Built circa 1983 in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Engine: 215 cc, (1987 onwards) Cuyuna 430 cc.
Era
Pacific Sails
Bob Shute Sales took over Pacific Sails
Trike and Hang glider builder
Pacific Paragliders Monarch
Bruce Parlane had a company called ‘Pacific Paragliders’. He put together the first tandems that were eventually flown commercially off the ‘Skyline’ in New Zealand. The first tandem wing was a 31m ‘Monarch’ with a glide -ratio of about 6:1.
Pacific Kites Super Lancer
It was a very nice glider to foot launch. Sweet handling. The coolest thing was the way the glider set up. There was a slider connecting the crosstube to the keel. You simply pinned the base tube to the down tubes, stood the folded glider on its nose with the leading edges and the keel pointing straight up in the sky. You then just let the wings open up like an umbrella! One ball pin through the keel slider, stab the plastic flexible battens and you were ready for pre-flight.
It was intended to be used as a trainer, for which it was ideal. The Super Lancer was a floating monster.
It was always the highest glider on the ridge in ocean breeze lift. Like pole-sitting…you’d just lumber off the hill in that beast and levitate to the top of the line in no time: one pass, two, and you were looking down on everybody, even in the lightest of lift. Sometimes it was the only glider that could stay up. That was a time when gliders were valued for their ability to stay up in very light conditions, and handling wasn’t as crucial.
Very suitable for static boat-tow launches, but nothing like today’s gliders in performance…except in sink rate, which was remarkable.
The ribs were flat (plastic) that would form an airfoil after you got wind moving accross it so you HAD to run hard and land fast for that matter as it would just drop (if you let it) so you had to keep your speed up and come in fast.
Three models were available: 155, 180, and 200.
Pacific Kites Lancer 4
The Lancer IV was one of the great fun gliders of the 70s. Originally produced in New Zealand from 1979, designed or co-designed by Graeme Bird.
The Lancer was brought to the U.S. by Marty Alameda. Marty started Flight Designs in Salinas, California and began producing the Lancer under license in 1979.
Lancers, even the smaller size, were well known for their wonderful ability to float like a butterfly in the lightest breeze, while still retaining control and having, for the day, decent top end speed without falling out of the sky.
The Lancer was a dream to fly: it had both float and responsiveness. It wasn’t too fast. While still exploring the sport and its wonders, the Lancer was a real step forward in that it was a terrific all-around glider.
It was solid, responsive, thermalled beautifully without any nasty tricks, yet could float really well with gliders that were ten or 20 square feet larger.
Bar pressure in pitch was solid but not stiff. Roll pressures ditto. It came around in a turn with solid feedback but without working your arms to death. There wasn’t any of the yaw you associate today with bigger, higher-aspect gliders. But you could stall the inside tip and spin around for real tight climbing turns, and the planform of the glider would give you a climb rate that would take you up through the middle of thermal stacks like you were on an elevator.
It was a breeze to land: very predictable, again with wonderful feedback from the bar. Flare timing wasn’t an issue in most gliders of those days…you just waited for the right wind noise, the glider started to settle, you shoved the bar out and she dropped you smoothly onto the ground, even in no wind.
It is suitable for both intermediate and high-level pilots, thanks to its ease of handling, pleasant handling and excellent performance.
André Chayrou, Pacific Wings, was responsible for the construction of the Lancer IV in France, with sails made in New Zealand. The Lancer IV made in France were clean and well finished. Fitted with deflectors and flexible slats, an original system allows the umbrella to lock automatically, which avoids the possible forgetfulness of the famous push-pin. It was quick to rig having 7 flexible plastic battens per side.
Takeoffs were easy, but they did require a good committed hard run in light conditions.It was a great glider for ridge soaring but didn’t have great penetration into a strong wind. It went down quickly with the bar pulled right in without a great deal of forward motion. Though this was handy for landing in tight fields as you could quickly get onto the ground and the energy retention wasn’t great so you quickly washed off the speed ending in an easy flare and one or two step landing.
Some pilots experienced their Lancers tip stalling and developing a full spin, some speed being required when going into turns.
Some consider those made by Rithner in Switzerland a dangerous wing.
