The CrossAlps 1.0 Hybrid brings all the powerful features of hybrid wing technology to small-sized paraglider systems. The CrossAlps 1.0. wing provides a substantial performance and maneuverability boost to small paramotor frames and pilots such as Easy Punk S, Pro Ultralight S, Hacker Cloud 1.5, Opale Backpack XS, or any small-sized paraglider.
Our Punkair hybrid design sets the industry standard for crafting RC paragliders that offer an expansive speed range, ensuring excellent weather resistance while maintaining exceptional stability. Notable attributes like lightweight flying capability, effortless launch behavior, and impressive glide performance, especially during accelerated flight, have solidified the hybrid construction as the go-to for contemporary designs. It was evident to us that a new 1m² glider should undoubtedly adopt this construction method to align with our specific criteria, which were:
- Weatherproof
- Good-natured
- Easy to launch
- Highly maneuverable
With our development objectives in focus, we commenced the wing construction.
Simultaneously, we were tasked with creating a paraglider for the team at
R2Home for a GPS-guided recovery system capable of accommodating weather measurement probes. These probes ascend to the atmosphere's edge via weather balloons and typically descend on small parachutes, necessitating time-consuming retrieval efforts. Our goal was to enable precise flights for the probes, minimizing search time and potential losses.
Given the extreme wind speeds at higher atmospheric levels, this specialized glider must attain velocities that allow it to counteract natural forces. Simultaneously, the glider must maintain predictable responsiveness to facilitate autonomous, fully automated flight back to the launch site.
The primary challenge lies in achieving optimal wing opening performance at altitudes exceeding 30,000 meters (19 miles) and ensuring consistent flight behavior in the thin air layers present at that height all the way to the ground.
The wing mentioned above of the R2Home project is pictured at about 46,000 (14km) altitude navigating its way back to launch location.
While it's difficult to directly apply the skills acquired from the R2Home project to an RC Paraglider of comparable size, we successfully integrated valuable insights and best practices into the CrossAlps 1.0 design, exceeding the specified design requirements by a significant margin.
The CrossAlps 1.0 is not just a small hybrid wing for small RC paragliders; there is more to this wing, which even surprised us and our test pilots.
The CrossAlps 1.0 can transform from a straightforward paraglider wing with an expansive speed envelope to a versatile all-rounder perfect for calm summer evenings and transition into a speed acrobatics demon when combined, for example, with our Pro Ultralight L-system using our standard L Powerpack on a 4S-5000mAh.
The CrossAlps 1.0 truly caters to a broad audience.
"B - Advanced" in the 0.8 - 1.3kg weight range.
- Good-natured flight behavior
- Suitable for beginners
- Wide speed range
- Good glide performance
"C - Performance" in the 1.4 - 1.8kg weight range.
- Very fast
- Extreme maneuverability
The recommended weight ranges tested by us are not a limit. You set the limit yourself. We don't know how far you can go, we just know the limit is not at 1.8kg so go ahead and experiment a bit!
