Author: Terry

UP AS-90

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The AS-90 design is a development of the high performance Mark II Dragonfly technology to a standard Rogallo glider. It incorporates foam core sandwich construction, tapered batons and applied leading edges. This resulted in improving the glide ration and minimum sink rate, and quicker ive recovery made possible by the battened, roach tip sail design.

The AS-90 features an adjustable centre of gravity control bar mounting bracket, and adjustable dihedral and reflex with shackle system on the control bar.

The leading edge spars are 6061-T6 1.5in x 0.49 aluminium tubing and keel and cross-spar are 1.5in x 0.49. Ultralite Products saddles are at all tubing joints to distribute loading over the tube surfaces.

The cables are 304 3/32in 7×7 stainless steel, and all gradw 8 aircraft bolts, washers and nuts. Stainless steel nose plate, tangs, control bar bracket and kingpost bracket are fitted.

The sail is Howe & Bainbridge 3.8 oz stailised dacron, with applied leading edge pockets for minimum airfoil distortion.

The 6061-T6 1in x 0.83 aluminium control bar is anodised, and can be rigged for prone or seated flying wth optional ‘flip-flop’ rigging.

The AS-90 has a solid feeling in the air and reported as easy to takeoff and land. A design for beginners, it is built to the limit of the FAI rules. Very gentle stall characteristics permit highly controlled parachute descents.

AS-90 156
Leading edge: 16.5 ft
Keel length: 14 ft
Wing span: 23.1 ft
Wing area: 156 sq,ft
Aspect ratio: 3.43
Nose angle: 89˚
Sail billow: 3.1˚
Weight: 37 lb
Pilot weight: 104-143 lb
Takeoff speed: 15 mph
Stall speed: 15 mph
Max speed: 37 mph
Best glide ratio (L/D): 5.5-1
Best L/D speed: 20 mph
Min sink: 300 fpm

AS-90 181
Leading edge: 17.75 ft
Keel length: 15 ft
Wing span: 24.8 ft
Wing area: 180 sq,ft
Aspect ratio: 3.43
Nose angle: 89˚
Sail billow: 3.1˚
Weight: 39 lb
Pilot weight: 124-169 lb
Takeoff speed: 15 mph
Stall speed: 15 mph
Max speed: 37 mph
Best glide ratio (L/D): 5.5-1
Best L/D speed: 20 mph
Min sink: 300 fpm

AS-90 202
Leading edge: 18.75 ft
Keel length: 16 ft
Wing span: 26.25 ft
Wing area: 202 sq,ft
Aspect ratio: 3.43
Nose angle: 89˚
Sail billow: 3.1˚
Weight: 41 lb
Pilot weight: 141-191 lb
Takeoff speed: 15 mph
Stall speed: 15 mph
Max speed: 37 mph
Best glide ratio (L/D): 5.5-1
Best L/D speed: 20 mph
Min sink: 300 fpm

AS-90 229
Leading edge: 20 ft
Keel length: 17 ft
Wing span: 28 ft
Wing area: 230 sq,ft
Aspect ratio: 3.43
Nose angle: 89˚
Sail billow: 3.1˚
Weight: 47 lb
Pilot weight: 160-216 lb
Takeoff speed: 15 mph
Stall speed: 15 mph
Max speed: 37 mph
Best glide ratio (L/D): 5.5-1
Best L/D speed: 20 mph
Min sink: 300 fpm

UP XTR

TerryLeave a comment

The 1992 XTR wing flies very slow and also flies very fast and it lands easily. The sink rate in still air is about 225 ft/min. The launch is very easy, even a 6000 ft site.

XTR 145
Wing area: 13.25 m²
Wing span: 10.4 m
Aspect ratio: 8.1
Hang glider weight: 31 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 50 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 80 kg
Packed length: 5.8 m
Packed length short: 3.7 m
Number of battens: 23
Nose angle: 127°

UP XTC

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A 1993 hang glider.

