Going Rigid?

I’ve been intrigued by rigid wing hang gliders for quite a while, having built and flown a Mitchell Wing with my father in the mid-eighties. So when an opportunity to get an Axxess came along, I figured I’d give it a try and see if this type of wing is for me. My first flight went well, with a good launch and mellow thermals to climb in and get used to the handling of this new wing. The roll rate is a lot slower than a flex wing and I found myself flying out the edge of the smaller thermals and having to come back around a couple of times to center the core.

I climbed to cloud base and explored the river valley and neighboring peaks, enjoying the glide performance and reach of this new wing. After a nice introductory flight of an hour and a half, I set up a long final into the LZ with a very light headwind. Unfortunately the grass was thick and tall, making it hard to run my landing out. I flared, took a few steps, and twisted my ankle when the weight of glider came down on my shoulders.

The weight of this wing is really the hardest thing to get used to. Carrying it out of the LZ to the car by myself was a bit of a chore. I know some people use carts or split the wing in half to deal with this. Either way, it's more hassle than just shouldering my light weight U2. I plan to give it some time, but at this point weighing the pros and cons of a rigid wing doesn’t make the choice a “no brainer.” It’s a very personal choice and depends on what you value and the type of flying you do. Right now I’d say the jury is still out on this one, for me anyway.