Gin have released their new lightweight high-EN B wing, the Explorer 2. It weighs 3.7kg in size S with Dyneema risers, and has an aspect ratio of just over 6.
Gin say it’s a wing that allows pilots to “reconnect with the pure joy of flight!”. It has better glide, better climb and is more pitch stable than the original Explorer, with light progressive brake pressure and “just the right amount” of feedback to make climbing efficient and effortless. They have slightly increased the surface area of the wing, a choice they say has contributed to the improved glide. Gin Seok Song explains:
“Squeezing something extra from the original Explorer was not an easy task! Rather than try to increase performance by increasing the aspect ratio, we decided to go the other way and play with the surface area. Smaller and smaller wings might be today’s trend, but all things equal, larger wings offer several advantages. With the increased Reynolds number, they not only perform better but are also more stable.
“The key was to increase the surface area without compromising responsiveness and speed. To do this, we drew heavily on the wind tunnel research we are carrying out in partnership with a university here in Korea. This is a major project that has already produced some insights that are trickling down into production wings. This work helped a lot to optimise the sail tensioning, which for the pilot means improved climbing and more refined handling”.
The Explorer 2 is made from Porcher Skytex 27 (with 34 on the leading edge) and has unsheathed Aramid lines. The reinforcements are a mixture of plastic wire and Nitinol rods, to support the shape while allowing compact packing. Its new risers have a C-steering system with control toggles and pulleys for smooth, light operation, and there is an extra 2cm travel on the speed bar.
