skyaak ring wing glider

The first Skyaak prototypes were simply cut out of stiff paper with scissors.
Hey, it worked!

Then I graduated to cutting out plastic containers with a utility knife. What an advance.
It worked better.

So I made several hundred, trying out different angles, figuring out the best way to make it easier to build. I started to run out of room in my studio so I made the studio bigger, with higher ceilings and better light.

I found that cutting out conical surfaces was very difficult so I then tried to figure out a way to start flat, so the cut-out shapes could be more controlled and uniform. Many attempts later, I was getting closer to figuring out what worked best. I needed to flesh it out with physical prototypes, as I am a hands-on developer.

The ‘aha!’ moment came when I was informed that my flat design could be converted to a ‘vector file’ that could be fed into a computer-assisted router, and also a computer-assisted laser-cutter.

Fancy!

Imagine my delight when I witnessed the first prototype being created via my drawing cum vector-file on a high-tech router table! My access to fabrication technology and a working budget had finally coincided with my artistic vision.

Meet the inventor! Michael Gaudet, inventor of Ring-Wing glider toy “Skyaak” Model 3 shows flat package, contents, assembly details and his vision for two final upgrades…