Lancer 16
Wing area: 15.5 m²
Wing span: 9.8 m
Aspect ratio: 6.2
Hang glider weight: 23 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 60 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 110 kg
Packed length short: 4 m
Nose angle: 120°
Lancer 18
Wing area: 17.6 m²
Wing span: 10.4 m
Aspect ratio: 6.2
Hang glider weight: 25 kg
Packed length short: 4 m
Nose angle: 120°
Lancer 190
Lancer 4S
Wing area: 175 sq.ft
Pacific Kites Express
Appearing for the first time at the Coupe du Mont Faucon 1984 were the first models of Express.
Since the Coupe du Mont Faucon where the Express appeared much faster than its competitors, André Chairou has “civilized” his prototype. The profile in the central part was thickened to improve the characteristics at low speed. The trailing edge of the extrados like that of the intrados were no longer scalloped but rectilinear and reinforced by a strip. To increase the roll rate, the surface of the marginal edges had been decreased.
The 28 pounds of the Express was further diminished by the use of a transversal in 62 * 0.9 which no longer required sleeve. When lifting the unit the core lugs will easily skew and bend the cables. 8 slats on the extrados, 5 in the intrados. The fiberglass sticks which form the marginal edges are very easy to assemble. The leading edge is not mylarized. The sail is bathbridge 4.2.
For reasons of stability, the intrados is connected to the extrados by a system of adjustable velcros. On the Express, by inflating the extrados to 80% moves the center of thrust towards the rear. This reduces the recall to neutral. The binding extrados intrados fights against this effect. Care must therefore be taken to ensure that the connecting hooks are always secured and their length is symmetrical for each wing. Those relieving the last lath of intrados to the extrados have an influence on the stability spiral. Too tense, they diminish it, too much, they increase it.
The stall is rarely symmetrical and is often followed by a quarter turn during recovery. This characteristic is found at landing. If the rounding is negotiated at the right time, no problem but if it is made too high, one wing or the other will collapse first. These characteristics almost disappear with a “soft” setting.
The Express “Dacron” was made in France by Pacific Wings.
Express 148
Wing area: 14.8 m²
Wing span: 10.8 m
Aspect ratio: 7.9
Hang glider weight: 27 kg
Number of battens: 26
Nose angle: 130°
Price 2007: 13500F
Express 158
Wing area: 15.8 m²
Wing span: 10.8 m
Aspect ratio: 7.4
Hang glider weight: 28 kg
Number of battens: 26
Nose angle: 130°
Price 2007: 13700F
Pacific Kites Zephyr
A 1979 hang glider, it had 10 battons, and a brick-like glide ratio of 7-1
Wingspan: 21ft
Length: 18ft
Weight: 45 lbs
Pacific Diffusion Select
Produced at Kembs-Loechle (Franse) close to Mulhouse, by Pacific Diffusion, the select was a 1986 hang glider for advanced pilots. Chayrou produced the Select, a copy of the Express which he made before at Oderen.
The Select could reach 80+ km / h without disproportionate effort. The large model was stable spiral, which was not the case with the small size, which had no keel pocket.
Select 140
Wing area: 14 m²
Wing span: 10 m
Aspect ratio: 7.15
Hang glider weight: 23 kg
Pacific Diffusion
André Chayrou, starting from plans made by the manufacturer Pacific Kites, was the owner of Pacific Wings until 1985 (purchased by Aérotech).
On his departure from Oderen, Andre Chayrou created in 1985 “Pacific Diffusion” and moved to Kembs Loechle, near Mulhouse to make the “Select”, which was none other than the Express.
Hang glider builder
Pacific Airplane & Supply C-1 / Pacific-Standard C-1 / Rogers C-1
Designed by Otto Timm of the Pacific Airplane & Supply Co, the Model C-1 single-seat racing monoplane in 1921, was built by (John W) Rogers Aircraft Co with a 90 hp Curtiss OX-5 engine. Unrecognizable as being modified from a Standard J-1, it was flown by Emory Rogers until a fatal crash on 11/27/22. It did win the 1921 Curtiss Cup race.
Pacific-Standard C-1 / Rogers C-1
Engine: 90hp Curtiss OX-5
Wingspan: 23’3″
Length: 19’6″
Cruise speed: 137 mph
Stall speed: 41 mph
