The Wills Wing Talon is an American
high-wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
, single-place,
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 ...
that was designed and produced by
Wills Wing of
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...
in the early 2000s. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied complete and ready-to-fly.
[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 50. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster Oklahoma, 2003. ]
Design and development
The Talon was designed as competition-level glider. It is made from
aluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
tubing, with the double-surface wing covered in
Dacron
Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...
sailcloth. Its wing is a topless design, lacking upper rigging and the supporting
king post. The nose angle is 132°.
The models are each named for their wing area in square feet.
Operational history
The Talon series placed highly in the 2002 competition season.
Variants
;Talon 140
:Small-sized model for lighter pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of and the
aspect ratio is 7.3:1. The pilot hook-in weight range is . The glider model is HGMA certified.
;Talon 150
:Mid-sized model for medium-weight pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of and the
aspect ratio is 7.5:1. The pilot hook-in weight range is . The glider model is HGMA certified.
;Talon 160
:Large-sized model for heavier pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of and the
aspect ratio is 7.2:1. The pilot hook-in weight range is .
;Talon 2002 140
:Small-sized model for lighter pilots. Its wing has an area of . The glider model is HGMA certified.
;Talon 2002 150
:Mid-sized model for medium-weight pilots. Its wing has an area of . The glider model is HGMA certified.
Specifications (Talon 140)
References
External links
Photo of a Talon in flight{{Wills Wing aircraft
Talon
Talon or talons may refer to:
Science and technology
* Talon (anatomy), the claw of a bird of prey
* Brodifacoum, a rodenticide, also known as the brand Talon
* TALON (database), a database maintained by the US Air Force
* Talon, an anti-vehicle- ...
Hang gliders