Can the Swift be foot-landed in NO wind with a fairing?
YES!
A few months ago, there was a lot of discussion on the rigid wing digest about whether the Swift was actually a foot-launchable and foot-landable aircraft. It all seemed rather silly to me, since I have seen the Swift foot-landed literally hundreds of times, and I've done it myself a few dozen times.
As with any hang glider, the secret to a successful low or no wind landing is to start running before you hit the ground, and run it out. As long as this one simple rule is followed, it is relatively easy to foot-land the Swift, even in zero wind with a fairing.
The following movie clips show several instances of the Swift being foot-landed and foot-launched in various wind conditions. The pilot in all the clips is Eric Beckman.
Enjoy.
Alec Proudfoot -- 12-Jan-00
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Low wind landing with fairing.
A relatively low wind landing with a decent amount of run out.
High wind landing, no fairing, camera on wing.
A three-stepper in moderate-to-high wind, with the camera mounted on the wing.
Low wind landing, no fairing, camera on pilot.
All Video Clips on this page (c) 1992, Bright Star Gliders. All Rights Reserved.