The Marske Monarch continues to offer economical soaring. Ultralight sailplanes. Are they a new category of aviation, a segment of ultralight aircraft or just little sailplanes? Though ultralights seem to be some of the newer aircraft in general aviation, their true lineage is based on soaring machines. For example, the first and still most successful ultralights, the Quicksilver series, came from a hang glider design to which a small engine was added back in the 1970s. Trikes, which have continued to grow in worldwide popularity, are based on delta-wing hang gliders to which power and landing gear were added. Therefore, though the term may be relatively new (going back a decade or so), the aircraft has a longer heritage. One shining example of this is Jim Marske's Monarch. New Model, Old Design Marske has been building the Monarch for 20 years and has added his higher performance model, the Pioneer, to his list of designs spanning 40 years. The most recent model with the Marske name (until the new Monarch) was the Genesis. This sleek sailplane is no ultralight, but it may join the ranks of the most efficient aircraft on the planet, able to compete with gliders of tremendous span that can reach 50:1 glide ratios. Marske has had his hand in all manner of soaring machines. Though Genesis was a group effort, the look of the finished aircraft shows the familiar Marske trademark. In all of his designs, the tail is mainly a vertical area construction and it flies right aft of the "flying wing." This lightens the machines, makes them less costly to build, and enhances their performance by lowering drag. Even with his rich history of sailplane design work, it is obvious that Marske continues to dote on the Monarch like a father would dote on a favorite son. These days, he is ably helped by Mat Redsell, a commercial-licensed sailplane pilot with an instructor rating and hang glider experience. Though he's a recent Monarch convert, Redsell has become a strong enthusiast of the pleasant, simple and low-cost soaring the Monarch offers. Describing the Monarch The Monarch is a tailless sailplane with swept-forward wings that taper toward the tip. It features a conventional three-axis control system despite its unorthodox empennage. The fuselage and wing primary structure is molded from fiberglass and epoxy resin. Fittings are steel, and control linkages are aluminum pushrods with ball-bearing ends. The prior F model Monarch weighs about 200 pounds and features a significant percentage of wood construction. Plans ($170) remain available. "The Model G Monarch eliminates all of the wood spars in the F model," Marske says, "and it has a slightly higher aspect ratio [and uses] carbon rods in the main wing spar." The company says the F model is still current, but kits are no longer being built. It uses wood for the rear spar, elevator spar, aileron spar, fin spar and rudder spar. "The older F model is the best route for builders who want to just build from the plans or enjoy woodworking," Marske says. The company still supplies wood components to help scratch builders. The new G model will weigh 180 pounds, and Marske Flying Wings says a Kevlar version should squeak under FAR Part 103's 155-pound weight limit for an unpowered ultralight aircraft. A ballistic emergency parachute may be added without weight penalty. Normally auto-towed for great economy, the Monarch can also be aero-towed, says Redsell, as long as one tows at speeds of less than 50 mph. This may be tough for many sailplane tugs, but hang glider tugs can handle the job easily. "Monarch loves to fly and has a very low sink rate of 135 fpm," Redsell says. For comparison, the best hang gliders sink at about 175 fpm, and sailplanes often perform at less than 100 fpm, which puts the Monarch right in the middle. However, its speeds-only a few miles an hour above hang gliders- allow working of very small thermals. "I can usually get away at 500 feet and soar quite easily in light lift," Redsell says. These are good conditions for new soaring enthusiasts who can live without the turbulence associated with big lift.t. Glide is stated at 22:1 at 36 mph. While this is not a big figure compared to the most elegant sailplanes, Redsell says, "The distance between usable thermals in the Monarch is usually rather small so the L/D is not a great factor." The company says you only need access to an airport, grass field or road of 3000 feet for auto-towing. After a roll of about 60 feet in a 5-mph headwind, you should still get to 900 feet AGL, which Redsell emphasized is an easy altitude to get away for a soaring flight. Plan on about 500 feet to get the craft down, which leaves many small fields open to Monarch operations. Ready to Start? My experience with the 1995 SuperFloater, a newly updated version of a primary glider, piqued my interest in this type of flying. Aviators used to three-axis controls and desiring normal sit-down flying posture may be drawn to the ease, convenience and low-cost soaring a Monarch G model can provide. To get some idea of the product, those with an Internet connection can access a series of photos and descriptions on the company's web site. You can go view-by-view through the production process and learn a great deal before buying. "A typical Monarch costs about $12,000 if you purchase a complete kit," Redsell says. Those who are on tighter budgets can start with the plans and progress through a series of small kits. Light and open enough to smell and feel the air lifting you, the Marske Flying Wings Monarch Model G may satisfy anyone with an interest in soaring.