In the 1890s, Otto Lilienthal of Germany developed and flew the first gliders. Since its inception in the 1960s, the hang glider's basic design has remained relatively unchanged. A hang glider is typically 40 feet (12.22 meters) long and 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide, with several holes in its surface. When it comes to the performance of a hang glider, the wingspan is crucial. Increases in wingspan ...