Types of Hang Gliders

Visions of soaring through the skies have riddled imaginations throughout history; the Greeks told tales of Icarus while the Italians gave us Leonardo da Vinci and his perspective in later years. Since humans have inhabited the earth there have been tales of men flying with birds and desires to see how far wings could take a person. Evolution gave us hot air balloons, dirigibles, airplanes, and hang gliders.

  1. General

    • The activity of people flying without engines came into use in the 1960s when an experimental project for NASA introduced Francis Rogallo's "Rogallo wing." The Rogallo wing was designed for spacecraft recovery, but found its way into the public eye instead. By the early 1970s, hang gliding had become a sport, and in 1971 the United States Hang Gliding Association was formed to bring pilots together and develop manufacturing policy. Since then, hang gliders have benefited from technology and new materials that allow for lighter, faster apparatuses with lower costs that encourage new people into the sport.

    Flex Wing

    • Flex wing gliders are what most people think of as hang gliders. The flex wing still bears the strongest resemblance to the standard delta wing gliders of the 1970s. The rig consists of a simple tubing construction with sailcloth wings strengthened by aluminum battens and wire bracing. The rig is controlled by the shifting weight of the pilot. Flex wing gliders come in three types: floaters, intermediates, and advanced. The floater is for beginners, a rig that is light and simple and is just for fun. Intermediate rigs require a little more skill and perform better. Advanced rigs are heavier and require more experience.

    Rigid Wing

    • Rigid wing gliders are similar to airplanes without tails and are designed to fold up into a transportable unit. Even though these rigs fold up completely, in flight, the wings remain rigid. The wings consist of an epoxy and carbon fiber material, which gives them strength and weight. They are controlled by the wings' surface and require some skill to handle. The rigid wing gliders are more expensive than flex wing gliders but are a favorite among experienced pilots.

    Ultralight

    • Ultralights are sailplanes and cannot be launched by foot. They consist of a small cockpit, tails, wheels for takeoff and landing, and a small 28-horsepower electric engine that can deliver up to 1000 hours of flight. Ultralights offer the best performance for gliding, but they do have a downside: they are difficult to transport and are the most expensive in cost and maintenance. These rigs are the closest to true airplanes, but are designed for pure enjoyment and recreation.