MUCH SAFETY PACKED IN A SMALL SIZE

Low sink rates and fast opening are what define the SECURE. The Rapid Inflation System (RIS) designed by U-Turn is providing very low opening time.

Particular ribbons cause that the canopy does not lie flat on top of each other at the ‚base‘, but that an accurate calculated pre-tension generates air gates. Thereby the filling behaviour is positively influenced, especially in the first few milliseconds. For the SECURE the PARATEX RS is used. The cloth was designed by U-Turn in co-operation with Paratex and optimized for the usage in reserve parachutes. It is a tear-proof nylon fabric, which fulfilles the high demands to tear resistance and at the same time ideal porosity, at only 40 grams per square meter. The fabric quality additionally ensures the relatively small pack size of the SECURE.

BEAMER 3 - MAX SAFETY, MIN WEIGHT

THE TOP FOUR BEAMER 3 CHARACTERISTICS:

FAST OPENING 

Opening time is the most important reserve criterion. If a reserve has to be thrown at low altitude - and that is often the case - a single second can make all the difference. The Beamer 3 light's special shape and particular folding technique help it open up to 50% faster than normal round canopies; the Beamer 3 light is setting EN Test records.

LOW SINK RATE

Assuming a reserve is open with its paraglider in a stable situation the next most important thing is sink speed. Low wing loading and modest forward speed give the Beamer 3 light an unrivalled low sink rate. The EN certification authority has confirmed a sink rate of 3.9 m/s at maximum weight of 120 kg (without the paraglider). The additional braking effect of a paraglider reduces this value to less than 3m/s.

STABLE FLIGHT 

When developing a Rogallo our main focus is how it works with the paraglider. After reserve opening the paraglider can stay attached (the usual emergency situation - no quick release/cutaway). Here the Beamer 3 light really plays its trump card, and is far superior to the smaller models on the market in this respect. After a fast opening the Beamer 3 light quickly takes control. It goes into very slow forward flight and therefore does not encourage the paraglider to disturb it. The Beamer 3 light achieves its stability, among other things, by its low wing loading. This accords with our recommendation: Don't put your trust in anything under 40 m2. 

As a special feature we elected to further develop the braked opening configuration for the Rogallo - successfully applied to the Beamer 2. This results in even less forward speed and provides what most pilots need - the advantages of a round canopy's vertical flight path, plus those of a steerable forwards-flying Rogallo. For example, if the Beamer opens alongside a rock face, or in strong wind, its initial descent will be almost vertical. Then, after its steering lines have been activated, the Rogallo's forward speed can be used. If the pilot has enough height he can then steer the Beamer 3 light away from danger (e.g. rocks, water, buildings etc.). 

The braked opening configuration automatically includes another important effect: what is known as 'downplaning' is effectively prevented. This scissoring problem happens when paraglider and reserve (round canopies too) both develop forward speed while pulling against each other, and both head straight downwards. This raises the sink speed markedly, and the risk of injury dramatically. The Beamer 3's pre-braking and its large area oppose this: the braked Rogallo surface refuses to be accelerated in this way.

STEERING AND FLYING FORWARDS - THE BEAMER'S SPECIALITY! 

Paraglider under tow: In real-life reserve-throwing situations the paraglider can become a massive problem. In many cases the paraglider is already collapsed, both during and after  reserve opening, and therefore prevented from flying. Here the Beamer 3 light descent is a pure pleasure. The canopy reacts immediately to steering commands and sinks at its slowest rate. When the reserve is thrown while the paraglider is flying normally, such as during SIV training, the descent characteristics of both Rogallo and round reserve can be affected. If the paraglider reopens itself during a reserve descent it can easily be prevented from flying by B-stall, or reefing in. This will greatly improve steerability. Countless examples in practice confirm the problem-free behaviour of all Beamers in every possible situation. 

Paraglider tangled up in the Rogallo lines: Here pilots with a cutaway system can fully appreciate the Beamer 3's qualities. Glide performance doubles - with slightly increased sink speed. Cutaway carabiners mainly make sense in competition flying (more risk of collision) or for acro. A suitable seatbelt cutter, secured on a long bungee, would do the same job in an emergency 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

Here are the most frequently asked questions and their answers. 

Will the Beamer fit in any harness or front container?

