BGD have released a limited-edition lightweight version of their EN-B Base. The Base Lite was designed for vol-bivouac and travelling, and they say it’s the best sport class glider they have ever made.
It has an extra 3km/h on its top speed, thanks to its optimised speed bar. Low-drag micro-lines have also improved glider performance “by up to one point in the glide”.
Plastic wire reinforced leading edge mini-ribs create a solid leading edge, and the Base Lite has a strong sharknose, Cord Cut Billow and Bruce Goldsmith handling.
BGD say it is safer than the Base – being lighter it has better post-collapse behaviour and easier handling on launch, but it has not been certified and there are no plans to do so.
Since the Base Lite is a limited-edition wing it has not been EN/LTF certified, but has undergone rigorous BGD self-certifying tests which it passed with flying colours. We conclude that the reduced inertia has improved accelerated asymmetric and frontal deflations, since the shooting is reduced. Normally this would score an EN-A rating. Thanks to the light material, the re-opening of all deflations is much quicker too. The rest of the safety manoeuvres are identical to the EN-B Base results.
The Base Lite is available in three sizes, for all-up weights from 60-105kg and a glider weight starting at 4.1kg for the smallest size.
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