Speedriding / Speedflying

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  --- Note: This page was written in Winter 06/07 and many parts are outdated today! ---

What is Speedriding?

"Speedriding" or "Speedflying" (see wiki.de) is a mixture of flying and skiing: Small gliders with a low
glide-ratio are used to descent the slopes doing shorter and longer hops and flights.This sport is not really
new:  Skydivers have been ground-launching their wings for many years -> See History. Since then
there were always some people using small free-fall canopies to make long jumps while descending the
slopes with skis.
But in the winter of 2005/06, this idea has gained a lot of momentum, triggered by some cool videos,
especially the "Ataka!" Video. By the end of the winter, two specifically designed Speedriding wings were
commercially available (Gin Nano, J/N Hellracer) and more photos and videos came up. Over the summer,
more manufacturers have developed special wings: Now there is a large range of wings available and the
style of flying that they are designed for differs a lot.
 

     
              
 [ Nova Shockwave ]                   
 [ U-Turn Speedmaster ]          
 [ WOC Velocity ]          

   Nervures Swoop
   Swing Speedy
   Bio-Air Skim
   JN/Profly Hellracer aka
   WoC Speedy Gonzales
   Niviuk Nooky
   Ozone Bullet
   Gin Nano
   Parachutes France: Springo
   NZ-Aerosports Daedalus
 
     

Latest Updates:

Events:

           
       Coupe Icare Blanche    SpeedFlyingPro


The terms "Speedriding" and "Speedflying" are often used interchangeably, but it makes much sense to distinguish the style within the range of small wings: Some are thought strictly for skiing (riding) use and they
are specifically designed for a low glide-ratio (controlled by trimmers), so the skis stay close to the ground.
Other wings have a better glide-ratio and can be foot-launched even in nil-wind conditions, but the pilot is
rather 'flying over' than 'riding on' the ground. These wings are also very interesting for mountaineers as they
are very light (some less than 2.5kg) and allow descends even in stronger winds, and they can be flown without a reserve, saving even more weight.  If you're unsure whether this is a sport for you, you can read this very good post in the PG-Forum by Paul. I think it gives a lot of truths about the risks involved and the mindset you should have.  This webpage gives an overview of the speedy wings on the market as of January '07. If you have news / corrections to my page: Please send me a mail!
 

  Nervures
Swoop
Swing  
 Speedy   
Bio-Air
  Ski'M  
WoC S.G.
JN Hellrc.
Niviuk
Nooky
Ozone
Bullet
Gin
Nano
PdF
Springo
NzA
Daedalus
Area(Flat) 10/14/16 11.5 12 / 15 12.8 11/13 /15 10/12/14 10-14 10-14 10 sizes!
Asp.Ratio 3.4 3.5 4.4 3.6 ~3.5 3.5 3.8 3.8 3.8
Cells  28 / 32 26 28 22 19 18 18 18 27!
Risers 3 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2
Weight 2.3 - 3.3kg 2.7Kg 2.8 ~3Kg   2.2-2.8 2.5-2.9 2.1-2.8 2-4
Price 1600-2000   1320       ~1700 1560 2300


 

General Tips and Links                                                                                                 -> Goto Top

General Speedflying Websites:

  • NoGravity.ch : Daniel Kalberer has written great articles on Speedriding and a
    Test of Nano & Hellracer which was published in a shorter version in Gleitschirm-Magazin.

  • Speed-Flying.com: The Swiss speedflyers: only Gin-Nano focused unfortunately...

  • Thermik.net : These guys have fun with some Gin Nanos and even try a summer-launch

  • speedriding.canalblog.com: French website with news on the topic

Videos:

Forums

General Tips

If you watch the videos linked above, you might get the impression that flying mini-wings is a very dangerous sport, more dangerous than the big, regular paragliders. But in fact, if a few points are taken into account, flying the minis can be safer than the regular ones. With paragliders, there are usually 3 situations that are more dangerous: 1) start  2) collapses 3) landing.  Due do the high wing loading and the much more tolerant wing profile, collapses are virtually unknown when flying miniwings unless you use them in horrible wind-conditions. Even if provoked, a collapse would open fast without much disturbance. So if you start and land on skis, stay away from the terrain during the flight and work a bit on your landing technique, then you could try one of  these mini-wings with a relatively low risk (but still with great fun!)
The problems only begin when you go from Speedflying (staying above the ground) to Speedriding (Touch and Go's with your skis) as very good judgment is needed how your glide path will come out, wether you will make it over that rock or tree or wether you might hit the ground in a curve etc.  Great caution and discipline is necessary: you should learn to know your wing step-by-step, before you start to touch the ground more often.

Footstarting mini-wings


The other thing I found rather difficult is footstarts (groundlaunching) in low-wind conditions. Without the skis you cannot just run fast enough for a start like before. Now the timing has to be very exact or you are bound to hit the ground at real high speed while running. Note that you should not attempt to footstart the real Speedride wings with a glide-ratio lower than ~5.
From the list above the Nervures Swoop, Bio-Air Skim and Swing Speedy are the Speedflyers that are suitable for foot-starts. The manufacturers of the others even write in their manual that footstarts should not be attempted!
 
