USED - Gin Calypso

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 optimised 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.

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.”

• 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

Materials

Canopy cloth

Upper surface leading edge: Porcher Skytex, 34 g/m²

Upper surface: Porcher Skytex, 27 g/m²

Lower surface: Porcher Skytex, 27 g/m²

Lines

Upper: Dyneema | Aramid PPSL65 | DSL 70 | PPSL 120

Middle: Dyneema PPSL 160 | 200

Main: Dyneema | Aramid PPSL 120 | 275 | 350 TGL145