The HP AT (High Performance Advanced Technology) was Wills Wing's top-of-the-line competition hang glider of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the glider behind some of the most remarkable achievements in hang gliding history, including Larry Tudor's world record flights that stood for years.
The HP AT's airfoil and airframe technology proved so successful that it became the foundation for the Super Sport series, which brought that technology to the intermediate market. The HP AT was preceded by the HP II in Wills Wing's competition lineage.
Specifications
| Specification | 145 | 158 |
|---|---|---|
| Area (ft²) | 145 | 158 |
| Hook-In Weight (lbs) | 135-235 | 150-250 |
| Pilot Rating | USHPA Advanced (IV) | |
| Va (mph) | 55 | 50 |
| Vne (mph) | 63 | 58 |
| Vs max (mph) | <25 | |
| Vd min (mph) | >46 | >46 |
| HGMA Certified | 2/27/90 | 6/13/89 |
Additional certification: HP AT 145 (1991 revision 1/29/91), HP AT 158 (1991 revision 1/29/91).
See Airworthiness Certifications for complete HGMA and DHV records.
Features
- Advanced airfoil design optimized for competition performance
- 7075 airframe construction
- Kingpost-mounted configuration
- High-performance VG system for extended speed range
- Streamlined control bar hardware
- Competition-class glide ratio and speed range
The HP AT's airfoil and airframe technology later formed the basis for the Super Sport, Spectrum, and Sport lines, bringing competition-derived technology to the broader hang gliding market.
History
The HP AT represented the pinnacle of kingposted hang glider competition design. Its most famous pilot was Larry Tudor, who used the HP AT to set multiple world records that defined an era in hang gliding:
- World distance records that stood for years
- Flights that demonstrated the extraordinary cross-country potential of flex-wing hang gliders
- Competition victories that established the HP AT as the glider to beat in the late 1980s and early 1990s
The HP AT was succeeded in the competition market by the topless Fusion (1997), which eliminated the kingpost for improved aerodynamic performance. However, the HP AT's technology lived on in the Super Sport series, which was explicitly "derived from the technologically innovative HP AT series" and brought that performance to intermediate pilots.
The HP AT was preceded by the HP II in Wills Wing's competition lineage.
Related Articles
Review
Read the full review: "Pilot Report: Wills Wing HP AT 158" by Dennis Pagen
Originally published in Hang Gliding Magazine, January 1990.
"I recommend this glider to anyone who appreciates high performance and advanced technology and this includes myself."
Dennis Pagen's in-depth pilot report covered the AT's design, hardware, VG system, airframe, sail construction, performance and flying characteristics after nine flights at eight sites over eight days in Southern California.