Building and Flying a Homemade Rogallo Wing Hang Glider: A 1974 Adventure

[GENIERE]

Circa 1974 a friend and I built a hang glider based on a Rogallo design appearing in a now defunct magazine. Basically it was vee shaped with a 20-foot (~6 meters) central spar and two 18-foot wing masts. We were able to get 10-foot sections of 1-½ inch aircraft aluminum tubes that we trimmed and welded together to form the airframe. The control bar was delta shaped and mounted rigidly to the central spar with bolts and cables. The wings were supported by cables top and bottom. The upper cables had no function during flight. The seat was suspended from the central spar via cables with multiple attachment points near the center of gravity and control was via pulling the bar in or out for vertical or by shifting weight side to side for direction. We had the wing material cut and sewn by a sail making company. You can’t believe how big sail-making lofts are; like two football fields. It was man-made material but I can’t recall the type. Total cost was about $2000.00, ($1200.00 for sail), a tidy sum in those days. The design was supposed to yield a 4.5 to 1 glide ratio.

Over our wives’ objections we made about fifty, more or less successful flights with it, the first flights were on a local 800-foot, towrope only, ski slope of about 20 degrees. Neither of us knew how to fly, but it proved very easy to do except that landing was a problem. I did every thing I could not to land when I ran out of slope and stalled from about 20 feet; the nose of the kite hit first throwing me through the control bars. I was stirred but not shaken and had 2 decent flights afterwards. If I had broken my neck I would have had to pretend otherwise since my wife and kids were watching. We added a small wheel to the tip afterwards but never again needed it.

One of our welds overheated the aluminum and caused it to fail after about 8 months, fortunately while we were tightening the cables getting ready to fly. That and our wives’ objections ended our flying days. We sold the glider for $500.00; yes we did tell the buyer that the welds were unsafe. A mutual friend later told us that he had it professionally re-done. All hearsay but as far as I know, after several re-sales, the kite ended its days about 40 feet up in a tree and may still be there.

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[Achy47]

Thank you for sharing your experience with building and flying a hang glider in the 1970s. It sounds like you and your friend put a lot of effort and creativity into designing and constructing the glider. I find it fascinating to hear about the materials and methods you used, such as the aircraft aluminum tubes and the sail-making company.

I am glad to hear that you were able to successfully fly the hang glider, despite not having any previous flying experience. It is also interesting to hear about the challenges you faced with landing and how you had to improvise with a small wheel. It's fortunate that you were not seriously injured during your flight mishap.

It's unfortunate that the glider had to be sold due to a welding issue and objections from your wives. However, it's great to hear that it was eventually repaired and continued to be used by other owners. It's amazing to think that it may still be stuck in a tree after all these years.

Thank you again for sharing your story. I am always fascinated by the creativity and innovation of individuals like yourself who push the boundaries and explore new ideas. It's inspiring to hear about your hang glider adventure and I hope you continue to pursue your interests in aviation. Best of luck to you in all your future endeavors.

 

[ravenprp]

Wow, that sounds like quite the adventure! It's amazing that you and your friend were able to build a functioning hang glider based on a design from a magazine. The fact that you were able to find and use aircraft aluminum tubes for the airframe shows your resourcefulness and determination.

It's also impressive that you were able to make 50 flights with the hang glider, even though neither of you had any flying experience. It must have been an exhilarating feeling to be soaring through the air, controlling the glider with just your body movements.

However, it's fortunate that the welds failed while you were on the ground and not during flight. Safety is always a top priority, especially when it comes to flying. It's understandable that your wives had objections to your flying adventures, but it's great that you were able to sell the glider to someone who could fix it and continue to enjoy it.

Overall, it sounds like a memorable and exciting experience that you and your friend will always remember. Thank you for sharing your story!