HANG GLIDERS - 1974

First saw Icarus V hang glider in Popular Science 1974

Icarus II Designed by Taurus Kiceniuk

Icarus II migrated into the EasyRiser by Larry Mauro and John Moody made it famous at Oshkosh.

Below is a picture of my Icarus V in the early 1970s. I pulled my 1946 Ercoupe out of the hangar to build the Icarus V by scratch from plans I bought from Tarus Kiceniuk. I was interested in very low and slow flight to re-live some of the feelings I read about from the Wright Brothers. I read and re-read an article in 1974 Popular Science Magazine on fixed wing hang gliders and decided to build Icarus V hang glider which at the time was state of the art. It resembles its predecessor the Icarus II, what most people know as the Easy Riser. Pilot controls pitch by shifting body weight on parallel bars. Lateral control is actuated by twist grips.

Photo 1 Construction of airframe. Photo 2 is completed aircraft with original paint scheme at 1st Powered Hanglider Meet in Marilla, MI.. These powered hangliders were not yet called ultralights because anybody could fly them without a licence. If you look very close I did have an FAA N number (N93675) on the wing tips and for the hell of it I put the word EXPERIMENTAL since I've been an EAA member since 1974.

Photo of my MAC 101 GoCart engine and 24" wooden propellor. Notice propulsion was full speed or no speed using a kill switch in my mouth.This photo was taken in the 1970s when very few of us had a motorized hangliders. I remember Boris Popov who sold me my standard 18' rogallo hanglider had a hangar for ultralights with seats for comfort and and wheels for take off and landings, mostly Quick Silvres.a few miles from my airport in Lake Elmo which led to the dawn of the modern day Ultralight.