The Wills Wing U2 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 ...
, designed and produced by
Wills Wing of
Orange, California
Orange is a city located in North Orange County, California. It is approximately north of the county seat, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before ...
since 2003. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.
[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 50. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ]
Design and development
The U2 was conceived as a recreational intermediate glider with performance nearing that of competition gliders, like the
Wills Wing T2. The U2 is made from
7075 aluminium alloy
7075 aluminium alloy (AA7075) is an aluminium alloy with zinc as the primary alloying element. It has excellent mechanical properties and exhibits good ductility, high strength, toughness, and good resistance to fatigue. It is more susceptible to ...
tubing, with the 84% 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. The U2 includes a variable geometry (VG) system that tensions the sail for higher glide performance.
The two models available are each named for their wing area in square feet.
The glider is also sold by
Tecma Sport
Tecma Sport is a French aircraft manufacturer based in Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny and formerly in La Roche-sur-Foron. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of hang gliders and paragliders in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft. The ...
of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
as the Techma Sport U2.
Variants
;U2 145
:Small-sized model for lighter pilots. Its span wing is
cable-braced from a single
king post. The nose angle is 125–128° depending on VG setting, wing area is and the
aspect ratio is 6.8:1. The glider empty weight is and the pilot hook-in weight range is . The glider model was HGMA certified in 2003.
;U2 160
:Large-sized model for heavier pilots. Its span wing is cable braced from a single kingpost. The nose angle is 125–128° depending on VG setting, wing area is and the aspect ratio is 6.8:1. The glider empty weight is and the pilot hook-in weight range is . The glider model was HGMA certified in 2003.
Specifications (U2 145)
References
External links
*
Official U2 owners manual{{Wills Wing aircraft
U2
Hang gliders