The following tips cannot and should not replace a proper 'live' training by a good instructor.
Most manufacturers sell their wings only to people that have passed a formal training on their
speedriders and there is already initiatives underway to get an independent certification for your
skills after such a training. Nevertheless it cannot hurt to prepare your mind for what you can expect before visiting such a training.
Speedriding with skis and a larger Speedrider (~14m²) is a good & safe way to learn. If you don't
have the chance to learn in the snow, there is a couple of things that you should keep in mind before trying a foot-launch with these small wings: (Foot-Launch should only be tried with wings
that have a better glide-ratio (~1:5), on the list above maybe down to the Ski'M)

  1. For the start, you usually close the trimmers (be careful, some wing have a tendency to fall down behind you while running, if the trimmers are closed to far and you add a little break!). Start: walk (wind) or run (no-wind) with the A-Lines in your hand, then pull the brakes ~50% shortly and feel the caps position above you. Reverse starts are also possible. Now comes the acceleration phase: In low-wind conditions, good timing is critical: You have to develop a feeling for how much brake the wing wants. Usually these mini-wings like to run very freely ahead during the acceleration phase, and right when you feel that it develops good lift, you should add some brake to be lifted away. This can
    require as little as 3 quick steps and you are airborne.
  2. Important: Once you left the ground, release the brakes slowly or you'll dive right back into the ground, (unless the takeoff is really steep)!
  3. For the first flights while playing in the air it is best to leave the trimmers in a rather closed position. Later you can open them, but be prepared that the behavior to go into curves changes a bit.
  4. Most of these wings are extremely agile! They react very sensitive to brake input and weight-shift! For your first flights remember: If the roll (left-right swinging) starts to get too much without intention, then do not try to correct it actively as you will only make it worse! Breathe deeply, hold both brakes at ~30% and wait! I did this by holding on with my hands to the risers.
  5. For landing, check in the manual if you should open or close the trimmers.
    The Swoop likes open trimmers for example, as you need the speed to flare out.
    You approach in a straight line, and you will see the ground approach quickly with
    a ~1:3 glide at a speed of 65Km/h...Sounds scaring? It is scaring the first time!
    But resist the urge to pull the brakes too early (!!!) as you need that speed to flare.
    When you are only ~2-3m high, gradually pull the brakes so your sink stops and you
    just go level over the ground. Don't pull more than that or you will go up again and have
    a tough fall at the end. When you feel that almost all the energy is used up, pull the final
    brake-range to stall the wing. This should leave you with a still-standing landing (or just a
    few steps).
    Later, you can also try to make a slight turn (90degree) into the landing field just before the
    landing, to add even more more speed and allow longer flairs (fun!). After you gain some
    experience with the amount of altitude you loose with such a turn (~20 Landings), you can
    also try to do a "Hook-Turn" of 180 degrees to allow longer flairs. Note, that this is a
    dangerous game if you miscalculate the height. Better not to experiment with these turns too early!

It takes some discipline to remember 2) 4) and 5) in the real-life experience, as your instincts might want to tell you otherwise. Better trust your discipline in this case and not your instincts! ;-)

The feeling in flight is awesome: The air is rushing around you and the lines begin to sing. Curves can be varied from gentle turns (weight completely on the outside) to fast (weight neutral) or superfast-hooks (weight + brake). The first variant is suitable for soaring without loosing too much altitude. On sharper turns, you will dive down and get lower quickly.A 360 curve turns into a spiral quickly, but the forces on your body are much gentler than on a wing with long lines.
I was a bit afraid when the first thermals of the day caused some turbulences, as the wing dashes back&forth, left&rigth quickly when flying at trimspeed. Putting on some brake as in 4) will calm it down a bit, but if you have enough altitude, adding speed by doing some curves / turns will make it really stable.

Places to go Speedriding

In general, you shouldn't do Speedriding on slopes where normal Skiers are skiing.
The damage to the sports reputation would be horrible, if a skier would get hurt by a Speedrider.
So look for areas that are ideally off-piste (powder-snow) in order to not hassle the skiers.

Skiing Resorts that specifically allow speedriding and/or have special areas for that:

  • Val Fréjus (FR),
  • Val Thorens (FR),
  • les Sept Laux (FR)
  • Verbier (CH)

Skiing Resorts that seem to tolerate Speedriding:

  • Tignes (FR)
  • St Hilare du Touvet (FR) (yes, there's a little ski resort there too).
     

History

As said in the intro, the sport of speedriding is not new, just the name & popularity is new!
Skydivers have been starting their wings on the hills for many years calling that "ground-launching"   Here you can find a nice summary of the history: www.nzaerosports.com

Related Sports:

  • Canopy Piloting (Wiki)  aka Swooping:   making the flair-part just before landing an art.
    -> Links: canopypiloting.com   gravitypilots.com )
  • Bladerunning (FAQ)  is a regular skydive start from a plane, then flying close to the ground
    e.g. through a course like Super-G Skiers.

 

 
 Nova Shockwave    (formerly known as Racewing)                                                                 -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://nova-wings.com
Sizes: 12m²  (projected = ~14 flat)
Price:  
Character: This is not a Speedriding glider as the term is normally used!  It is a special wing for extreme competitions where  fast descent combined with an acceptable glide-angle to a goal is the main challenge. It excels at this with a 8:1 glide at trimspeeds of 55 and max speed of ~95Km/h.  
   

