Ozone have released a hybrid speed wing, the Firefly, which they say has mini wing performance but speed wing stability.
It is for experienced speed wing pilots, and Ozone say it’s “an excellent choice for those who want to experience the thrill of mini wing piloting without the sacrifice in stability that you get with higher aspect ratio mini wings”.
Ozone say their priority for this class of wing is safety, and that they have taken great care to produce a smaller wing that, while fun to fly, still retains a level of passive safety that is suitable for intermediate to experienced pilots.
So where does it sit in their mini wing range? Ozone say, “The Firefly offers significantly better glide performance than the XT16, with improved speed and more dynamic handling. Pilots will find the Firefly to be much easier to ridge soar at a wider range of sites than the XT. It will also handle shallower launches and naturally has an increased range due to the better glide performance”.
The firefly’s performance gains have come from reduced line useage, an increased aspect ratio and more cells, which also make it a more advanced wing than the XT16, the latter being a much better-suited wing for beginner speed flyers. Pilots with less than a season on a speed wing would be better off with the XT16 than the Firefly.
The Firefly’s recommended weight range is 55-110kg and it is EN load tested.
