THE OZONE XXLITE
The Ozone XXlite is the lightest lightweight paraglider Ozone have ever made due to it's unique single surface design READ THE SKYWINGS REVIEW OF THE OZONE XXLITE HERE ON AXIS PARAGLIDING. The Ozone XXLite is one of the most unique paragliders to ever be put into production. This modern single-surface design is the absolute ultimate in ultra-lightweight flight and is probably the lightest aircraft in existence. The Ozone R&D Team contains several members who are avid alpinists and hike & fly pilots, and the XXlite is the result of our passion for innovation and adventure. It is a special wing for special paraglider pilots who fully understand its limitations, and have the skill and experience to pilot it.
With the entire canopy open to the relative airflow and approximately 5kg of air missing from “inside” the wing, the Ozone XXLite is more than 80% lighter while flying than a normal paraglider of the same size. This means that the pilot will experience more of the air than ever thought possible, as it has so much less inertia as it moves through variations in the air mass. This heightened “sensitivity” of the Ozone XXlite should not be understated, and it is important that pilots who choose to fly the XXLite are capable of appreciating the feedback that this wing will provide, and also of evaluating the conditions that are appropriate for flying it.
For the reasons above, it would be an oversimplification to call the Ozone XXLite a “descent” wing. The feeling of the XXLite in flight is totally unfiltered and may be disconcerting to paraglider pilots without the necessary experience. When flying the Ozone XXLite, it is important to realize that its movements and feedback are a natural result of physics. Without the weight of a volume of air inside the wing, the airfoil is highly affected by every movement it encounters in the atmosphere but this does not make the wing inherently unstable. Due to the wing’s lack of inertia, it also has far less of a tendency to overshoot, and this reduced amplitude is a positive characteristic in turbulence.
The pure glide performance of the Ozone XXLite is comparable to an Ultralite of the same size, but the trim speed is significantly slower and it does not have an accelerator system. Therefore, pilots must anticipate this lack of available speed when choosing conditions to fly in. The slower trim speed means that you will spend more time in a headwind or turbulent area, and your glide will be proportionately affected.
Despite its limitations, the Ozone XXLite can be a versatile wing and is capable of great things. During its air-trial period, Ozone Team Pilot Martin Bonis flew the XXLite to the summit of Mt Blanc, where he top-landed on one of the strongest thermal days of 2012. Likewise, paraglider pilots who enjoy the enhanced sensations of “unprotected sex flight” will get the most out of this exciting new design.
The XXLite 14m weighs in at an incredible 1.1kg. As far as Ozone know, it is the lightest descent wing ever designed. It is meant for serious alpinists and seasoned hike & fly pilots who are capable of managing a wing with shorter brake travel, higher trim speed, and lower flare power than the other sizes of XXLite. While this wing is truly cutting edge in terms of its extremely light and compact design, it does require a higher level of piloting than the 16m and 19m sizes.
This 14m size has been tested by the Ozone R&D Team and a select few of our team pilots over the past year, and our testing has shown that it is a solid and usable size, but does require increased awareness, skill, and judgment. If you are interested in this exciting and elite descent tool.
SIZES
| Ozone XXLite |
16 |
19 |
| No. Of Panels |
41 |
41 |
| Proj Area (m2) |
13.9 |
16.4 |
| Flat Area (m2) |
16 |
18.9 |
| Proj Span (m) |
7.4 |
8.1 |
| Flat Span (m) |
9.3 |
10.1 |
| Proj A/R 1. |
4.0 |
4.0 |
| Flat A/R |
5.4 |
5.4 |
| Root Chord (m) |
2.2 |
2.4 |
| Glider Weight (kg) |
1.2 |
1.37 |
| Weight Range (kg) |
65-95 |
85-115 |
| EN / LTF |
En Load Test |
En Load Test |
MATERIALS
- Top Surface Cloth: Porcher 7000 E71A
- Rib cloth: Porcher 7000 E29
- Upper lines: Edelrid 8000U-050
- Mid lines: Edelrid 8000U-190/130
- Lower Lines: Edelrid 8000U-230/190
CHOOSE YOUR SIZE
Do not use normal double surface wings as your reference, the XXLite is a unique wing and requires specific loading for optimum performance.
The wing creates lift at a relatively slow speed, so launching is straight forward, even when heavily loaded on the smallest size. The launch speed is similar to a double surfaced wing 3-4m bigger.
Speed is related to wing loading, it is important to not be below the recommended minimum weight range.
Pilots with an all up weight (remember the low weight of the wing) of 65-95 kgs should consider the 16, those between 85 and 115kgs the 19.