Yes. The Beamer 3 can be stowed in any harness reserve compartment, or in a front container (e.g. all High Adventure models in M size). Connection is either at the carabiners (front container) or at the shoulders for harnesses with built-in reserve compartment. N.B.: For shoulder support the harness must have the relevant shoulder harness support loops. 

Can I do safety training over water with the Beamer 3?

Yes. Fabric and lines are of a high quality, long-lived and tested in sport parachuting. In the last three years we have carried out more than twenty openings with a Beamer 2, mostly for reserve packer training or demos. The laser measurement of the lines and the tearing values of the fabric show no signs of degradation, and the parachute continues in use. 

Do I have to cut away my paraglider when I throw the reserve?

No, the Beamer can be steered without problem. Complicated cutaway systems are not necessary. More about this under 'steerability' - the Beamer's speciality! 

What does the Beamer do after opening if the pilot does nothing?

The Beamer 3 works without problem with a passive pilot. It flies forwards very slowly and remains almost undisturbed by a wildly spinning paraglider. 

Can I steer my Rogallo reserve without cutting away?

Yes. The paraglider energy stays low because the low forward speed, and it can be B-stalled with little effort - and held there with one hand. The free hand can be used to steer the Beamer. With enough height available the pilot can pull in the paraglider, allowing more forward speed to be gained. 

Was happens if the paraglider tangles with the reserve?

In the worst case this is similar to what happens with a round reserve. The Beamer's much faster opening is a clear advantage, however. This reduces the risk of the reserve tangling with, for example, a spinning paraglider. The Beamer 3's large area does also improve the chance of a quiet and slow descent with a problem paraglider. 

Is the Beamer 3 complicated to fold?

Not complicated, but different. The Rogallo reserve is now widely accepted in the paragliding scene, and there are many recognised reserve packers with Beamer experience. These will know how to deal with the new simplified Beamer 3 risers and the brake shortening system. 

Can I use the Beamer 3 at a flying weight of only 70 kg?

Flying and steering behaviour is not a problem at 70 kg; just the forward speed and sink rate will be lower than with a heavier loading. Even at light load the fast Beamer 3 opening still holds its own against small round canopies. 

Can the Beamer still be steered with twisted risers?

Yes. The steering lines run freely up and down within a protective channel, even with twisted risers. Twists with a shoulder mounted reserve can turn out to be somewhat awkward (head pushed forward) - the situation is less problematic with a front container. When the paraglider is pulled in fully or cut away the twists quickly untwist themselves, again more easily with the new Beamer 3 riser system than with previous Beamers.

PILOT COMMENTS... 

Alex Hollwarth, Research and Development Team Skywalk Paragliders

"When test flying I don't have to think about my Beamer. The very fast opening, low sink speed and the ability to steer have already got me out of some bad situations." 

Mauro Pianaro, Italy

"I've flown with a steerable reserve for 15 years - I'm a believer. (…) Coming down under a normal round reserve has had catastrophic results for me."

"I just feel safer with this reserve!" 

Anselm Rauh, EAPR Testpilot

"While doing some testing yesterday I threw my Beamer for the first time, after I'd had a cravat I couldn't get rid of. There wasn't time to cut away. The 110kg landing was no harder than quite a few less-than-perfect everyday paraglider arrivals. Looking back I felt happy I'd put this reserve in my harness last year!" 

Raul Rodriguez, Acro World Champion - many times

"A serious safety backup system is essential for acro flying. My Beamer is the perfect solution, and it's my best friend as well - it's steerable and only weighs a couple of kilos!" 

Barney Woodhead, UK

"I would just like to say thank you to the staff at High Adventure. I had to use my Beamer yesterday, it opened very fast and I had a very slow and safe landing. I really am grateful and will highly recommend it to my friends."

Timothy Stahl tossed beamer 2 rogallo

“I was dialing into in my new harness, and I decided it was time to try a full stall. Well, I entered the stall asymmetrically and stayed in the unstable position too long, resulting in some twists. I was unable to get the twists worked out before reserve throwing altitude, so I tossed my beamer 2 rogallo. The beamer opened quickly and without any forward motion. Actually, I had some difficulty wrestling with my riser-twisted glider to stop the mirror-effect, so I never got to deploy the brakes on the beamer. Still, in this no-forward-speed configuration, the beamer put me down like a feather. Hurray! and hopefully next time I will even get it flying.”

