skydiverek 63 #1 May 5, 2004 Check the below link to Tom's website. Is this a home-made wingsuit? The wings seem to extend from palms to feet! (The picture is very big, so you might have to scroll it to "find" the wingsuit flier.) http://homepage.mac.com/tbaiello/.Pictures/Sugar%20Glider/Sugarglider3.jpg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #2 May 5, 2004 There's a thread on here somewhere with some discussion. The suit is "home" made (I think Shaun actually hired professionals to sew his suits). I think the one in the photo is his sixth or seventh prototype. It does not have the greatest wing area (I believe he was running into problems with larger wing areas being nearly impossible to fly for any length of time). The huge wing area has some definite advantages for BASE (primarily that it begins flying sooner), but isn't actually that big a deal, especially for skydiving. The efficiency of the S3, for example, means that it achieves much higher forward speed, which yields more lift and hence better glide ratio, even with less wing. I'd guess that the SugarGlider in the photo was getting a little better than 2-1 glide (compare to top flyers in S3's getting 2.4-1 or so, if I recall correctly). There are lots of tradeoffs involved in the use of bigger wings, and generally I think that the "big wing" suits are seeing slightly worse glide ratios, but have the potential to start flying sooner from zero airspeed (important in BASE, irrelevant in skydiving), be a bit easier to fly at lower experience levels, and move slower in both the forward and downward directions (which might be important if you wanted to land the suit). Lots of interesting designs floating around out there--but personally my money is still on Robi for the most efficient suits, at this point.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #3 May 5, 2004 not sure, but I think I jumped with a guy with that suit in Pietermaritzburg on a 7way flockdive. He had to fly with his wings very "open", hands high up to stay in contact with the base, otherwise, he would have stayed lots longer than teh guy on his back with the GTIscissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SimonM 0 #4 May 7, 2004 Hi All, That is one of the South African Sugarglider suits. They are huge ie completely cover the puff at pulltime and hard work to fly (I have tried one on but never flown one). They fall super slow (slower than an S3) but are not are not that fast forward. The design is more like an S-fly with the whole body inflating rather than the wings only. From what I have been told, in the right hands, they can cover more distance than a S3 but will take longer to do it. As far as I know they are not in commercial production and there are no plans to do so. Simon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paddyFrenchman 0 #5 May 7, 2004 "From what I have been told, in the right hands, they can cover more distance than a S3 but will take longer to do it. " More distance, MOre time in the air... Isn't that what we want ? Paddy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bodypilot1 0 #6 May 8, 2004 Quote (I have tried one on but never flown one). *** All worthless information -www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #7 May 10, 2004 Quote"From what I have been told, in the right hands, they can cover more distance than a S3 but will take longer to do it. " More distance, MOre time in the air... Isn't that what we want ? Paddy.I've jumped with someone who had a VERY similar suit (an uberlarge one-winger). It's basically braked freefall. The fall rate wasn't all that (50 MPH or so) and the forward speed was non-existent. This one might be a bit better, but the principle of giant wings just means more drag... without the drive to obtain lift, the fall rate and glide ratio can never really be that great."¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meekerboy 0 #8 May 13, 2004 I saw this suit in Norway when Shaun was testing it last summer. He designed this suit specifically because he wants to jump Table Mountain in South Africa. From what I have heard, this Base jump is little more than a go and throw. Shaun wants a floaty suit so that he can outfly the first bit. If he does, then he has several thousand feet of freefall to play with. This is what I remember from conversations with him. The suit is very professionally made. Meeker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miko 0 #9 May 13, 2004 it looks not easy to pull- is it so? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #10 May 13, 2004 QuoteFrom what I have heard, this Base jump is little more than a go and throw. Shaun wants a floaty suit so that he can outfly the first bit. Is that the same 4-seconds-to-impact flight that Jeb did off TM?-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
basehoundsam 0 #11 May 14, 2004 Go and throw?????? Not if your Jeb........ large winged dark bird of prey !!!(or is ir pray??). Jay Epstein Ramirez www.adrenalineexploits.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
