This site has been rebuilt from the ground up as a fast, modern static site. Here's what's new and improved.
April 2026
- Serial Number Lookup — Search the complete Wills Wing production database: 20,794 gliders by serial number, model, dealer, build date, and original sail panel colors. Filter by Glider #, Model, or color across all panels (e.g. “black red”). The serial number is inside the sail on the nose patch, on the bottom of the keel in front of the noseplate, or on the test fly placard. Click any row to load that glider’s actual fabric colors into the color picker.
- T2C to T3 Upgrade Instructions — The complete dealer/factory service procedure (revision r1.06, May 2021) for converting a T2C to T3 specification. Parts list, tools, sail removal, sprog trimming, bearing receptacle installation, batten length comparison tables for the 136/144/154 sizes, reassembly, flight test, and dealer reports from Bill Degen and Daniel Vélez Bravo. Original PDF available as a download at the top of the page.
- Owner’s Manuals — Updated manuals library with 45 downloadable PDFs covering every Wills Wing hang glider model. Includes the latest Alpha (June 2020), Condor 225/330 (June 2007), Sport AT, Talon 160 addendum, and raked tip installation instructions. Fixed 3 broken download links.
- Batten Diagrams — 42 downloadable batten diagrams for current and past production gliders, plus links to batten ordering and maintenance resources.
- Archived Hang Gliders — New section with 20+ historical model pages covering every hang glider Wills Wing has produced since 1979. Includes specs, production dates, photo galleries, pilot testimonials, and historical context.
- Glider Production History — Complete production records for all 28 Wills Wing model families. 29,368 hang gliders manufactured from 1973 to 2021.
- Airworthiness Certifications — Complete HGMA (118 models, 1977–2020) and DHV (39 models, 1985–2025) certification records for all Wills Wing hang gliders.
- Magazine Reviews — 15 full-text reviews from Hang Gliding, USHPA Pilot, and Cross Country magazines (1984–2019), plus the Bob Wills profile from 1977.
- Content Explorer — Browse all site content by category across 11 categories including Products, Technical, Reviews, Safety, Competition, and more.
Search
- Site-wide search — Fast client-side search replaces the broken WordPress search. Available on every page via the sidebar.
- Advanced Search — Full-page search with options: require all words, prioritize title matches, and exact words only.
- PDF document search — Toggle “Include PDFs” on the advanced search page to search inside 118 PDF documents including tech bulletins, owner’s manuals, and technical articles. PDF results link directly to the document.
Color Picker Improvements
- All 12 models visible at once — Pill-style selector replaces the old dropdown menu.
- Top and bottom views side by side — Both SVG views display simultaneously instead of toggling between them.
- Chosen Colors always visible — The panel is no longer hidden by default.
- Serial number color lookup — Click any row in the serial number table to color the SVGs with that glider’s actual fabric colors (20,794 gliders).
- CSV export — Download your color selections directly from the browser.
Data Tables (Fixed & Enhanced)
- Tech Bulletins — Was broken; now a searchable, responsive table of 72 bulletins with PDF links.
- Parts List — Was private/hidden; now publicly accessible with 181 searchable parts.
- Dealer Reference — Was password-locked with broken serial lookup; now fully functional with 20,794 glider serial numbers, dealer parts pricing, and sail options.
- All tables responsive — Tables collapse gracefully on mobile devices.
- URL filtering — Share filtered table views via URL parameters.
New Content
- Larry Tudor’s World Record Flights — The first to break 200 and 300 miles in a hang glider, with records set on Wills Wing gliders.
- Dustin Martin’s World Record — 475 Miles — The FAI Open Distance Record set in 2012 on a T2C 144, still standing.
- The Early Years at Wills Wing — Mike Meier’s account of Wills Wing’s founding and early development.
- The Wills Wing Story — Mike Meier’s article written for Cross Country (XC) Magazine, covering 1973 through 2009.
- The First 40 Years — 40 illustrated anniversary cards chronicling Wills Wing history from 1972 to 2012, now fully searchable.
Navigation & Fixes
- T2C added to Hang Gliders menu — Was orphaned and unlinked from navigation.
- “The First 40 Years” in News menu — Direct link to the historical overview.
- Flight Schools — Replaced broken map plugin with listings of active schools.
- Wind Tunnel Report — Math equations now render correctly.
Performance
- 57% smaller — From 960 MB to ~417 MB; 897 pages trimmed to 266.
- Faster page loads — Deferred scripts, lazy-loaded images, optimized fonts.
- No server required — Fully static site on Cloudflare CDN.