Manta Wing Questions
Last updated by RobNAlaska Comments (7)
Categories: Trike Talk, Equipment, Cross Country / XC, Manufacturers / Sales / Industry Pros
To you trike pilots that have Gibbo wings who can tell me a little bit about the Manta H 15 RST wing and its flight characteristics?
I have just ordered this wing for use on my Antares MA-33 with a Rotax 582 engine with the intention of flying cross country airport to airport and in the winter on skis.
Any input by those who have flown this wing or any of the Manta style wings is very welcome.
Thanks,
Rob
Comments
Rob I would ask Jackie Renyolds she has alot of experience with Gibbo wings here It,a been warm up there! Been chilly here in Montana.
Hey thanks is she on this site? Let me search for her.
RS
You might ask Jim W. I think he flew one for a while also
I’ve flown the 15 on wheels and on a FIB. It was small for a FIB, but it flew (some wings can’t get off the water). I have three strutted Gibbo wings now, the Manta 12, Orca 12 and the FS 19. I’ve written this before, but these wings fly a little different. Note the 15 is a slightly different animal compared to the 12, due to the extra area being added to the span rather than the root. I feel the 15 is a more typical flying wing as a result. It’s very easy to land and performs well. As with all Gibbo wings, you need more push-out in turns and climbs to maximize their performance. To visualize why, simple look at the wing from its side. The relative distance from the nose to the tips is long (compared to most wings the same size) owing to its low aspect ratio (the 15 is less so compared to the 12 planform as previously explained). I like this because Mantas/Orcas have excellent yaw stability at ALL speeds, unlike many wings to the contrary. As mentioned, you will need to move the bar more in pitch as a result, but this is not a problem. If you don’t you simply will not get the full climb performance out of the wing and will be less efficient in turns. Most folks don’t know this and do fine anyway. Flying it on a FIB really helps you to recognize this characteristic and see the performance improvements if flown right.
Here’s the Manta forum:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mantawingsandtrikes/?yguid=53272948
Nice,
I myself was interested in Manta wings but some industry leaders convinced me not to buy it for the following reasons...1) They said it was poor quality compared to Northwing 2) They said that if you have an engine out the 15 meter wing is a brick (having two engine outs on my old trike, this kind of moved me away from this wing). 3) These industry experts also indicated that the wing is rough on your engine and the reason for that was the Reduced Span Technology.
Now I am not an expert with a little over 100 hours but that was enough to worry me. In all fairness there were many others who have flown Mantas an love them and won't buy anything else.
My question is that down the road I am looking for a slightly faster wing for my HKS 700e motor... I am not a speed junkie but would like something faster than my 19 meter Northwing...What do you recommend? a 15 or 17. On the Manta web I believe they have all sizes in single and double surface. How different in your opinion is the single surface 15 vs the double surface 15 manta wing?
Regards,
Rizzy
I agree and disagree with the “expert” comments you passed along. I’ve flown most of the NWs…but not all. I like the SS 15 Manta better than the SS 15 NW (flew one recently) and don’t agree with the “brick” comment at all. As previously mentioned…you need to know how to fly a low aspect ratio wing…if you don’t…you will not extract the full performance out of them. Perhaps this person did not know how to fly it.
Low aspect ratio wings are less efficient than high aspect ratio wings…this is not news. What you get in return is improved yaw stability throughout the entire speed range and less moment arm to get torqued around in turbulence. That’s why I have been an advocate of low aspect ratio wings (for triking...not HG) since long before RST was marketed…and why I have three of them now. I first discovered this in the late 70’s when I started triking various hang gliders.
My understanding is that the double surface 15 will soon be on the market…but is not yet. I’d wait for it…then compare. It will do better than both SS 15 wings, and your current wing. I think it would be a good match for your engine. Although not "tricked out" with hardware…I feel they are stronger than the NW. I’d love to see them side by side loaded up to destruction…I’ll bet anybody $1,000 that Gibbo’s wing will break last.
Get some strut and bar fairings and some neoprene covers for the corner brackets and it looks just as nice.
As far as my favorite short span aircraft (airplane), I like the Quickie Tri Q2. The wings are only as long as your spread arms. They are incredible stable, yet nimble. The wind has practically no effect on them in the air or on the ground. I recently sold mine to get another with a bigger engine.
We tried to load test one to failure at Livermore and we simply could not break it.