DS 150
Wing area: 13.25 m²
Wing span: 10.4 m
Aspect ratio: 7.4
Minimum pilot weight: 50 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 80 kg
Nose angle: 127°

150
Wing area: 13.7 m²
Wing span: 9.1 m
Hang glider weight: 27 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 50 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 90 kg
Packed length: 5.7 m
Packed length short: 3.7 m
Number of battens: 17
Nose angle: 127°

DS 170
Wing area: 14.7 m²
Wing span: 10.9 m
Aspect ratio: 7.4
Minimum pilot weight: 75 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 100 kg
Nose angle: 127°

170
Wing area: 15.1 m²
Wing span: 9.6 m
Hang glider weight: 28 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 70 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 115 kg
Packed length: 5.8 m
Packed length short: 3.7 m
Number of battens: 21
Nose angle: 127°

BI 202
Wing area: 17.3 m²
Wing span: 11.6 m
Aspect ratio: 7.4
Minimum pilot weight: 140 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 200 kg

UP TRX

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The 1991 TRX is a performance wing with a classic wing tip, finished with a plastic molding. Carbon fiber is widely used in the construction of the structure.

TRX 140
Wing area: 13.7 m²
Wing span: 10.4 m
Aspect ratio: 7.7
Hang glider weight: 30 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 50 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 80 kg
Packed length: 5.8 m
Packed length short: 3.7 m
Number of battens: 31
Nose angle: 127°

TRX 160
Wing area: 14.7 m²
Wing span: 10.9 m
Aspect ratio: 8.1
Hang glider weight: 32 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 75 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 110 kg
Packed length: 6 m
Packed length short: 3.7 m
Number of battens: 33
Nose angle: 127°

UP Speed

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The 1997 Speed was a design developed by UP Europe, intended to be an easy to fly, high performance glider. The downside of this glider was that the crossbar met the leading edge relatively inboard as compared to other similar designs and this allowed the leading edges to flex, so while the handling was great, upper speed performance suffered from leading edge flex.

They did fly well, but it is necessary to adjust the centering to not have to climb into the spiral trapeze (high siding).

Speed S
Wing area: 12.4 m²
Wing span: 9.65 m
Aspect ratio: 7.5
Hang glider weight: 30 kg
Minimum speed: 25 km/h
Maximum speed: 80 km/h
Packed length: 5.6 m
Packed length short: 3.8 m
Nose angle: 127°

Speed
Wing area: 13.4 m²
Wing span: 10.5 m
Aspect ratio: 8.2
Hang glider weight: 32 kg
Minimum speed: 25 km/h
Maximum speed: 80 km/h
Packed length: 6 m
Packed length short: 4.1 m
Nose angle: 127°

Speed TL
Wing area: 13.4 m²
Wing span: 10.5 m
Aspect ratio: 8.2
Hang glider weight: 35 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 65 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 95 kg
Minimum speed: 25 km/h
Maximum speed: 80 km/h
Packed length: 6 m
Packed length short: 4.1 m
Nose angle: 127°

Speed XL
Wing area: 19.3 m²
Wing span: 10.5 m
Aspect ratio: 5.7
Hang glider weight: 35 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 100 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 210 kg
Minimum speed: 25 km/h
Maximum speed: 80 km/h
Packed length: 6 m
Packed length short: 4.1 m
Nose angle: 127°

UP Red Tail

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UP Redtail was an ordinary rogallo with a short keel. A 1977 hang glider for intermediate pilots.

The Redtail features a J-wire nose cambering device, deflexers and sail mounted cleats. It has adjustable centre of gravity bar mounting bracket. The airframe is made from 6061 T-6 aluminium tubing with spars 1.5in x 0.049 and sleeves 1 5/8in x 0.058. Sprcial Ultralite Products “saddles” are used at all tubing joints to distribute loading over tube surfaces.