      

Manufacturers Info

Hannes Papesh writes on the Nova Website:

Christian asked us to develop a special wing for the The Red Bull Dolomiten Mann. For this type of race it should be small, light, good to launch and of course very fast with still having performance (l/d around 8). I was quite lucky with my first layout. It hit the target and even exceeded our expectations. The first proto (12sqm projected) had strong lines to be on the safe side in all tests but already showed very impressive performance and speeds. It was very easy to read a 3 digits speed on the GPS. Mario (105kg) got 95km/h horizontal speed (no wind)! Now the final version is thin lined, performance optimized and even faster (final measurements will follow).

During the first flights even our experienced test pilot Mario Eder got thrilled and suffered from an "adrenaline overdose" during the flights with that bullet (trim speed 55km/h). In the meanwhile this wing demonstrated it's suitability for everyday flying. Chri flew it on the dune: often the others could not launch cause of the strong winds. But even in light winds, Chri had surprisingly nearly no disadvantage. We also didn't expect that it will be possible to launch with 12sqm at 10-15km/h backwards wind: it is! Chris was thermalling in soft and strong conditions and even did some test maneuvers without troubles.

We're planning to build this wing in series: only for very good pilots and of course no DHV certification! :-)

Comments

Although it's super fast (apparently 55km/h trim and 95km/h accelerated!) it probably wouldn't make a great speed riding wing because the glide is far too good.

A speed riding wing is designed to be fast, yes, but to also give you a choice of poor glide angles, typically from 2:1 to 5:1 depending on the amount of brake. The idea is to remain close to the hill, carving your skis through the snow or dragging a wingtip on the ground. An 8:1 glide would make it very hard to stay close to the ground especially in mountainous terrain.

Related Links:


 
 UTURN Speedmaster                                                                                                      -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://www.u-turn.de
Sizes: 15m² 
Price:  
Character: This is not a Speedriding glider as the term is normally used!  It is a special wing for extreme competitions where fast descent combined with an acceptable glide-angle to a goal is the main challenge.
   

         

Manufacturers Info

With immediate effect the ultimate speed-machine is available from U-Turn: The FREE FORCE 15 SPEEDMASTER will lead experienced pilots into an new dimension of speed-gliding.

The U-Turn management came to the decison to manufacture the SPEEDMASTER in series after it became clear that a rapidly growing number of organisers include speed-paragliding into their multi-discipline competitions. The canopy, 1:1 downsized of the DHV-certificated dimensons FREE FORCE 22, 24 and 26, passed now its big practical test: Christian Amon won with a FREE FORCE 15 SPEEDMASTER the race of the professional pilots at the Dolomiten-Man 2005 in Lienz, while Christian Gruber ranked first in the amateur class.

Especially the gliding ability of the canopy even at high speed impresses the pilots. Designer Ernst Strobl is very happy about the performance, too. He points out: „The FREE FORCE 15 SPEEDMASTER is an uncompromising canopy that never will be suitable for a DHV-certification. We recommend this glider only for professional or very experienced pilots.” Therefore U-Turn will sell the SPEEDMASTER only to very skilled pilots, as U-Turn does it already with its acro-glider-reference G-FORCE.

Comments

As said in the overview above: This is a special wing for fast flying in special competitions,
not a speedrider. But there are rumors that Ernst Strobel is already working intensively on
some real Speedrider protos...



 
 WOC Velocity                                                                                                     -> Goto Top
   
Website: www.wings-of-change.at
Sizes: 6 & 8
Price:  
Character: This is not a Speedriding glider as the term is normally used! 
It is a special wing for extreme acrobatics and fast show flying.
   

    

Data

Size   6 8
Flat-Area 5,99 8,2
Projected-Area 5,53 6,72
Flat-Span m 5,74 6,72
Projected-Span m 5,41 6,32
Flat Aspect Ratio A/R 5,77 5,77
Projected Aspect Ratio A/R 4,72 4,72
Trimm Speed km/h 72-78 65-70
Top Speed km/h ;-) ;-)
Number of cells   44 44
Glider weight kg 2,5 2,7
Weight Range-min. kg 25 35
Weight Range-max. kg 35 45

Manufacturers Info

None found

Comments

These 2 wings look like the most extreme in size and specifications.
They are acro-wings and not Speedriders and will probably not be
very usable when misused as speedriders for staying close to a
slope. Foot-start will most likely only be possible in a good headwind.
 


 
 Nervures:  Swoop                                                                                                              -> Goto Top
   
Website: French:   http://www.nervures.com     (<- more up to date)
English:  http://www.nervures.co.uk
Sizes: 10m²  (fast speedriding for experts)
14m²  (slower Speedflying and mountaineering-footlaunch-descents)
16  ("Summer-Swoop": Footlaunch & Speedfly-beginners )                (all flat)
Price: 1600-2000 Euro
Character: The 14 & 16 Swoop are a bit larger than the other, faster speed riding wings and are aimed at a different style of speed riding, more flying close to, than skiing on the ground. It's also a good way to get into speedflying with max safety. They have the advantage of being foot-launchable even in a slow tailwind (i.e. you don't need skis) so you get a walk-up / swoop-down package weighing
~ 2.7kg for the wing, bag and harness!  Summer hikes are now a delight!
   

