[Chris McKeon]

I just want to know if there has been any company or individual, or both who has made any progress in completing the evolution of our Hang-Glider Wings evolution I am of course citing the removal of the Wings bottom wires. When ang Gliders went Topless. I remember thinking, why did they stop at just removing the upper wires? Is it because if increased complexity? The added weight? I mean if the lower wires wire discarded, think of the performance Gain due to reduced drag.

[JoeF]

Yes.
For one: "My Wing"
http://www.energykitesystems.net/Lift/hgh/SanoHisato/mywingbySanoHisato.jpg

Earlier: 1973 showing at Dockweiler: VJ-23
https://www.delta-club-82.com/bible/doc/vj23-doc.pdf

Swift

[Craig Muhonen]

As a "Private Pilot" with about 100 hours on my log book, I was lucky enough to "tag along" with these original, fledgling, Telluride Air Force HangGlider pilots, in the summer of 1971.
I had experienced the simplicity and 'beauty' of my dad's Cessna 150, and now sitting under this "new invention" that was the "Hang Glider", we had assembled, and were about to test,
I did feel that this glider was akin to the original Wright Flier, in that I could actually 'see' the strength and sheer simplicity of this beautiful machine. The Cessna was in fact, 25,000, 'unseen' parts, 'trying to kill me', as it were, but this HangGlider seemed to have no moving parts, except for me, dangling from the CG.

My First Hang Gliding 3.jpg (30.74 KiB) Viewed 1467 times

I bring this up because I feel the novice HangGlider pilots (with the right, or 'Wright', instructor pilots) get to experience what the Wright Brothers must have felt on those first days of gliding and landing, and that feeling of 'first flights', stays in your mind, forever after.
The 'parachute gliders', who have coopted the word "Hang Gliders", can not get the same feeling you get while carefully assembling, and then just sitting under your wing, and contemplating your mind and body. The top and bottom wires, to me, are an integral part of a HangGlider, and can be "tuned" like a guitar, (Chris) to your own "Music".
With no visable 'wires', no tuning. I think this new breed of parachute fliers, fly, "out of tune", and don't even know or care about it. They can not 'feel' their wing (until its too late sometimes) or penetrate it into the wind, when the need arises. (and it WILL arise). The HangGlider wing is just a HangGlider wing, but once you strap in to the CG, it becomes an Aircraft, with 'craft', the core word.
Rick Masters said that HangGliding had been 'murdered by USHPA', but I beg to differ, they only stole the word, and it's up to HangGliding Instructor Pilots to invigorate themselves, and take it back.
Dockweiler Park, and U.S. HAWKS, is a 'Kitty Hawk' to invigorate. Thanks Bob, Joe, Frank, and others.

[Chris McKeon]

WORK-WORK-WORK

I thought when Topless Gliders began showing up on the scene. It got Me to thinking that why did-do We see all the Gliders flying sans Top rigging. Yet the gliders retained their bottom rigging ? Yet the development of the Flex-Wing seemed to encounter a sticking point regarding improving the design. I am at best merely a better than average XC pilot. Yet time after time while flying XC with my Friends who pretty much all Fly Top;less Gliders. My Predator and I seem to fly further than those Pilots Flying their Super-Ships. Being the Glider be a Wills-Wing, Moyes, Laminar. I also want to say that many of these Pilots are much better Pilots thn I am. I was talking to John one Day recently. I asked John that when I get back to Flying My Predator. Will I still be able to do as well as I once did flying My Predator. John said to Me; "You've got to remember that They have had Twenty Years to work on it"