TECHNICAL DATA

DOWNLOADS 

Download Manual Beamer 3 manual (PDF)

SHINE: ROUND PDA RESERVE

FEATURES

• Sink rate < 5.5 m/s
• 20 Decitex MJ cloth
• Dyneema lines
• Certification: EN 12491 and LTF 91/09

SIZES & MEASUREMENTS

PACKAGE

The reserve is delivered with:

• Folding instructions (CD)

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

• Maillons
• Standard solo reserve bridle
• Dyneema reserve bridle

DOWNLOADS

• User Manual
• Certification

REGISTER

Register your product with SUPAIR here. 

Great safety & performance features in a lightweight & compact package.

Whether you are a hike&fly expert or the occasional pilot, you will need a FLUID LIGHT to hike with light gear and fly safely.

With greater stability and better sink rate than a round parachute, the FLUID LIGHT is designed for emergency situations in rough terrains. As far as safety goes, we made no compromise whatsoever while designing the parachute used by our test pilots as well as X-Alps athletes.

The use of thoroughly placed lanyards and marks allows easier folding of your parachute, which can be carried out in less than an hour.

Visit Supair's website for more details

In the parachute area soft links have been established for a long time since they are a light alternative for flexible links without metal. Soft links are used instead of mallions, for the reserve-parachute-suspension and even as link to the harness.

The extreme saving of weight is only one reason for the rising demand of the Dyneema-link. Compared to usual metal links, soft links are absolutely shatterproof and most intensively loadable. Especially in the paraglider area the soft link is an efficient alternative for the homogeneous link between lines and straps. The soft link is looped, depending on the size, 2 to 3 times and then sealed with a loop. The production is very sophisticated since the specific line material is spliced three times and sewed afterwards.

U-Turn is offering the soft links in the sizes M (400 kg), L (800 kg) and XL (2400 kg). All sizes command a certification and a detailed assembly instruction is included in delivery.

FRONT RESERVE CONTAINER

The OLYS front-mounted reserve parachute pocket can be installed on any standard harness. It comes in two sizes, S-M (T1) and L (T2), and is compatible with the entire SUPAIR solo reserve parachute line (among others). The container is extremely light and complete: it is fully adapted to local flying, mountain flights and XC long distance adventures.

• Versatile: local flying, mountaineering, hike & fly
• Sizes: S-M (T1), L (T2)
• Light: S-M (T1) 130g; L (T2) 150g

CHARACTERISTICS

• Fully visible pre-shaped deployment handle for instant easy access
• Fastened and secured via safety flex pins on the front of the container

GEAR / COMFORT

• Soft hook and loop fastener side on the upper flap, atop the container to affix instrumentation
• Rear compression straps for optimal volume adjustment
• Easy and quick to install on the harness using straps and quick release buckles
• Easy parachute insertion (rectangular shape adapted to the POD)

ADJUSTMENTS

• Adjustment according to chest strap width

MATERIALS

• Nylon 100D

SIZES, DIMENSIONS & COMPATABILITY

PRODUCT MAKEUP

This product is delivered with the following items :

• Reserve Handle "O"
• Protection sleeve

Never thrown, never wet. Must sacrifice. 

More info HERE. 

This is the lightweight front container design to fit the Escape Reserve. 

Our pricing includes the v-bridles for connecting to harness.

Orange Cross – squaring the circle

The Swing Orange Cross combines in a unique way everything pilots require from a modern paraglider reserve. It is a cross canopy which incorporates the best features of various types of reserve design. The cross canopy design is pulled down low and, by special openings for dynamic pressure distribution, it achieves a level of pendulum stability not seen before, even in strong or unfavourable wind conditions. The innovative concept gives excellent opening times, but at the same time prevents any unwelcome tendency with cross canopies to glide upwards. This helps avoid unnecessary stress on the pilot in an extreme situation and the low sink rates allow plenty of time to focus on the landing.

In addition to the features essential for survival such as pendulum stability, rapid opening and good sink rates, you will be impressed by the extremely low weight and small pack size of the SWING Orange Cross, which was achieved by using the latest materials. We were able to simplify the packing method considerably, making it very similar to that used for a round canopy. Manufactured in Europe, the excellent workmanship with top quality products ensures a long life of up to 12 years.

