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Volunteers are invited to advance this file on Peter F. Girard. Thanks.

Peter F. Girard
La Mesa, California      Peter F. Girard (1918 - 2011)
Part of the Ryan flexible wing sphere. Very many hang glider and kite points are here.
 "Girard enjoyed recreational flying, especially soaring in sailplanes"

 Filed on February 25, 1963:
Work toward the matter was done earlier yet:
There was no need to "invent" that which had already been in public domain; such action would be a waste of funds and time.  Respecting what was already invented in hang gliding is part of the task of the novelty seekers solving new advanced challenges.  The challenges that Peter faced with the flexible wing hang glider respected new tasks that went past the simple 1908 hang glider that had the cable-stayed control frame or A-frame for the battened flexible-wing hang glider of those early days, etc.  Rather, Peter faced other hang glider tasks and offered some solutions which applied also to powered flexible wing aircraft, cargo gliders, cargo kites, etc.  ~JpF

 
  • 1961:
  • 1962:  August 20, filed: Auxiliary Boom Control System for Rogallo Type Wing Aircraft,  US3135483
  • 1962:  December 26. Flexible Wing STOL Assist System for Aircraft, US3135482
  • 1963: Feb 25, 1963 filed for US3152778  Articulated Spreader Bar Lateral Control System for Flexible Wing Aircraft
  • 1963: November 4, 1963 filed US 3306559  Roll Control System for Flexible Wing Aircraft
  • 1964: June 26, 1964 Peter F. Girard filed for a patent US3269674, Flexible Wing With Pitch Stabilizing Means
  • 1964: US3223361 Filed: Oct 5, 1964. Flexible Wing with Integrated Tail Unit.
  • 1965: February, 1965: Co-author along with F. Landgraf of a final report:: USATRECOM Technical Report 64-74, XV-8A Flexible Wing Aerial Utility Vehicle.  Related contract: Contract DA 44-177-AMC-87 4(T), Ryan Aeronautical Company.
  • 1966: March 7, 1966 filed Demountable Aircraft with Flexible Wing, US3361388.
  • 1966: US3381919 Filed: Jul 25, 1966. Flexible Wing Aerial Delivery System
  • 2011:  Peter F. Girard (1918 - 2011).  February 12, 2011 (aged 92)
Working area and garden space for volunteers who choose to advance this file on Peter F. Girard:
  • Patent space:  http://tinyurl.com/PeterFGirardGENERALpatentStudy
  • Perhaps interview his son or surviving wife.
  • Identify all his technical papers.
  • Identify all his patents
     
  • Is there a wiki on him; he is noteworthy on several platforms? Yes: wiki/Peter_Girard  What is missing? Much is missing; they do not have all of his patents listed yet.
     
  • His marriage proposal to his wife of more than fifty years, Leslie Girard (née Gehres, daughter of rear admiral Leslie E. Gehres of the USS Franklin), was made aboard a sailplane off the Torrey Pines gliderport.
  • http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1190
  • OZ Report has a "Ryan" topic thread.

  •  
His non-flexible-wing patents (list is not complete; "awarded more than 30 patents")
  1. 1961: Filing date: Jan 16, 1961,  US3025022    Shows awareness of delta-wing shape. Delta Wing Heliplane
  2. 1963: US3155341 Filed: Apr 5, 1963. Convertiplane.
  3. 1963: Jul 1, 1963: US3146970.  Heliplane
  4. 1963: US3203649 Filed: Dec 23, 1963. Rotor Flap High Lift System  
  5. 1964: US3159360 Filed: Jan 20, 1964. Jet Powered VTOL Aircraft. Co-inventor with Tubal Claude Ryan.
  6. 1964 US3273827 Filed: Apr 27, 1964. Propeller-rotor High Lift System for Aircraft
  7. 1965: USD203523 Filed: Apr 12, 1965. Rotary Wing VTOL Aircraft with Tiltable Secondary Wing. This is an ornamental appearance design patent.
  8. 1965 US3273655 Filed: Aug 2, 1965. Center Body Pivotally Retractable Rotor
  9. 1965: USD203523 Filed: Apr 12, 1965. Rotary Wing VTOL Aircraft with Tiltable Secondary Wing. This is an ornamental appearance design patent.
  10. 1966: US3401906    Filed: May 3, 1966  Gyrochute
  11. 1966: USD211215 Filed: Dec 16, 1966. STOL Utility Aircraft
  12. 1967: US3464650 Aircraft with Flapped Rotor/Wing, Filed: Oct 18, 1967.
  13. 1970: US3675582 Mass Transportation System.  Filed: Aug 5, 1970.
  14. 1968: US 3490720 Filing date: Nov 26, 1968 STOL AIRCRAFT WITH VARIABLE GEOMETRY ROTOR/WING
  15. 1970: US3703998 Filed: Dec 28, 1970.  Drone Aircraft with Telescopic Fuselage
  16. 1972: US3827661 Filed: Jul 26, 1972.  Aircraft Wing Structure and Method of Assembly. Co-inventor: T. Claude Ryan.
  17. 1972: US3794273 Filed: Sep 25, 1972. VTOL Rotor Wing Drone Aircraft
  18. 1972 USD230961 Filed: May 22, 1972.  Airplane. Co-inventor: T. Claude Ryan. Ornamental appearance design patent.
  19. 1972: US3792827 Filed: Nov 10, 1972. VTOL Aircraft with Cruciform Rotor
  20. 1975: US3986686  Filed date: Jun 2, 1975. Aircraft with Retractable Rotor Wing
  21.  
Biography of Peter Frank 'Pete' Girard, Peter F. Girard, Pete Girard,
  • "awarded more than 30 patents"
  • "author of at least seven published technical papers"
  • Obituary: Peter F. Girard (1918 - 2011)
  • U.C. Berkeley :degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1940
  •  a member of the American Helicopter Society, the Soaring Society of America, the Associated Glider Club of Southern California, and was a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California.
     
