His initial attempts used go cart engines with props bolted to the end of the crankshafts. Which proved to be very noisy and inefficient. With his gliders getting heavier, his body getting older and heavier Chuck decided that a more efficient system was needed. | CGS Hawk specifications - 1982 | | Empty Weight: | 251 lbs. | | Gross Weight: | 650 lbs. | | Wing Span: | 28.10 ft. | | Wing Area: | 135 sq. ft. | | Engine: | Cuyuna | | Cruise Speed: | 55 m.p.h. | | Stall Speed: | 26 m.p.h. | | VNE: | 75 m.p.h. | | Construction: | Aluminum tube/fabric | | Building time: | 100 Hrs. | Patent # 4.262.263 "Powered Hang Glider Reduction Drive," proved he was right and his business was "launched." In 1979 Chuck's Glider Supplies became CGS Aviation. With a focus on the future Chuck conducted market surveys at Sun N Fun and Oshkosh in the early 80's to find out what features pilots were looking for in a light aircraft. He then took the survey results and put them onto paper and then converted them to a prototype. In 1982 that prototype went on to win Best New Design for 1982 at Sun N Fun, Outstanding New Design and Reserve Grand Champion and Oshkosh, and in 1983 the Dupont Kevlar ARV (Air Recreational Vehicle) Design Competition. It took Chuck roughly two years from to design and build the first Hawk, "Old Yeller." The only changes from it to the production model "Old Blue" were that many of the channel brackets, nuts, and bolts were replaced with gusset plates and rivets to give it more strength and stiffness. The unique tail boom, that so many others wondered how it was done, was lengthened 13 inches for better pitch control. After 272 hours of faithful service "Old Yeller" could be found hanging from the rafters at CGS. Let down, cleaned off and brought out now and again for a Hawk Fly In. Old Yeller has now been retired to the Sun N Fun Air Museum in Lakeland Florida. She had three short flights down the runway by three different pilots at Sun N Fun 2006 with the last being with her owner and designer! Now Chuck Slusarczyk one of the first inductees into the Ultralight Hall of Fame has his original EZ Riser at AirVenture and his original Hawk at Sun N Fun. It is amazing, if you were to compare that first Hawk to the Hawk that is being produced over 2 1/2 generations later you will see little has changed. The things pilots were looking for in 1980, like three axis control, good ground handling, low build times, ease of construction, short field landing and take off capabilities, enclosed cockpit, in a cross country cruiser, are what CGS provided then and is still providing today! | 
