Calypso

Lightweight intermediate EN B

Travel light, fly far

The Calypso is a light easy intermediate (“low B”) wing for beginning and leisure pilots who want a confidence-inspiring wing that is easy to travel and fly with, whilst still offering great XC possibilities.

The Calypso has been developed from the ground up as a lightweight, easy wing that incorporates all the latest technology from our intermediate and performance wings.

Reassuring but fun handling

The Calypso has exceptional passive stability and offers coherent and controlled feedback so that you can better understand the air and maximise your enjoyment and also performance. Brake pressures are smooth, precise and progressive, but equally the wing is still forgiving if flown less actively.

True lightweight design

As the Calypso is a lightweight wing designed from scratch, the internal structure and optimized line layout saves weight without compromising other aspects of the design. As a result, the Calypso offers very balanced flying
characteristics, not just light weight.

Extended weight range

The Calypso is certified with an extended weight range for a greater flexibility of use. Flown around the middle of the normal weight range, low-airtime pilots will discover an easy, well-behaved wing with great climbing ability. Flown at a higher wing loading in the extended weight range, suitably experienced hike ‘n fly pilots can enjoy dynamic flying in stronger conditions and also save on pack weight by taking a smaller glider.

Designer notes

Test pilot Idris Birch explains the development process of the Calypso:

“With the Calypso, we decided to design a light wing from scratch, rather than adapting a light wing from a heavier variant. This enabled us more flexibility to tune the handling and stability of the wing to meet the demands of leisure and hike ‘n fly pilots.

We worked a lot on getting a good blend of security and fun – the handling is a little more dynamic than a typical first glider, but passive security is still exceptional and the wing will not surprise the pilot.

Besides the flying characteristics, we also wanted to make the take off as easy as possible. The canopy comes up promptly with little effort and no overshooting, making it easy to get airborne even in less than ideal spots.

As always with light wings, we spent considerable time optimising the internal structure to reduce the weight as far as possible. In addition, we were able to increase the number of upper lines without increasing the total line consumption – this increases stability without compromising on performance.

Line materials were also carefully selected to minimise drag and weight yet ensure dimensional stability and a relatively long life.

For the main sail fabric, we settled on a mix of 34g, 32g and 27g Porcher fabric to provide durability and rigidity where needed and to minimise the weight in less critical areas.”

Technical Specifications

Size	XXS	XS	S	M	L
Flat area (m²)	20.99	22.43	24.42	26.5	28.66
Flat span (m)	10.3	10.64	11.11	11.57	12.03
Flat aspect ratio	5.05	5.05	5.05	5.05	5.05
Projected area (m²)	18.05	19.29	21.00	22.79	24.65
Projected span (m)	8.19	8.46	8.83	9.20	9.57
Projected aspect ratio	3.72	3.72	3.72	3.72	3.72
Chord (m)	2.58	2.66	2.78	2.90	3.01
Number of cells	47	47	47	47	47
Glider weight (kg)	3.2*	3.4*	3.6*	3.9*	4.2*
Weight range (kg)	55-75	65-85	75-95	85-105	95-115
Extended weight (kg)	–	–	100	110	120
Certification	EN B	EN B	EN B	EN B	EN B

* Weight with light Dyneema risers. Regular risers: add 200g

Details

Second generation Equalized Pressure Technology (EPT) profile significantly improves stability across the entire speed range
3 line risers, 2 lines spanwise for simplicity and performance
Easy Big Ears system
Extended weight range (S, M and L sizes) for flying at higher wing loadings
100% Sheathed lines
Lightweight mini-ribs on the trailing edge – Optional light Dyneema risers