Hard to believe but, it’s been over 30 years since the pedal-powered Gossamer Airplane flew across the English Channel. Besides winning a huge cash prize, some of the carbon-fiber construction techniques used today were invented during the project.
If you’re lucky enough to be in the S.F. Bay area next week, don't miss the Aero Club of Northern California luncheon on Thursday, April 3, featuring Dr. Morton Grosser presenting on the human-powered, Gossamer Airplane project. Luncheon is at 11:15 AM at Michaels at Shoreline, Mountain View, CA. Please send your name and choice of Cobb Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad, or Baked Canneloloni in an email to [email protected] or call 408-634-8062.
Dr. Grosser is a local aviator who is a frequent speaker at EAA AirVenture. In the preamble to his speech, he'll talk about the importance of exposing young people to aviation and encouraging them to learn to fly. In his own family, the aviation baton has passed to his son, Adam Grosser, to whom the family's five airplanes are now registered.
According to Grosser, the story of the Gossamer Airplane Project is simple:
"Three teams totaling 44 people (about 20 team members per plane, with many overlaps) designed, built, and flew six 100-foot wingspan airplanes for two new flight regimes in five years. They won the two largest prizes in the history of aviation and several medals, invented many of the carbon-fiber construction techniques used today, wrote widely-cited technical papers, published three successful books, and made three movies which won, respectively, an Oscar, an Emmy, and the Golden Eagle at the National Film Festival."
Dr. Grosser co-designed and built components for three human-powered airplanes, including the Gossamer Albatross that won the £100,000 Kremer Cross-Channel Prize. He was a member of the flight expedition, a pilot of the Gossamer Albatross II, and wrote the authorized book on the Gossamer airplane projects. This event is open to members and non-members alike. Please attend the luncheon and invite a friend you feel might be interested in joining the Aero Club! Lunch is $20 per person, paid at the door. Please RSVP to [email protected] or 408-634-8062. Hope to see you there!
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