Design Insights

Deep dives into the design of our equipment

Red Bull X-Alps what's in the bag? Photo: Raphael Garagnon / @raphgara

What’s in the (X-Alps) bag?

What are pilots flying in this year's Red Bull X-Alps adventure race? We find out what wings and harnesses will be in their bags
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Hannes Maier, chief technical officer at the Red Bull X-Alps in front of his live-tracking screens at race HQ in Fuschl am See, Austria. Photo: Christian Lorenz/zooom

Insight: Live Tracking

The live tracking system for the Red Bull X-Alps works on a mesh system and promises better coverage than ever. We take a look
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Veso Ovcharov braves the cloud to showcase the Delta 5 with the new F*Race-2 ultra-light cocoon at the Stubai Cup in Austria in March Photo: Marcus King

Design Insight: Delta 5

Ozone's design manager Dav Dagault explains how they made their new accessible EN-C paraglider a “pure two-liner”
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Prototype drag noodles in-situ, and the effect on the polar curve for an Enzo 3. Images: Ozone/CIVL

What are ‘drag noodles’?

Performance equalisers have arrived – here’s what you need to know about them and if they make for fairer competitions
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Mini tandems – Little Cloud Puffin and Gin Fuse Mini

Design Insight: Mini Tandems

Smaller tandems can be flown in higher winds, or by lighter pilots. Marcus King finds out more about these niche gliders
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Porosity testers

Who’s checking the checkers?

Mike Kremers asks who is checking what when you get your glider serviced?
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BGD Base 3

Design insight: BGD Base 3

Discover the design innovation behind BGD's new compact EN B wing, the Base 3.
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Measuring cloth porosity

Design Insight: A better way to measure porosity

“We should be measuring flow, not time.” Bastienne Wentzel explains why
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Supair ALP

Design Insight: Hike-and-fly submarines

Ultralight hike-and-fly submarine harnesses offer cutting-edge performance and design. Przemek Marek visited Supair and Neo to learn more
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Veso in his magic trousers at the Snejanka Tower in Pamporovo, Bulgaria. Photo: Ivaylo Donchev

The seat of your pants

Tarquin Cooper talks to Veso Ovcharov about Fly the Earth’s new Pants 4 Life, a waterproof suit with an integrated harness
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