Smarty Pints in flight. Almost the winner.BrewTag-Proving That Beer Can Fly
The 2nd Annual BrewTag was held at the Event Site in Nags Head yesterday—Saturday—and it proved conclusively that "Yes! Beer can fly!"
The premise to BrewTag is simple: strap a 1/6 keg of beer to a glider, toss it off a 25' tower and see if it can fly.
Usually no...in fact, one of the flights was recorded at -9", a difficult feat to achieve and a world record all its own. However, there were at least two flights that proved conclusively that when science, skill, inspiration and perhaps a little luck come together, all things are possible.
With 15 teams competing, the feeling was that something had to fly. The first teams climbed the latter to the top of the tower, facing a stiff 17mph breeze. The wind proved the undoing of the first five or six entries.
Then with the wind letting up just a bit, Smarty Pints—a group of engineers from Hampton Roads pushed their entry into the wind. But instead of the nose lifting in a flare and the aircraft stalling and crashing in spectacular fashion at the base of the tower, their glider began a graceful and gradual descent to the ground. A new world record...54'6"!
Three entries later, the local lads representing Buds and Suds, all retired hang glider instructors, climbed the to the top of the tower... their entry a faithful reproduction of a Rogallo Wing, the airfoil that created hang gliding. The keg was carefully placed at the best location to counter the wind.
To the amazement of all, it flew—gracefully, beautifully, coming go a soft landing 65'7" from the tower and a newer, new world record.
It was a great day and since BrewTag is a fundraiser for the Rogallo Foundation, having a Rogallo Wing wind the day seemed fitting.