        

My own pictures:

           
         

Data

Model Swoop 10 Swoop 14 Swoop 14
montagne
Swoop 16 Swoop 16
montagne
Area (flat) 10 14 14 16 16
Cells 28 28 28 32 32
Aspect Ratio 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.75 3.75
Speed Trimmers closed   65 56 56 nc nc
Speed Trimmers open 75 66 66 nc nc
Weight (kg) 2.26 2.86 2.08 3.3 2.45

Manufacturers info

The theory might look simple but the reality is a lot more complex: we wanted a good glide to be able to fly above shallow slopes, trees etc. Moreover the good glide had to allow for foot launch and landing. We had to abandon the idea of copying or adapting skydiving parachutes because of their lack of performance.

We quickly realised that even though it is easy to design a mini-wing with an acceptable glide, it is much more difficult to make it resistant to turbulence. On the top of that the mini-wing had to have a sound behaviour on diving trajectories when it is set to a very low angle of attack.

We had to build several prototypes to find the right airfoils. In the end, using our experience gained with the design of the “performance parachute”, we got the “SWOOP”.

The usability is very high: with the 14 and the 16m²  wing, it is easy to foot launch and land in null wind. With the 10m²  it is bit more demanding, but still possible. As soon as the trims are off, the wing accelerates, the trajectory dives and you enter the world of speed flying.

The structured airfoil (use of diagonal ribs) and high tension cloth give the wing speed and acceleration qualities very different from those of a sky diving parachute. The glide at landing is superb and allows endless flairs without the need of a hook turn. This greatly increases safety as you can land on foot on hardcore surfaces after a long approach in a straight line without having to bank hard before.

Our main concern has been to make this wing as resistant to collapses as possible. The Swoop is very solid in turbulence. Trimmers off, it is perfectly fitted for the practice of “Speed Flying” and to give you the freedom of limitless radical maneuvres.

Personal Comments

Nervures is mostly unknown in the DHV-test-mandatory sphere of Germany and Austria. Even alpinists in the paragliding community don't know much about these experts in lightweight mountaineering wings. I was surprized to see a speedrider on their webpage last winter and the concept appealed to me most of all the wings I had seen until then: Their wing can be used as a multitalent for

  1. Speedriding with skis
  2. Superlightweight Mountaineering in summer
  3. Soaring in strong winds when everyone else packs and goes home.

I got a test-Swoop in size 14 from Manu Bonte in Oct.06 (thanks a lot!) was really amazed by the first flights already! Take-off and landing were the parts that I was concerned most before, but both proved to be rather easy in the end with a little advice from Manu. Additionally to what I have written in the general section the Swoop likes. The trims closed almost completely to about ~90%. If you close the trimmers all the way, the wing has a tendency to fall down behind you.

I have yet to try the swoop in winter with skis, but I already feel that the 14 is designed more
for flying close to the ground with an occasional touch&go. This can also be seen in the videos
on the Nervures homepage.  The Summer-Swoop 16 superlight seems to me to be the perfect mountaineering wing!

Related Links:

 

 
 Swing Speedy                                                                                                                     -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://www.swing.de
Sizes: ~11.5m² flat
Price:  
Character: Fast and very agile wing, great for foot-launches and Speedflying!
Not ideal for beginners, but lots of fun for the advanced pilot.
   

Data

Area (flat) 11.5
Aspect ratio (flat)    3.5
Number of cells 26
Wing weight 2.7
Risers 4

Manufacturers info:

Not yet public on the Swing web-pages - send a mail to me if interested!

Comments

A very agile wing more suited to the advanced Speedflyer. The wing comes up quickly on starts and gives very good feedback so it is one of the best wings for foot-starts, despite its small size.
The agility is the highest of all the wings on this page: minimal brake-input is needed to get the wing from all the way left of you to all the way right of you. But oing this, the wing reacts very precise and therefore it is like carving in the air when you descend the hills in wing-over style.
This wing gives me the most fun when just speedflying. Landing is easy, but again beginners should take care not to stall the wing pulling too far on the brakes.

Related Links 

 

 
 Bio-Air Ski'M                                                                                                                      -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://www.bio-air-technologies.com
Sizes: 12m² flat (9.3 projected) now also 15m²
Price: 1300€  
Character: Note that this wing has a very good glide ratio, matching the one of the Swoop and the Speedy above ( = good for foot-launches), but it has a device that allows it to reduce it's glide-ratio, to match the one of the Speedriders. Besides this it is a fast & agile wing, but still offering relatively long brake-range! It flies like a small paraglider and the manufacturer also recommends it for training of beginners in the sport of paragliding (but only running down the hill)
   

Data

Size 12                             Speed minimal < 30Km/h
Area projected 9.30   Speed trims on     50Km/h
Area (flat) 12.00   Speed trims off          67Km/h
Wingspan (flat) 7.30   Best sink rate 2.5
Aspect ratio (flat)    4.4   Glide ratio 5 down to 1!
Number of cells 28   Price 1000
Wing weight 2.8   Material Porcher
Flying weight 60-100   Colour scheme Orange-Noir
Speed mini 30   Lines 2A-2B-2C
Find more on the detailed Excel Sheet with Polars etc!

