Hang Gliding themed Dial Soap Commercial

Joe Faust, Editor of the first hang gliding magazine "Low and Slow" is the featured pilot in this Dial soap commercial flying a very early hang glider. In the very last scene a bamboo "Batso" can be seen on the right side of the screen.

Joe Faust writes:

"Hats off to you and your collecting, Ken de Russy, Hang Gliding Museum (to whom I gave most of my early archives) !
1. Mike Koman and I collaborated on designing the cross-sparless bowsprint wing.
2. I specified the sail directly to Dick Eipper's loft for construction of the sail.
3. Mike and I built the wing in my Venice backyard.
4. I test flew the wing in the CA high desert as did Mike.
5. The project was a 3-day quickie.
6. Adverse yaw on film day. Crew: 73 producer people. Simi Valley.
7. Shower shot took 13 hours.
===========================
This is my first view of that commercial since 1973.
Ken is the Collector Guy!

The "harness" was 3/4 diameter raw hemp rope; I tied the knots and lengths to "fit". Ouch! Many flights that morning and evening on the Simi Valley hill, as the producer needed sunrise and sunset shots. Long day. The following day or so was a 13-hour shower scene take; they confirmed that I had no acting ability and to keep my day job; they had to stop me from singing in the shower takes as they played music. The residuals of a bit over $7,000. went to buy a larger printing press and equipment to continue Hang Glider issues in a larger format, thus the change in size from the first 24 Low & Slow to the larger next 12 issues and the the large HG issues (about 180 more editions).

The Dial Soap bird was not a Seagull item. It was Mike Koman and myself in design, build, and test; we hired Dick Eipper to quickly build the sail to our specs. From start to finish: three days to meet producer's schedule. Two leading edge tubes and one keel; no crossbar; the three tubes were stayed to front of keel (bowsprit style), to kingpost, and to TCF (triangle control frame--Breslau 1908, Spratt before Igor Bensen 1954c, Burns 1962, JD 1963, etc.). Nylon ripstop sail for pricing/availability response from Dick, instead of Dacron. Joanne Faust fed and greeted the excited team at our home; she also assisted at the fly-field. In a different field in Simi Valley, Joanne flew Bob Lovejoy's first Quicksilver hang glider; one of her flights is pictured in Low & Slow: http://www.energykitesystems.net/Lift/2010/2010novLIFTpage8.html
Mike Koman had a HG design run in Pennsylvania; then he visited the whole spectrum of Southern California HG activity; we would HG brainstorm together many times at our Venice home."




Thanks for your great input Joe!

I recommend and endorse these web sites for those who wish to learn more about early hang gliding history.

http://www.british-hang-gliding-history.com/

http://www.australian-hang-gliding-history.com/

http://www.johndickenson.net/

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• hang
• gliding
• glider
• flying
• commercial
• batso
• bamboo
• bomber
• pioneer
• joe
• faust
• ken
• de
• russy
• derussy
• museum
• anacortes
• john
• dickenson
• mike
• koman

[weflyuniv]

Yes. Joe is alive and well living in Los Angeles.

[cask18]

Is this Joe Faust, the high jumper as well?

[craudiojcgaliazzi]

comercial antigo de sabonete com asa delta, se bem que parece mais um pipa.

[joefaust777]

Much fun, Ken. Congrats. Much fun here!

Dian Soap bird was designed by Mike Koman and Joe Faust.

[dayhead]

Great ! Nothing like a "blast from the past" to lighten the day. An interesting design for a flex-wing HG. Wouldn't be a bit surprised to the basic concept re-visited in the future. Steve Corbin

[joefaust777]

Ken, great find. Hats off to you and your collecting!

1. Mike Koman and I collaborated on designing the cross-sparless bowsprint wing.

2. I specified the sail directly to Dick Eipper's loft for construction of the sail.

3. Mike and I built the wing in my Venice backyard.

4. I test flew the wing in the CA high desert as did Mike.

5. The project was a 3 day quickie.

6. Adverse yaw on film day. Crew: 73 producer people. Simi Valley.

7. Shower shot took 13 hours.

[drmwvrhg]

Very Cool...