Optimized cross vents – Triple Seven OCV technology
As paraglider canopies grow increasingly complex inside, the number of components in each wing grows as well. If you sometimes wonder why the prices seem to always take a small hike upwards with each new model range, this is the reason for it – a modern canopy is simply far more complex to put together than a five-year-old model was.
But with increasing complexity one would normally expect the weight to go up as well, and one of the main challenges our designers face when working on new products is to make sure this isn’t the case. A heavier canopy is bad on just about every level, from the basic premise that you still have to carry it on your back, to the fact that heavy canopies launch less readily, and have less enticing handling once in the air. So the challenge is to include all the extra elements inside the wing, but make sure they are as minimal in every way as at all possible. When you look through the (small) cell openenings of a Triple Seven wing you’ll notice that all the ribs, and the diagonal ribs in particular, are very elaborately designed and shaped, the cross ports following the stress lines very accurately, and also that they’re split up into several smaller sections. Through this extra complexity we have managed to get the best of both worlds; the lightness that we feel is essential for obtaining the handling and safety characteristics we want, and the rigidity and formwise integrity that gives our wings their hallmark class-bursting performance under real, active flying conditions. It is not a very visible brand characteristic when you see a Triple Seven glider in the air or on the ground, but it is VERY easy to recognise the resulting performance and handling benefits as soon as you take to the air!
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