Manufacturers info:

The Ski'M is the first wing derived from a common effort between Olivier, Etienne and Laurent. "We wanted a 'speed-riding' wing which is foot-launchable. "
The decision to create this wing was taken end of December 2005. April 20 2006, the protos arrived in France and the 1st flight was done at Cluses on the 22 of April by Laurent. Later, Pilou did the first flight over snow at the Arcs. Today the Ski'M offers a large usage potential thanks to large amplitude brake inputs. From the beginner to the advanced pilot, the wing pleased those who tried it.  It has been tested in the following fields:
  • groundhandling (learning to kite in strong wind)
  • speed-riding
  • speed-flying
  • acro
  • mountain flight (descents after

The Ski'M is now sold for 1300€  all taxes included, plus shipping.
This price includes the wing, a protective bag and the "central command": The 'central-command' is a middle line that pulls down the center of the wing, and increase sink rate and speed. It is same as on the bigger Bio-Air wings (used as a big-ears replacement there) but on the Ski'M it is an ideal device for speed riding with skis. Bio-Air says for ski-Speedriding a glide-ratio of 2,5 is a maximum. With the central-command middle-line the glide ratio of the Ski'm can be adapted down to 1!

Comments

The folks with the Bionic Wings now also have a hot Speedflyer: the Ski'M
Olivier Caldara (the designer) gets really excited about it in a Paraglidingforum.com-thread
and explains the impressive features. It is not designed as a wing for experts only, but
for a larger audience from beginner to expert. The brake range is much wider (60cm) than
usual on these small wings, which makes the steering & landing easier for beginners.
The feature that really makes it special (besides the cool design) is the Central-Command line which makes the wing a multil-purpose tool, as foot-launch (requires high glide-ratio) and Ski-Speedride (requires low glide-ratio) can normally not be fulfilled by the same wing.

The wing flies almost like a normal paraglider only with much higher speed and more sink.
The rolling tendency of the other speedflyers has been damped nicely to a good level here!

An absolute recommendation!

Related Links

 
  JN / Profly Hellracer                                                                                                        -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://www.profly.org
Sizes: 12.8m² flat
Price:  
Character: Faster Wing, thought for use with skis
   

       

Data

Area (flat) 12.8
Wingspan (flat) 6.8
Aspect ratio (flat)    3.6
Number of cells 22
Wing weight <3kg
Flying weight  
Speed mini 25
Speed max 70
Lines Length 3,05m

Manufacturers info

September 2005 we first saw speedriding on the DVD of AcroFolies. Instantly thrilled we made ourselves on the construction of such a glider - jumped any time-related, organizational and other wattles and now we have it! After sensational 4 months of development: our JN & Profly speedrider: the HELLRACER.

The HELLRACER is different ...
... it not a small paraglider
... not a skydiving canopy
... and also not a kite
but a real Speedrider!

independent designed profile Special features:
optimized outline - with the brake the rider can adjust the flying speed. He can adapt the glide path to the steepness of the hill. On demand the HELLRACER rides or flies.
closed cells on the outer wing for precise handling - the HELLRACER is easy to take off and easy to land. The brake range is so wide that a non desired full stall is nearly impossible.
proved materials -the specially harness is very light and comfortable that you can use it also for long flights with a paraglider.
DHV load test up to 8g

The HELLRACER is a combination of parachute and paraglider
The HELLRACER is different: it’s not a small paraglider, not a skydiving canopy and not a kite. Designed for high speed with extreme stability and a wide flying speed range. Featured with a special, very stable airfoil, high tenacity materials and a - for this use - optimized design.

First there were skydiving canopies, now come mini paragliders?
The first speedriders used old skydiving canopies. Now - since the spark also jumped to the paragliding scene - also downsized paragliders are used sometimes. One can be anxious to the further development of this sport or the development goes to.
For us both - parachutes as well as downsized paragliders - have considerable drawbacks. That's why we're gone our own way and optimized the benefits of parachute and paraglider in our speedrider kite.

The HELLRACER is designed for speedriding on snow ...
it works well with snowboard and ski. But you don't need to wait for snow, you can use the HELLRACER for wagas on dunes, for ground handling and if you are a professional pilot as well for parashending.

Our 20 years experience with skydiving, kite and paraglider design guarantees a very safe, well optimized glider and harness bundle for maximum fun. Try it!

 

  Wings-of-Change : Speedy Gonzales                                                    -> Goto Top
For technical Details see above at JN / Profly Hellracer
Website:      www.wings-of-change.at
Size:            12.8m

This glider is very similar to the J/N Hellracer.
It uses different material and design. 
 

