[1][2][3] The Carbon Dragon was intended to take advantage of the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles regulations that classify unpowered aircraft with empty weights of 155 lb (70 kg) or less as hang gliders and thus allow them to be flown without a pilot license, Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registration or a Certificate of Airworthiness.

pull to get the flap out; required five pullies: and double cables behind the wing and in the slip stream, etc., etc., not to mention the aileron problem.

One evening over coffee in our motel room in Hemet, my friend, mentor, advisor, and consultant, Irv Culver, said, "Jim, you're going to build that, and then spend the springtime of your youth getting it all to work.

The landing gear is a fixed monowheel, mounted on the hinged cockpit bottom door, that opens to allow the pilot to lift the aircraft for foot-launching.

[1][2] In October 1988 Maupin reported that the prototype had been flown by ten different pilots ranging in weight from 120 to 210 lb (54 to 95 kg), had achieved a 100 fpm (0.51 m/s) sink rate and had been launched by auto-tow, aero-tow and bungee, but had not been foot-launched.

[2] At least one Carbon Dragon was modified to include a cockpit roof-mounted pentagonal spoiler, similar to that used on the Maupin Windrose.

[5] In July 1995 Gary Osoba flew a Carbon Dragon to a US National and World Record in the Ultralight Category for Distance up to Three Turnpoints for a flight of 237.440 mi (382 km).

[6] Qualifying as a FAR Part 103 hang glider, the Carbon Dragon does not require FAA registration and thus an accurate number of the total completed is not available, but the Soaring Directory reports four have been flown.