Terry <<terryreynolds2>>
writes:

The pre-TR3 prototype, with see-through Technora sailcloth, flew
in the 1996 Nat's at Dinosaur, 18 years ago.

From http://ozreport.com/18.129.2:

"Carbon airframes have a long history. UP was certainly the pioneer with their
carbon Spider in ~1978. The subsequent damage issues associated with that
prototype made us very caution (sic). Nevertheless, we evaluated a carbon Raven
in 1979 and abandoned that when a market survey didn't support the option price.
Much later, the restructured UP was again the first to offer a popular
production carbon airframe”

I, and I dare say virtually everyone else, never heard of the Spider glider
until the above article in the recent Oz Report. I designed the TRX just for me
to fly in the 1991 Worlds in Brazil. UP was in a state of chaos then and made me
president, gave me one third of the company and $10,000 to build the glider I
was building anyway. I wasn't looking for a job and after the Worlds, and after
crashing a TRX into the power lines in the 1991 Tennessee East Coast
Championships, I left UP. They had the certified TRX 160 design and the drawings
for the TRX 140 (which evolved into the Predator after much fine work and
improvement by John Heiney). I think they built a lot of both of them.

Also, from http://ozreport.com/18.129.2:

“...but carbon wasn't widely adopted (maybe not adopted by manufacturers, but
several hundred pilots adopted carbon TRX’s starting in 1991) until LaMouette
introduced the topless carbon crossbar followed by simultaneous following
releases by WW, Icaro and Moyes."

Yes, La Mouette produced the uncertified “Topless” first. However, the first
HGMA certified topless was the TR3 (TR3 155: 4/16/1997 HGMA Certificate ID
970416-01), followed by WW (Wills Wing Fusion ID 970416-02) and Moyes (Moyes
CSX4 ID 970416-03). This was all at the same HGMA meeting at Mark West’s home.
They just happened to let me go first.