 

 

 

Personal Comments

I liked this Speedrider the moment I pulled it up behind me from a bundle in a tailwind: The canopy pops open with ease and off you go. But not off into the air for the beginning: Unlilke the speedgliders described above, the WoC sticks to the ground even in steep terrain until you pull the brakes and tell it to take off by that. This is the ideal behavior for a speedrider and the WoC is probably still the best all-around package for Speedriding (as opposed to Speedflying over ground)  The long brake-range makes it easy for beginners to learn, without being punished for an abrupt unintentional pull on the handles. The glider is quite stable which is nice when you touch the snow with one ski first, because it doesn't misinterpret this as weightshift. The provided harness works quite well. A difference to the other gliders are the missing trimmers which are here replaced by small T-Handles on the A-risers: Pull one and the wing accellerates in that direction, loosing more height. Easy enough concept, known from the Skydivers.

 

 
 Niviuk Nooky                                                                                                                      -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://www.niviuk.com
Sizes:  
Price:  
Character: Faster Wing, thought for use with skis
   

 Manufacturers info

NIVIUK Gliders is ready to offer you quality material for this new discipline. NIVIUK Gliders has developed a Speed Riding glider, the “NOOKY” in three sizes…NOOKY means “power”, “having guts” in Inuit… this gliders is characterized by its great range of speed and an astonishing maneuverability.

@@@ more on webpage now - update!

The Video: Speed Riding NIVIUK .wmv [29.9 Mo]

Personal Comments

The Video is one of the best I've seen so far!
Very impressive how they soar and even use the wing as a kite to go uphill!

@@@ Tested the wing now -> more to come soon...

Related Links:

 


 

Ozone Bullet                                                                                                                         -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://www.flyozone.com
Sizes: 10m², 12m², 14m²
Price: Nov. 2006
Character: Definitely a very fast wing designed for Ski-launch only!
   

 

Data

Model    100         122         144   

  Materials :

  • Top Surface OzTech 40gm2

  • Bottom Surface OzTech 40gm2

  • Internal Ribs OzTech 70gm2

  • Risers 20mm Gurth & Wolf

  • Lines Cousin Saphir 50/3

 

Flat area (m2) 10 12.1 14
Proj area (m2) 8,9 10,6 12,4
Proj AR (m) 2,8 2,8 2,8
Flat AR (m) 3,49 3,49 3,49
Flat span (m) 5.9 6.4 6.9
Proj span (m) 5 5.5 5.9
Root chord (m) 2 2.2 2.3
Cells 18 18 18
Weight (kg) 2.2 2.5 2.8

Manufacturers info

From the website

Is it SpeedRiding or SpeedFlying? We're still not sure. What we do know is that we have one, and we like it a lot.

The Bullet is still in the final prototype phase, but we can tell you that it will be available in 3 sizes: 100, 122, and 144, which roughly translate to 10m2, 12m2, and 14m2. The Bullet is designed to be a true SpeedRiding/Flying wing with a very fast trim speed and a steep glide angle, ideal for flying low and fast on snow in the mountains this winter.

The Bullet will be available in all 3 sizes in November, and will be sold with a specially designed Harness.

We'll send more info soon so please resist the urge to email us with questions about the Bullet, at the present time we can't tell you any more about this project than we have right here- it's classified!

Press Release  (Mid November 2006)
Hi Everyone

We’ve had a lot of inquiries about the Bullet, so although it is not yet finished we wanted to send out some info on it because we know that people must be asking you as well.
At the moment Rob and I are in Austria finishing up the trimming and finalizing the design of the wing. The technical specs of the final version are attached. Read below for more information on its design and features. Please keep in mind that this is just a preview, and the release date is completely dependent on the glider and harness being finished to our satisfaction. We hope that it may be orderable by late November or early December.

Our Philosophy

Speed-flying is a completely new sport and therefore we must understand that everyone practicing it this year is a beginner. For this reason, we have striven to make the Bullet as accessible and enjoyable as possible for the new pilots who will be taking up the sport this year. During the course of our testing, we realized that our first prototypes and the current wings on the market for speed-flying fell short of what we considered to be acceptable in terms of ease of use and comfort. Because these wings are so small and so dynamic, total beginners found it difficult to be confident with the high speed and dynamic handling that is inherent in the nature of these wings. As a result of this, we have designed the Bullet to be safe and easy to use in all respects. We are not at all interested in pushing the limits of performance and speed in this sport, as we see this leading in the wrong direction and potentially to the failure of the sport.

The Wing

  • Easy launch. This is imperative for new speed-flyers, and the sometimes difficult launching conditions that can be experienced in the mountains (tailwind, crosswind, etc). To achieve this, we have a simple cell structure with lines to every cell to promote even and progressive inflation in all reasonable conditions.
  • Relatively slow speed take-off. The reason we feel this is important is that it is obviously dangerous to be hurtling downhill at high speed with a non-flying wing. We chose a profile that has high lift, allowing early take-off and excellent slower speed performance.
  • In flight stability. After testing several other Speed-Flying wings, one major factor that we felt detrimental to the confidence of the pilot was very low sail tension which resulted in a total lack of in-flight solidity. The line configuration and sail tension of the Bullet help reduce in-flight glider movement to a minimum.
  • Handling. Speed-flying wings have very high wing-loading and therefore the handling must be smooth and progressive, with a long brake range to help prevent pilots from over-controlling the wing. The Bullet’s turn is smooth and stable, without excessive dive.
  • Performance. In Speed-Flying, the traditional definitions of performance do not apply. The performance of the Bullet is ideal for its application: Reasonable trim speed (45-70km/h depending on wing-loading) and a glide angle of approximately 3.5, again depending on wing-loading. Under no circumstances do we feel the need to push the limits of speed and glide performance at this stage of the sport. Safety and usability should always come first.
  • Landing. The Bullet has excellent flare and landing characteristics. Again, the high lift profile and moderate sail tension allows the wing to be slowed down easily for soft, slow speed landings, which is a very important factor in this new sport.
  • Durability. Ozone has been conducting research with fabrics and materials in the snow sports industry for 6 years (Snowkiting), which has lead to the development of the OzTech material. This cloth has been tested from the Polar ice-caps to the Sahara desert and we are very confident that it is the best material possible for Speed-Flying.

