Advertisement
Snapshot
September 04, 2009
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Francis Rogallo, a researcher at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' Langley Research Center, inspects a Rogallo wing in the center's seven by ten foot wind tunnel on June 26, 1959. Originally conceived as a means of bringing manned spacecraft to controlled, soft landings, Rogallo's concept was eagerly embraced by later generations of flight enthusiasts. Rogallo passed away on Wednesday, September 2, 2009, in Southern Shores, North Carolina, next to Kitty Hawk. He was 97. Born in Sanger, California, on January 27, 1912, Rogallo graduated from Standford University in 1935 with degrees in mechanical engineering and aeronautics. He joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), now NASA, in 1936 in Hampton, Virginia. Rogallo and his wife Gertrude invented the flexible Rogallo wing in 1948, which led to an array of flying machines that allowed millions of people around the world to experience the joy of unpowered flight. The Rogallos' innovative designs are largely responsible for the development of the hang glider, paraglider, ultralight, sport parachutes, delta kites, stunt kites, parafoil kites, and kiteboarding kites.