Contributed notes:                                                                               gmBAK   
  • His son or surviving wife might be interviewed: Peter G. Girard of San Diego    What questions?
  • There was no need to "invent" that which had already been in public domain; such action would be a waste of funds.  Respecting what was already invented in hang gliding is part of the task of the novel seeker solving new advanced challenges.  The challenges that Peter faced with the flexible wing hang glider respected new tasks over the simple 1908 hang glider that had the cable-stayed control frame or A-frame for the battened flexible-wing hang glider of those early days, etc.  Rather, Peter faced other hang glider tasks and offered some solutions.  ~JpF
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Peter F. Girard, professional engineer of California, had more than 30 patents approved.

  1. 1961: US3025022 Filed: Jan 16, 1961. Delta Wing Heliplane
  2. 1962: US3135483 Filed: August 20,1962. Auxiliary Boom Control System for Rogallo Type Wing Aircraft
  3. 1962: US3135482 Filed: December 26, 1962. Flexible Wing STOL Assist System for Aircraft
  4. 1963: US3152778 Filed: Feb 25, 1963. Articulated Spreader Bar Lateral Control System for Flexible Wing Aircraft
  5. 1963: US3155341 Filed: Apr 5, 1963. Convertiplane.
  6. 1963: US3146970 Filed: July 1, 1963. Heliplane
  7. 1963: US3306559 Filed: November 4, 1963. Roll Control System for Flexible Wing Aircraft
  8. 1963: US3203649 Filed: Dec 23, 1963. Rotor Flap High Lift System
  9. 1964: US3159360 Filed: Jan 20, 1964. Jet Powered VTOL Aircraft. Co-inventor with Tubal Claude Ryan.
  10. 1964: US3273827 Filed: Apr 27, 1964. Propeller-rotor High Lift System for Aircraft
  11. 1964: US3269674 Filed: June 26, 1964. Flexible Wing With Pitch Stabilizing Means
  12. 1964: US3223361 Filed: Oct 5, 1964. Flexible Wing with Integrated Tail Unit
  13. 1965: USD203523 Filed: Apr 12, 1965. Rotary Wing VTOL Aircraft with Tiltable Secondary Wing. This is an ornamental appearance design patent.
  14. 1965: USD203524 Filed: Apr 19, 1965. Tandem Wing VTOL Aircraft. This is an ornamental appearance design patent.
  15. 1965: US3273655 Filed: Aug 2, 1965. Center Body Pivotally Retractable Rotor
  16. 1966: US3361388 Filed: March 7, 1966. Demountable Aircraft with Flexible Wing
  17. 1966: US3401906 Filed: May 3, 1966. Gyrochute
  18. 1966: US3381919 Filed: Jul 25, 1966. Flexible Wing Aerial Delivery System
  19. 1966: USD211215 Filed: Dec 16, 1966. STOL Utility Aircraft as ornamental appearance design patent.
  20. 1967: US3464650 Filed: Oct 18, 1967. Aircraft with Flapped Rotor/Wing
  21. 1968: US3490720 Filed: Nov 26, 1968. STOL AIRCRAFT WITH VARIABLE GEOMETRY ROTOR/WING
  22. 1970: US3675582 Filed: Aug 5, 1970. Mass Transportation System
  23. 1970: US3703998 Filed: Dec 28, 1970 Drone Aircraft with Telescopic Fuselage
  24. 1972: USD230961 Filed: May 22, 1972.  Airplane. Co-inventor: T. Claude Ryan. Ornamental appearance design patent.
  25. 1972: US3827661 Filed: Jul 26, 1972.  Aircraft Wing Structure and Method of Assembly. Co-inventor: T. Claude Ryan.
  26. 1972: US3794273 Filed: Sep 25, 1972. VTOL Rotor Wing Drone Aircraft
  27. 1972: US3792827 Filed: Nov 10, 1972. VTOL Aircraft with Cruciform Rotor
  28. 1975: US3986686. Filing date: Jun 2, 1975. Aircraft with Retractable Rotor Wing
  29.