It’s the world’s first officially certified EN-B paraglider with two-liner technology – at least that’s the claim from Profly as they launch the Leeloo-X (EN B). It is aimed at cross-country pilots and those looking for a stepping stone to high performance two-liners.
The Leeloo-X flies with the characteristics of a two-liner, Profly say, but uniquely it has achieved an EN-B rating. This is part feat of engineering, part dodging certification rules, which forbid EN-Bs from using folding lines to induce a collapse just for the test.
The Leeloo-X therefore does have A-lines but they are thinner and superfluous to flight – a point dramatically demonstrated by Profly founder and designer Michael Nesler. In the publicity video for the glider he got out a pair of scissors and cut them off to show how the wing flies happily as a two-liner. (It should go without saying cutting lines in flight is generally a bad move and should never be done.)
Michael said: “For two years I have been testing the Leeloo as a two-liner and was initially sceptical whether this technology really brings benefits. It is not that you simply omit a few lines, the remaining [ones] must be stronger to pass the load test.”
The fundamental challenge for designers is that an EN-B has a lower aspect ratio than sportier wings – it’s fatter, with a wider chord so having fewer lines presents an obvious challenge when it comes to rigidity and stability in flight.
Michael added: “At first I had to struggle with the typical disadvantages of two-liners: no simple descent aids, more difficult starts but that is a thing of the past. Launching with the Leeloo-X is child’s play. All manoeuvres, except the B-line stall, are easily possible.”
He said: “Many paraglider pilots in the EN-B-class come to the point where they long for more performance and more direct handling – without having to do without the proven feeling of safety in their class. This is exactly where the Leeloo-X comes in.”
The Profly Leeloo-X is available in three sizes up to a weight of 125kg. It will be on show at the Stubai Cup testival over the weekend of 14-16 March.
