VOLMER JENSEN-RAMEY VJ-23E “Swingwing” In 1971, Irv Culver
designed the VJ-23E and Volmer Jensen built the ultralight,
which was commonly known as the Swingwing. The inspiration for
the Swingwing came from the rise of interest in hang gliding and
ultralight soaring in the early 1970s. Volmer was concerned
about the lack of control in the weight-shift system in hang
gliders, so he designed the VJ-23E so that it had not only
adequate control, but also structural integrity. The Swingwing
was mostly constructed of wood with aluminum tubing used for the
tail boom. The wing leading edge was made of poplar plywood
while the nose ribs were constructed of marine plywood. Spruce
was used for tail ribs and cap strips for the wing spar. Wing
and tail surfaces were covered with an aircraft Dacron trade-
named Ceconite, a light fabric. The VJ-23E was manufactured in
kit form that included virtually everything needed to construct
the aircraft. The VJ-23E had outstanding performance and was
instantly popular worldwide. The en