WindFire is both a successful and flexible flying wing platform from Australia’s Gary Smith, career machinist and originator of the ‘Rock Breaker‘, itself a very smart and clever slope flying wing.

Working with Peter Wick, Gary fabbed a concept where a model could consist of just tip panels and variable length center sections that result in span varieties from 1200 to 2800 mm.

On configuring an effective tip section and from suggestion, I fabbed up multiple fuselage plugs (without a part plane) to account for multiple spans, and machined foam cores for the tip.  Gary himself machined molds from steel, and I sent him part files to machine the tips.

The result was an immediate success, no kidding.  Well thought out and well planned, all spans are terrific fliers.  Peter Wick himself knows of the results.

Shipping machined parts from WA state to Australia is awkward, and it interrupted an otherwise smooth workflow.  The overhead cost and workload is excessive.  That said, I did get copies of the model, plus a few Rock Breakers.  I do hope Windfire is still rippin it up, but I also know Gary is into foiled sailing.