In short:

The SWING Orange Cross is the right choice for pilots wanting to minimise the potential risk of injury if they have to land using a reserve. The small pack size and low weight of the Orange Cross make it suitable for use in convertible and/or lightweight harnesses as well. Whether you regularly fly cross-country or fly infrequently, whether you are a social pilot or an acro pilot – with the SWING Orange Cross, you can be completely confident that your safety is in hand.

At a glance

• a lightweight reserve
• extremely high level of pendulum stability and wind resistance
• very good opening safety even in spirals and negative spins 
• rapid opening
• low sink rates
• small pack size
• lightweight internal container
• no forwards motion
• proven and reliable materials, which are extremely lightweight and durable
• straightforward packing method using loops (similar to a round canopy)
• certified under the stringent requirements of LTF 91/09

Data:

First rescue with Flap Valve System for fastest opening and best pendulum stability

The ESCAPE by SWING: a reserve of the latest generation is released. Its very rapid opening, unequalled low sink rate and high level of pendulum stability will put your mind at ease even in a case of emergency.

SWING’s new ESCAPE series uses an innovative valve system, which has made it possible for the first time to combine the advantages of the tried and tested double canopy (high level of opening safety and pendulum stability, rapid opening time) with the advantages of a ‘traditionally’ designed reserve (easy to pack, advantage with respect to load).

The principle of the double canopy has been used: when the reserve opens, a total of 8 vent flaps ensure additional airflow into the reserve from the centre. This reduces opening time considerably and improves opening safety. It differs from the double canopy in closing the vent flaps after inflation which, combined with optimised design, leads to greater efficiency. A further advantage of the vent flaps is that they allow compensating airstreams into the canopy, which can counter possible pendulum motion.

Use of a special zero-porosity material further assists opening behaviour and efficiency, meaning that the same sink rates can be achieved while the amount of materials used is reduced. This in turn has a positive effect on pack size and weight. The best example of this is the Escape M which, with a maximum load of 105kg, weighs just 1.05kg - meaning it is one of the lightest reserves with LTF certification available, or even the lightest!

Use of rubber tabs in the internal container is a further safety measure. The suspension lines are attached to these, so on opening the reserve the lines tighten in a controlled manner. This makes it practically impossible for the lines to get crossed. The colour scheme for the reserve chute and the internal container in signal colours complete the well thought-out design.

In short:

The ESCAPE is the first choice for any pilot who wants more than just a second chance. In particular, its extremely low weight and pack size, combined with very good descent rates, suggest that the ESCAPE is destined for use in convertible harnesses and /or lightweight harnesses such as the Connect Reverse, or as a second reserve – in a separate front container or in the integrated front container of the Connect Race.

The Escape’s new features at a glance:

• The double-top surface design with closable valves allows the reserve to open very rapidly.
• The optimised form improved its top surface and reduced its weight, two factors which have a positive effect on opening time.
• Special zero-porosity material reduces weight and improves opening speed.
• New line loops in the internal container ensure that the lines unfold in a controlled manner. They also prevent the lines from getting tangled above the canopy or unintentional deployment.

Escape M: 22m², 1.05kg

The smallest size of Escape differs in several respects from the ESCAPE L and XL. Its impressive small pack size and very low weight of just 1050g make it the perfect option for:

• very light pilots
• competition pilots wanting a second reserve, and
• mini-wing or mountaineer pilots.

The ESCAPE – small, lightweight and reliable, especially when time is of the essence.

New generation square parachute with maximum security.

Compared to conventional models, the FLUID square parachute offers exceptional performance, in particular in terms of:

• very fast opening time (less than 3 seconds)
• low sink rate
• excellent pendular stability
• short line set

This means that safety is greatly improved in the event of deployment, in particular with no risk of throwing the reserve into the glider. Moreover, repacking the Fluid is simple and fast and unlike other square parachutes it does not require a specific pod (inner container / nappy sack).

TECHNICAL DATA

MATERIALS

• Dominico Tex D30, PA 6.6 high tenacity, 20 dctex, 30g/m².

• reserve colour: white/red

PACKAGE 

Delivered with: User manual (CD).

DOWNLOADS

Sup'Air Fluid User Manual (PDF)

Certification report (PDF).

SUP'AIR PRODUCT REGISTRATION

Register your Sup'Air product online.