Testing and Development

The Bullet has evolved from a series of prototypes designed by Rob Whittall, whose philosophy centers on pilot safety and ease of use. Our main concern with this sport is safety, and we feel that the only way forward is to focus on safe and usable designs.
We experimented with 2 and 3 line riser designs, a variety of profiles, varying amounts of sail tension and number of cells. Ultimately, we strove for a simple safe design, and we believe that we have achieved this in the final version of the Bullet. Testing was conducted by Rob and Matt Gerdes and other factory pilots at a wide variety of conditions from high wind soaring to tail wind launches at 13,000 feet. We have repeatedly foot launched and landed all sizes of the Bullet in no wind and tail wind conditions with success each time, and flown it in highly turbulent rotor conditions (we do not under any circumstances recommend foot launching or landing the Bullet or flying it in turbulent conditions!). All of our testing has confirmed that we have a wing suitable for anyone wanting to experience the exhilaration and fun of speed-flying.

The Package

The Bullet comes complete with the ‘Atak’ Harness (the Atak was developed specifically for speed-flying with the help of Pierre Bouiloux of SupAir), a stuff sack with compression straps, the Bullet mountain backpack, snow-stakes (to anchor the wing on launch), inner-bag, repair tape, manual, and stickers.

 

Comments

From the ParaglidingForum.com:
Ozone finished a range of Speed riding wings, called the Bullet. In three sizes, captioned fast /faster/fastest, they've been designed by Robbie Whittall, with useful experience from the kite side of the business. They've also made a very lightweight wing, weighing in at about 2.6-2.9 kg. Made from the ultralight Porcher 27 gm cloth, with the exception of the upper front 25% of the sail, this glider has been made in 2 sizes so far and is intended as a second glider rather than being flown all the time as the pilot's main wing. It will also be offered as part of a package with a mountain harness.

Personal Comment

Reading the press announcement above, I like the more conservative approach that Ozone
is taking very much! I think it is wise to bring the fun to a greater audience while minimizing
the risk of negative press, which could slow down the growing popularity of this new sport!
The technical concepts described sound very promising, a little like the new Nano 07
I will have to see them in real-life side by side, to verify that though.

 

 

 
 Gin Nano                                                                                                                           -> Goto Top
   
Website: http://www.gingliders.com
Sizes: 10m², 12m², 13m², 14m²
Price:  
Character:  
   

  

Data

SIZE

NANO #10

NANO #12

NANO #13

NANO #14

FLAT AREA

10
12
13
14

PROJECTED A.

8.73
10.46
11.2
12.09

FLAT A.R.

3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8

PROJECTED A.R.

2.99
2.99
2.99
2.99

CELLS

18
18
18
18

WEIGHT KG

2.5
2.7
2.8
2.9

PILOT LEVEL /
WEIGHT

Expert
Advanced
Beginner
45/75 kg
Beginner
75/100 kg

Manufacturers info

Speed Flying is a new winter flying sport created by paraglider pilots and skydivers looking for a new sensation and to create a link between gliding by ski and gliding through the air.
For a few years, pioneers have used skydiving parachutes or modified kites.
Linking the flight of a glider with the turn of your skis adds a new dimension to the descent from a mountain! It’s an exhilarating sport which will excite and fascinate both participants and spectators…

This new sport has taken the slope by storm, quickly attracting more and more enthusiasts as the buzz of excitement sweeps across Europe! First in France, where Speed Flying was born, but now also in Switzerland and Austria with Italy and Germany not far behind.
Gin Gliders decided early on to be the first brand to create a wing specially designed for Speed Flying. That wing is ready, we call it: NANO.

NANO is a glider specifically adapted to the practice of this new sport. Simple and easy to use, NANO is available in 4 sizes: 10m2, 12m2, 13m2 and 14m2. Pick your size according to weight and more importantly experience. The smaller the glider the faster you go...

The 13m2 and 14 m2 are for light or heavy beginners and intermediates.
The 12 m2 is to be flown by very experienced pilots with a very good and precise level of control.
The 10 m2 is dedicated to the best expert pilots only, and is currently only for the GIN Team

Experts flying the 10m will be able fly at well over 100km/h!!!

Novices will be flying at more like 35-70km/h. These gliders have a trim system to speed up or slow down flight. They are very easy to launch, extremely solid in flight and responsive to your input.

