!! Miss SEPTEMBER !!
~
The COLANI ENERGY SAVING PLANE
&
The COLANI/DANNYSOAR TETRAHEDRAL
SKELETAL FLYING DEVICE
The Plane
I can do no better than to quote the caption of the pix.
"'Energy-Saving
Plane"--
a Plane of Tomorrow."
--o--
"Proposal for an extremely low-fuel-cost, lightweight plane which,
seating two to four passengers, dashes forward and upward by means
of its engine and glides forward and downward with the engine stopped.
Either a VW 
engine and a propeller, or a small turboprop (or a Wankel rotary) and
a ducted fan are suggested propulsion systems. In theory, the plane should
be able to fly non-stop a distance of 3,000 to 8.000 km. Developed in 1973.
Model in photo is a scale model. A flying model is expected to be completed
by 1980."
The Plane as an FAC Model
I think this hovers on the edge of maybe. Behind the prop
there is a structural tube that, with a bit of enlargement, could
serve to contain the rubber motor. I’d like to see one in the air.
Someday?
Luigi Colani
Colani is a wonderfully imaginative designer with a powerful
interest in aerodynamics. He seems to make a fine living designing chairs,
watches, bath room stuff, erotic statues, sport clothes &c in a large
baroque villa in Switzerland(?). But he also finds the time to design fun
things like swoopy 
sports
cars, giant flying wings, streamlined steam locomotives &c. He frequently
makes, wonderful photographs of the.models. He seems a modern bel
Geddes.
More about him can be found at his web site Colani's
WebSite (CLICK)
I’d like to thank Lars Sundin for finding this web site.
And some pix are to be found at......
T
he I D E Virtual Design Museum (CLICK)
These pix came from CAR STYLING 23’ Special Edition
= LUIGI COLANI : DESIGNING TOMORROW. It was one of a a flossy
set of books with a Japanese / English text I found wallflowering
away in a local used book store- A find that made my week.
THE COLANI/DANNYSOAR TETRALHEDRAL SKELETAL FLYING
DEVICE
I started with an all balsa proof of concept of a rubber powered Colani
Energy Saving Plane (CESP) as a tractor with a prop at the very front.
I was unable to make it fly. It seemed that the center of lateral area
was too far forward. Perhaps the large rubber prop was the culprit. I think
of filling much of the space in the the triangle with transparent covering
might allow a scale (CESP). But I was entranced by the idea of an uncovered
frame circling around overhead, so I made it a pusher.
The model has a span of 21-1/2". The flying surfaces are made of the
lightest hobby shop 1/32" I could find. I wrapped a sheet around a plastic
sewer pipe and stripped them of with an Airscrew balsa stripper opened
as wide as it would go, about 7/8".
After considerable adjustment I've got it so it so it will fly in right
circles for about 45sec. The illusion of a model flying around with no
covering is pretty good and when it is sitting on a table I've had folks
ask me about covering it
There is no doubt in my mind that this can be improved. The central
triangle is much too heavy. I think a big (CESP) would make a glorious
addition to a summer sky.
PLANS
& INSTRUCTIONS FOR A
COLANI/dannysoar
TETRAHEDRAL SKELETON PLANE
OF
YOUR VERY OWN
(CLICK)
Home (CLICK)
Fantasy Flyers Introduction
(CLICK)
Miss August (CLICK)
Miss Autogyro Channel Flight
(CLICK)
feel free to write me at dannysoar@worldnet.att.net