Skyman single-surface paraglider in action
These are some photos of a friend taking his first flight with his Skyman single-surface paraglider. If you've flown regular gliders all your life looking at one of these seems so wrong. It is literally a single layer of fabric with lines attached to the bottom. The thing weighs about 3 pounds (1.45 kg) and packs into a tiny backpack.
If you've flown conventional paragliders all your life which have two surfaces with "cells" that inflate with the wind then seeing one of these gliders launch and fly seems all wrong but they sure do fly. Since there is nothing to inflate and no momentum, it giggles, quivers, and dancers overhead as it flies.
Skyman "Sir Edmund": https://www.skyman.aero/en/paragliders/Sir-Edmund_LTF-EN-B.html
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Photos taken by myself today at Mission Peak, Fremont, California.
I followed a Russian chap (I believe, on YouTube) a few years ago, he made a single-skinned paraglider using a kite program. It seemed to fly ok as far as I can remember. I'll just try and dig out a link, hang on a sec.........
........ well that proved futile lol.
If I find it later, I'll try and remember to link it.
I first heard about commercial single-surface gliders a few years ago, but I'm sure people have tried to make them before then. Probably having someone willing to test was the main issue holding them back. Plus they are less efficient due to all the lower surface drag. It's really for those who absolutely need an ultralight ultra compact glider - like mountaineers or people doing viv-bol.
Glider development still seems to be maintaining pace. Though I'm not really 'in the scene' any more since my 'retirement'. Perhaps one day I'll take to the air again :)
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