DUDEK - HIKE & CRUISE

With a wide speed range, light weight and precise, agile steering, the Hike&Cruise is a great choice for pilots seeking a unique experience in the air.

It is a handy wing that can be packed into a small bag, easy to climb with and descend, or make a longer flight using thermals.

This paraglider features the 3-to-1 technology, ensuring good performance and low weight of the canopy, which in turn makes the wing a great fun to fly.

3-to-1 technology

In the Hike&Cruise construction, we used our innovative 3-to-1 technology, thanks to which we obtained a paraglider weighing 2.37 – 2,73 kg with 65* cells and an aspect ratio of 5.6. The specificity of the 3-to-1 technology allowed to obtain a high level of safety (EN A/B), thanks to which the world of XC and bivouac flights opened up to intermediate recreational pilots.

The idea behind the 3-to-1 technology is to improve the air flow in the upper zones of the canopy that are most crucial for generating lift, while maintaining a low weight. For this purpose, the number of cells on the upper surface of the wing was increased, with simultaneous reduction on the lower surface.

In order to connect the two surfaces of the canopy with a different number of cells, a special system of internal reinforcements has been designed, based on diagonal supports and a reduced number of ribs (as compared to the classic double-skin paraglider). As a whole, the system relies on a complex and visually attractive set of internal structures.

During development and testing years, it was found that in addition to achieving the original design goals, the specific stress distribution for a canopy built in the 3-to-1 system has a significant impact on the paraglider’s unique flight characteristics and its increased safety.

Wing behavior

• Flying on Hike&Cruise offers a completely new feeling and can surprise even the most experienced pilots with its uniqueness.
• The paraglider is characterized by a really wide speed range, mainly due to the significant reduction of the stall speed. Despite the long brake travel, the control of the wing is very precise and agile both in the entire speed range, especially at low speeds, and along all take-off weight range (especially at lower weights).
• The ability to make tight turns at low speed allows for easy thermalling even in very tight cores, which translates into the paraglider’s incredible ability to gain height.
• The wing reacts very well to correcting the direction with the rear risers, so we decided to fix the steering bars on the C risers.
• Feeling of a high level of security during the flight.
• The canopy is extremely resistant to collapses and reacts to them immediately. The wing is also characterized by an efficient auto-stabilization. It quickly returns over the pilot’s head and has no tendency to overshoot.

Risers

• Meticulously finished risers made of 7 millimeter webbing of durable TECHNORA fibres. They are equipped, among others, with Ronstan pulleys, a separate Big Ears lines and steering bars on the C risers. These bars allow for effective corrections of the flight direction and easier deflation of the canopy in strong winds at take-off or after landing. They can also be used as a support for the hands during long transitions.
• The risers are connected to the lines by soft-links. This solution significantly reduces weight of the risers, and at the same time provides greater strength than their steel counterparts.
• Carefully crafted steering handles with press studs and bracing for more precise control.