Like Kiceniuk Icarus I, Icarus II was a rigid biplane flying wing. Its most notable improvement over Icarus I was that the wings were swept back more steeply. It was steered by hand controlled rudders, unlike Rogallo wing hang gliders of the time that were steered by the pilot shifting his body weight. Also unlike other hang gliders, the pilot flew in a sitting position rather than a prone position. The Federal Aviation Administration recognized Icarus II as an aircraft and issued a registration number for it; the Rogallo wing hang glider for NASA received FAA registration of N9765C.