Speed Flying is an exhilarating experience that should be practiced with care and in a carefully chosen environment. The Gin Nano is sold complete with glider, a convertible harness/rucksack and carabiners.

Discover freedom with the Nano, the first Speed Flying glider created by GIN !

Video: gin_speedflying.mpg - 22Mb

Comments

The Nano was one of the first 2  Speedgliders (with the J/N Hellracer) specifically marketed for this purposes. Rumor has it, that it is basically a copy of a PdF-Springo (next chapter!). which again is said to be a copy of Stiletto (skydiving canopy of 1995)
 

Gin will present a new Version of the Nano, (named sth like "Nano 07") which will then have diagonal cells. This reduces the wings tendency to "pump" and by that it will increase the performance. Still the 2 risers will allow an exact adjustment of the glide-angle, so better performance does not mean that you will now no longer be able to stay close to the slopes.

I am a bit disappointed of Aerosport, the German distributor, because they promised me for several weeks to send me a Nano and a Bullet for my review for one of the biggest paragliding magazines and finally never did so.

 

Parachutes de France Springo
   
Website: www.parachutes-de-france.com   
Sizes: 4 Sizes, 10-15m²
Price: ~1559 Euro (Link)
Character: This wing is also a skydiving canopy. This is the wing that started the new trend
making it's appearance in videos like "Ataka"!
   

   

Data

Model Springo 110 Springo 120 Springo 140 Springo 160
Surface (m²) 10,2m² 11,1m² 13m² 14,9
Technology 9 boxes (2 tri-cell boxes)
Scale (m) 5,19 5,5 5,97 6,3
Maximum cord (m) 2,06 2,18 2,37 2,5
Twist mini (m) 1,41 1,49 1,62 1,71
Lengthening 2,7
Suspending rods Spectra 750lbs
Fabric Under-surface PF2500/Suction face ZP-00A
Weight (kg) 2,1 2,3 2,55 2,75
Pilot weight min (kg) 55 60 75
Pilot weight ideal (kg) 60 70 80 90
Pilot weight max (kg) 65 80 95 110

 

Manufacturers info

from the website
http://www.parachutes-de-france.com/sources/html/clients/fr/produit_t/124.html (bad translation) 

The SPRINGO was drawn in the state of mind of the sports of slips modern which are Surfing, WindSurf, the Surfing of snows. Beyond the sail it is a whole philosophy: freedom to act, speed on trajectory, promptness of rotation and superb control with the landing are the principal pleasures which a SPRINGO offers.

Intended for the origin to meet requirements raised in term of performances, the SPRINGO is the choice of a large population parachutist thanks to the work carried out by our engineering and design department in order to widen the possible speed range to the landing. The SPRINGO offers such a flexibility that the low turns are not absolutely necessary to produce "flares" long and planing. Between the hands of a fairly trained parachutist, the SPRINGO will be soft and flexible. Between the hands of a tested "skygod", it will be the source of an intense pleasure.


Take pleasure with the SPRINGO. If you do not wish only high performances, then the SPRINGO is for you. We did it as you wished it.

 

Personal Comments

.
 

NZ-Aerosports Daedalus GLS & GLX
   
Website: http://www.nzaerosports.com   (GLS)
Sizes:  
Price: 2300 Euro (Link)
Character: This wing comes from the other side of the fence: The Skydivers. They are also interested
in footlaunching and have designed these special wings for that. Superfast but obviously
very collapse resistant.
   

  

Data

Model    GLS (Sport)      GLX   (Extreme)        
Flat area (m2)    
Proj area (m2)    
Proj AR (m)    
Flat AR (m)    
Flat span (m)    
Proj span (m)    
Root chord (m)    
Cells    
Weight (kg)    

Manufacturers info

Shortened from the website
http://www.nzaerosports.com/GLX.htm 
The Ground Launch Extreme is here! The GLX has been designed for canopy pilots who just can't get enough of swooping and enjoy paragliding or Bladerunning.

The history of ground launching: ...

The GLX development: ...


The new GLX:

The new GLX is a ground launching machine! After several years of beta testing we have developed a parachute that is easy to launch and a joy to fly down the mountain. The GLX is completely cross braced with a hybrid nose section. The center three cells of the canopy are open and the cells on each side of the center are closed with opening similar to a JVX. The GLX has no stabilizers, reinforced ribs and utilizes Spinnaker cloth. Spinnaker material has been used for years on ram air kites and paragliders. Spinnaker material is crisp and thick allowing it to hold the airfoil's shape better. Spinnaker material makes launching easier and is more rigid during flight. The GLX comes standard with two HMA or Vectran line sets. As an option, pilots can get a continuous line set allowing broken lines to be easily changed in the field without tools. A continuous line set makes loosing a line during flight less "stressful" since you have more attachment points between you and the canopy. If your serious about ground launching and want the most from your Bladerunning experience there is only one choice. Ask anyone who has flown a GLX and they will all tell you the same. See you at the launch point...
 

Personal Comments

I would love to see one of these wings in action! The history described on the page stating
they have done "several years of beta testing" sounds quite promising in terms of experience.
It is hard to say where to sort this in between flying and riding!

 

 

                                                       ---  The End ---                                                                -> Goto Top