack is taken up and we're off say did you feel that sunrise there's the breeze blowing up the bluff below now let's follow right down the brow of this cliff and stay in the updraft well hello here are a couple of fellows in another ship expert flyers to hey let's follow them we are nearing the end of the clip there's a strong lift here a good place to turn and here we go smooth and quiet up here our alertness our skill these take the place of the propeller we feel the slightest turbulence in the air there's the south turn ahead we've been making a figure eight if you've noticed in a sailplane we learn things about flying that an airplane pilot never knows of all flying sail planing is the safest the most thrilling a dream of the ages come true sail plane a ship on the wings of the wind you you

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