Kiceniuk Icarus I

Crew: one, pilot
Passengers: none
Length: 5.94 m (19 ft 6 in) (see talk page)
Wingspan: 9.17 m (30 ft 1 in)
Height: 1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Empty: 24.5 kg (54 lb)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Soaring Magazine, January 1972, showing an artist's conception (Actual photograph) of Kiceniuk flying Icarus I. The pilot flew in the shown position only during takeoff and landing. While cruising he would place his feet on the leading edge tube between the wings.

The Kiceniuk Icarus I was a revolutionary hang glider designed, built and flown by Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. in the early 1970s.

At a time when most hang gliders used a flexible Rogallo wing, Icarus I used a rigid flying wing biplane configuration. Unlike other hang gliders of the time, the Icarus was not steered by the pilot shifting his body weight. Instead, Icarus I had two large rudders mounted near the wing tips, controlled by hand levers. These rudders made Icarus I much more maneuverable than other hang gliders. Pitch was controlled by the pilot shifting his body weight fore and aft. The pilot flew in a reclining position, rather than the prone position used by other hang gliders.

Icarus I is now at the Smithsonian Institute awaiting restoration and display.