Rigging cable is 304 3/32in 7×7 stainless steel. Flying wires are not adjustable. Landing wires are turnbuckle tensioned. All bolts, washers, and nuts are grade 7 aircraft. The nose plate, tangs, control bracket, and kingpost bracket are stainless steel. The sail is Howe & Bainbridge 3.8oz stabilised dacron. All sails come with centre tail portions red. There was a choice of 11 colours for the remaining portion of the sail. The sail has applied leading edges for minimum airfoil distortion. A swing seat was included or optional prone harness.

There was another version of this glider that had a two foot shorter keel and was called Super Redtail.

17×15
Leading edge: 17 ft
Keel length: 15 ft
Wing span: 22.3 ft
Wing area: 156 sq,ft
Aspect ratio: 3.2
Nose angle: 82˚
Sail billow: 3.8˚
Weight: 32 lb
Pilot weight: 110-130 lb
Takeoff speed: 12 mph
Stall speed: 12 mph
Max speed: 40 mph
Best glide ratio (L/D): 4.8-1
Best L/D speed: 20 mph
Min sink: 392 fpm

18×16
Leading edge: 18 ft
Keel length: 16 ft
Wing span: 23.6 ft
Wing area: 177 sq,ft
Aspect ratio: 3.15
Nose angle: 82˚
Sail billow: 3.8˚
Weight: 24 lb
Pilot weight: 120-165 lb
Takeoff speed: 12 mph
Stall speed: 12 mph
Max speed: 40 mph
Best glide ratio (L/D): 4.8-1
Best L/D speed: 20 mph
Min sink: 392 fpm

19×17
Leading edge: 19 ft
Keel length: 17 ft
Wing span: 24.9 ft
Wing area: 199.5 sq,ft
Aspect ratio: 3.1
Nose angle: 82˚
Sail billow: 3.8˚
Weight: 26 lb
Pilot weight: 160-190 lb
Takeoff speed: 12 mph
Stall speed: 12 mph
Max speed: 40 mph
Best glide ratio (L/D): 4.8-1
Best L/D speed: 20 mph
Min sink: 392 fpm

Redtail 150
Wing area: 15 m²
Wing span: 9.41 m
Aspect ratio: 5.6
Hang glider weight: 24 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 50 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 75 kg
Packed length: 4 m
Number of battens: 10
Nose angle: 118°

UP Mosquito

TerryLeave a comment

Designed by Roy Haggard, chief designer at Ultralite Product since 1974, UP released the Mosquito almost at the same time as the Comet (1980). The Mosquito is a crossbar-less bowsprit glider with thinner leading edges (in diameter) that could be bent at high speed by tensioning the sail. Therefore, it had a light handling at low speeds and good penetration when flying faster. With its ultra-flat sail and its truncated ends, the Mosquito is a direct descendant of the Spyder of UP.

Twenty pre-production prototypes were built for U.S. level racers to assess their capabilities in the world’s toughest cross-contry event, the XC “Classic” and “open” in Owens Valley. The results were: First place: Rich Pfeiffer – U.P. Mosquito. In addition, there were 4 U.P. Mosquito in the first 8 places, they won all the speed events and set 3 new world records in free flight.

Its assembly is a bit complicated the first time … there are cables everywhere. Very solid wing with oversized cables. The wing tips are connected with a cable on the nose via a pulley. When you turn it tilts the ailerons.

Mosquito
Wingspan: 11.40 m

Mosquito 146
Wing area: 13.4 m²
Wing span: 10 m
Aspect ratio: 7.4
Hang glider weight: 23 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 56 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 83 kg
Nose angle: 127°

Mosquito 166
Wing area: 15.1 m²
Wing span: 10.61 m
Aspect ratio: 7.4
Hang glider weight: 25 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 64 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 94 kg
Nose angle: 127°

Mosquito 196
Wing area: 18.02 m²
Wing span: 11.55 m
Aspect ratio: 7.4
Hang glider weight: 29 kg
Minimum pilot weight: 78 kg
Maximum pilot weight: 113 kg
Nose angle: 127°