The Fledgling is unique among hang gliders. It offers the best features of fixed-wing and flex-wing types... it folds as compactly as a Rogallo and can be carried, set up, handled and launched by one person - yet it is rigid and stable in the air, with the performance you'd expect from a high aspect ratio and an efficient airfoil. The Fledgling satisfies both flex-wing pilots who demand more performance and fixed-wing pilots who crave lightness and portability. Its outstanding flight potentials open new realms to every flier, whether novice or an advanced pilot.
Before attempting to fly your Fledgling, please read this booklet completely. Doing so will save you time and perhaps trouble as well. This is not intended as a flight manual but as a set of guidelines to help you use your Fledgling intelligently.
If you are new to the sport, you have much to learn. You can start by reading basic flying texts and by all means obtain basic flight instruction from a qualified, certified hang gliding instructor or school. In view of the obvious hazards inherent in any form of flying, getting started using someone else's expertise and equipment is well worth the investment. After a few lessons, learning to fly your Fledgling will easier, safer, and more rewarding. We also recommend joining the USHGA (United Stated Hang Gliding Association) and other hang gliding associations, especially local clubs, to increase your enjoyment of the sport as well as your knowledge and safety-consciousness by associating with other fliers.
Hang gliding has been so dominate by the Rogallo that it is naturally used as a point of reference for comparing and contrasting new glider types. It should be clearly understood that the Fledgling belongs to a totally different class of hang gliders - the flying wings. It has its own unique set of potentials and limits, has its own way of reacting with the air, obeys its own laws of motion, and requires different flying techniques. In some cases the required techniques are considerably different from those used in Rogallo flying; so experienced kite flyers have to guard against a false sense of confidence based on previous learning ... they too are beginners at flying the Fledge.
The Fledgling is not a kite, it is a flying wing. Its efficiency magnifies the effect of an error as well as a correct decision; so every decision is critical and your responsibility for it is direct. The Fledgling flies beautifully ... it is fastr, it flies slow, is stable and reliable ... but it cannot make decisions for you. Your effectiveness as a pilot in high performance gliding will depend on the quality of your decisions, which in turn will depend on your judgment.
There is much truth in the pilot's axiom "safe flying is 10% skill and 90% judgment". But skill is usually acquired more quickly than judgment, so that ability to fly into situations develops before we have the ability to make sound decisions regarding them. To achieve that 10% - 90% balance, you'll have to work hard at developing judgment than at getting skill. This can be done by deliberately cultivating your judgment of winds, distances, elevations, etc.; by becoming as knowledgeable as you can about flying and weather, and by applying this knowledge when you fly; by never attempting a flight you cannot be certain of completing safely.
Trusting yourself to know when to say "no", whatever others say, is itself a way of strengthening judgment.Flying judgment is actually of greatest use on the ground, when making your flight plan. A well-thought-out plan is essential to a safe flight. It requires that you assess all the factors in a proposed flight and arrange a precise and detailed method of flying from takeoff to spot landing. Designing a flyable path that avoids all the obvious and hidden hazards while providing an extra margin of safety, demands serious attention and excellent judgment. Planning puts you in command at all times and allows you to make the most of the challenging and rewarding experiences of Fledgling flight.
The Fledgling is the product of a long series of developmental prototypes. Each part is a survivor of a rigorous process of selection based not only on the part's merits, but also on how well it functions with every other part of the total machine. Because of this interdependence and co-functioning of parts, no modification should be attempted, as they are almost certain to detract from the performance or reliability of the craft in ways that you cannot foresee.
WARNING: Hang gliding is a dangerous activity and could result in injury or death even when engaged in ideal circumstances. Manta Products, Inc. is engaged in the manufacture and sale of hang gliding equipment, and this equipment should only be used under proper conditions after receiving proper instruction from an experienced hang gliding instructor. Manta Products, Inc. has no control over the use of this equipment, and persons using this equipment assume all risk of damage or injury. Manta Products, Inc. disclaims any liability or responsibility for damages or injuries resulting from the use of this equipment. Copyright © 1979 Manta Products, Inc.