From: parfrk@rs6106.ecs.rpi.edu (Karl Andrew Parfrey)
Subject: a call for mythology
Reply-To: parfrk@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 00:33:39 GMT


first, 

a)  thanks to sailplane pilot David Hagood who corrected my L:D figures for
	sailplanes.  The figure I gave for a world class
	sailplane (65+) is a bit high and should be around
	50:1 instead.  A dumb error of me considering...

...b)  A couple of people have e-mailed me asking just what is it
	that I do in this Center for Composite Materials and
	Structures.  Besides making carbon fiber bird feeders,
	I help build sailplanes.  A brief history:

	The CCMS has an ongoing project known as the "Sailplane
	Project" in which undergraduate students design and build
	composite sailplanes.  The project started in 1976 and five
	years later completed the RP-1, which I am told is the world's
	first _all_-composite aircraft.  It was a rather crude glider
	which featured a rather terrifying open cockpit.  The finished
	sailplane weighed in at a total of 53 kg, which was lighter
	than its pilot.  It had an L:D of 20.

	The second craft we built, the RP-2, was more aerodynamic and
	high-performance.  Again it took about 5 years to design and
	build and the final weight was 123 kg.  The L:D was 28.

	The current sailplane, the RP-3, is similar to the RP-2 
	although it is a two-person sailplane.  The rationale behind
	this was that we wanted students to be able to ride as passengers
	in the craft that they helped build.  That way, when they did
	sloppy work we could always threaten to _make_ them fly in it,
	and they usually were much more careful after that.  It should
	be done in a year or so, although I've been saying that for
	a couple of years...

	I am a master's student and my thesis is the structural design
	for the next project.  After three sailplanes we decided that
	it was time for something different.  My proposal for a high-speed
	composite ice yacht was met with approval and it seems that will
	ultimately be the RP-4 and likely RP-5 as well.  The ice yacht(s)
	will be constructed of carbon fiber and will ultimately employ
	such things as a hard-airfoil sail, ground effects,  and computer
	managed aerodynamics.  The ultimate goal is to break the world
	ice yacht speed record, which if memory serves me is about 
	130-140 mph.

	Aside from my thesis I help teach the sailplane project.  I give
	lectures once a week on composite materials, frequently using
	F1 technology as examples, which helps in keeping the students awake.
	In the 15 or so years of the project about 600-700 students have
	gone through the lab.  It gives engineering students a valuable
	opportunity to work with their hands and learn that real-life 
	engineering has more to do with creativity and common sense than 
	solving algebraic equations.  I learned that one from F1.

	Speaking of creativity I've decided that the ice yacht needs to be
	called something other than RP-4.  I asked an Estonian friend of
	mine (who, incidentally, wears carbon fiber earrings) to think
	of a good mythological sort of a name for a high-speed ice yacht.
	Being that Estonian is such a lovely, melodious language (<-irony)
	whenever I try to pronounce most of her suggestions I sound like
	Ross Perot tying to run down the names of an F1 starting grid.
	Actually, the Estonian word for seagull is kind of nice (lots of
	K's and J's, which rank high on the nifty scale) but I thought I
	would give you guys a crack at it too.  I've noticed that a few of 
	you hail from the land of the midnight sun so it seems likely
	that you can suggest some good names.  Please e-mail me at
	
	parfrk@rpi.edu

	thanks,
	
		-Kap

	p.s.  any iceboaters out there?
	


-- 
Kap Parfrey   (parfrk@rpi.edu)			The opinions expressed
Center for Composite Materials  		herein are not my own
 and Structures 				but rather those of my
Dept of Mechanical Engineering 			employer. I am merely a
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute		puppet of the regime.
Troy Ny USA 						- Pinochio