NASA Paresev - Design and Construction

Design and Construction

The Paresev 1A and 1B were unpowered; the "fuselage" was an open framework fabricated of welded 4130 steel tubing, called a "space frame". The keel and leading edges of the wing were constructed of 2.5-inch-diameter (64 mm) aluminium tubing. The leading edge sweep angle was held constant at 50 degrees by a rigid spreader bar. Additional wing structure fabricated from steel tubing ensured structural integrity.

The basic vehicle was slightly more than 11 ft (3.4 m) high from the top of the paraglider's wing to the ground, while the length of the center keel was 15 ft (4.6 m). Total weight was about 600 lb (270 kg) On August 24, 1962, seven weeks after the project was initiated, the team rolled out the Paresev 1.