About the Swift
The SWIFT (Swept Wing with Inboard Flap Trim) is a type of ultra light flying wing soaring plane. It is the culmination of many years of research and development, by the US company BrightStar in collaboration with Stanford University and later by Aériane, a Belgian company based in Gembloux, which resulted in a highly optimized wing design with a glide ratio of 33. The Swift is build using high-tech composite materials to make it both light and sturdy, as well as to enable launching it by foot such as hangglider. There exists multiple models: a single seater, double seater for the training and, more recently, an electrical powered variant which is capable of self-launching and sustained flight.
How does it work?
The first Swift had a 2 axial configuration that could be controlled using a stick, giving the control in pitch and roll. Aeriane then innovated this design by adding third axis control using small winglets that could be controlled with peddals. This gives the Swift the same control range as a regular soaring plane. The SWIFT has also flaps and airbrakes. The Swift flies very stable and reacts neutral when flying into thermals, making it a comparatively easy soaring plane to fly. It can fly safely at low airspeeds, making it ideal for thermaling.
Flying Swift in Beauvechain
The SWIFT is designed to be self-launchable: you carry it on your shoulders and run from a slope to start. Given the lack of mountainous regions in Belgium, at Beauvechain air base we us a winch to lanch. The Swift can be pulled up to an altitude of around 600m. The SWIFT can then start to catch
thermals for doing long flights and eventually distances flight, but everything depends on the conditions of the day.
Becoming a Pilot
In order to become a Swift pilot, we have an training program where you fly in the two seater version with a BVVF certified instructor. The first flights will we cover flight basics like maintaining speed and altitude, attitude control, making turns and flying a circuit. Next is learning to launch and learning to land: we focus on the coordination between pilot and start leader, instructor and other pilots. Later on in the training we cover thermal flying, slow flying, and distance flying.
The club is equipped with a two seater SWIFT and a single seat Electro SWIFT. Once the training is achieved the pilot can become a member and use our single SWIFT.As we are all volunteers, we rely on the help of our members for our activities.