CGS Aviation, Inc. is an American

aircraft manufacturer An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry. ...

based in

Grand Bay, Alabama Grand Bay is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area. The population was 3,460 at the 2020 census. History According to local accounts, ...

. The company was founded by Chuck Slusarczyk in the early 1970s in Broadview Heights, Ohio as ''Chuck's Glider Supplies''. Today it is run by Danny Dezauche and specializes in the design and manufacture of

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

in the form of kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly aircraft in the US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries. In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not requ ...

rules category.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 132-133. BAI Communications. Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 45-46. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Kitplanes Staff: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 42-43. Primedia Publications. IPM 0462012Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-28 & B-82 Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 45. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 34. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

History

The company started in the early 1970s as a

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

manufacturer and aircraft parts supplier under the name ''Chucks' Glider Supplies''. Founder Chuck Slusarczyk later carried out experiments with

powered hang glider A foot-launched powered hang glider (FLPHG), also called powered harness, nanolight, or hangmotor, is a powered hang gliding, hang glider harness with a internal combustion engine, motor and propeller (aircraft), propeller in pusher configuratio ...

s and developed a reduction drive system to turn larger propellers more slowly to reduce noise and improve efficiency. He was granted a US patent for his system. In October 1979 the company was renamed ''CGS Aviation, Inc.'' In 1980 development of the

CGS Hawk The CGS Hawk is a family of high wing, strut-braced, pusher configuration, single and two-seats-in-tandem ultralight aircraft, designed by Chuck Slusarczyk and manufactured by CGS Aviation.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter – Homebuilt Aircraft So ...

aircraft series was begun, starting with a survey of pilot expectations and desires for a new ultralight aircraft design.

Products

The Hawk line of ultralight aircraft was introduced at

Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Intern ...

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

, in March, 1982. The Hawk was the first fully enclosed ultralight, the first with fully

strut-braced In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

wings, three-axis controls, a steerable nose or tail wheel and

wing flap A flap is a high-lift device used to reduce the stalling speed of an aircraft wing at a given weight. Flaps are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing aircraft. Flaps are used to reduce the take-off distance and the landing ...

s. The original 1982 CGS Hawk Classic remains in production in 2015. The Hawk series includes the single seat Hawk Arrow, Hawk Plus, Hawk Sport, Hawk Ultra and AG-Hawk. Two seat models include the Hawk Classic II and the Hawk Arrow II. More than 1700 Hawks series aircraft have been flown. The Hawk prototype was named ''Best New Design for 1982'' at Sun 'n Fun in March 1982. At the EAA Convention in

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

that same year the Hawk was named ''Outstanding New Design'' and also ''Reserve Grand Champion''. At Oshkosh 1983, the Hawk won the ''Dupont Kevlar Air Recreational Vehicle Design Competition'' against more than 126 other aircraft designs in the competition.

Aircraft

References

External links

*
Company website archives
on

Archive.org The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

{{CGS Aviation aircraft Aircraft manufacturers of the United States Ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft