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| Astir |
by
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DHV glider classification 2. |
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A bowsprit glider
for the safety minded recreational pilot. Sink, performance and especially light
handling – not to mention the advantages of a short pack length (10ft). The
Astir has many features of the legendary Zephir CX as well as new innovations. All
upper battens are full length with spring-loaded tips which fit into receptacles sewn into
the trailing edge. Zippers are sewn into the leading edge Mylar on both sides of the
nose plate to avoid creasing when the glider is packed. The sail opening for the
kingpost is closed with elastic material, and the flying wire attachment points within the
sail sit relatively high up to avoid damage when rigging and derigging. The leading
edge tube sections, which telescopically fit into each other, are held in position by
massive lugs, and the spreader battens are tensioned with mainenance-free elastic bands |
The Astir combines quality with safety for a maximum
of flying fun |
Safe, fun to fly, and can be packed down to 10 ft! |
The
unique "bowsprit" design has many followers in Europe! |
Technical
Data |
|
Sail area |
158 ft² |
| Pilot weight |
132 to 254 lbs |
| Glider weight (no cover) |
66 lbs |
| Span |
35 ft |
| Nose angel |
130° |
| Aspect ratio |
7.6 |
| Double sail |
85 % |
| Pack lengths |
20 ft / 15.5 ft / 10 ft |
| Number of battens |
26 (6 lower) |
| Stall speed |
16 mph |
| Top speed |
50 mph German speed limit |
| Minimum sink speed |
19 mph |
| Maximum L/D speed |
23 mph |
| Extra safety: 4 flying wires per side! |
|
In a nose in landing, the pilot
doesn't touch the ground or hardly the glider!. |
Safety Concept
|
Sail
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Hardware
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| The bowsprit serves as protection when crashing the
glider. Like the crumple zone in an automobile, the bowsprit absorbs the impact and
protects the pilot against injury. Four flying wires (2 per side), ensure maximum safety |
The leading
edge is made of fabric-reinforced Mylar, the lower surface and the middle portion of the
upper surface are of 4.0 oz. Polyester, and the trailing edge is 5.46 oz. Power LL.
Customer choice of colors is standard at no extra charge. The glider cover can be
stowed within the double surface during flight |
Leading edge and keel tubes are made of
magnetically-inspected, seamless extruded aluminum alloy AlZnCu 1.5 (7075 F51). The
keel is tapered at the rear. Uprights and kingpost are made of pressed AlMgSi 0.5
(F25) aluminum alloy. All cables are stainless steel (V2A) and some are plastic
covered, and all hardware is of V2A quality |
|
Launch
The small control bar and
excellent static balance contribute to an effortless launch. The glider doesn’t
wobble when setting the attitude, since the lower wires are always taut. The Astir
lifts off after a few steps – and the fun can begin! |
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Flight
With the Astir it’s no problem being at
the top of the pack. Through the absence of a crossbar, the sail has a hollow,
high-performance airfoil, and the unmatched easy handling of a bowsprit construction
enables you to center even the weakest themals. The best crossbar is the one that
isn’t there! |
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Set-Up
/ Breakdown
Rigging
and derigging the Astir is fast, uncomplicated and above all, effortless. Details
such as zippers to assist in attaching the defined tips or foldable spreader battens make
the work easier. And you’re totally flexible when transporting and storing the
glider, which has a standard short-pack length of 10 ft. Shorter than most
conventional gliders when short packed |
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Landing
The landing is as easy as the launch. Turn onto final,
roundout, bleed off speed, and the Astir flares cleanly. Corrections on final or
landing in a crosswind are unproblematic |
Extras
The batten quiver has separate compartments to keep the
battens sorted: left, right, upper, lower. The glider can be fitted with a folding
base tube upon request. The glider cover has separate zippers for long and short
pack lengths. Various pieces of padding protect the sail against transport
damageder assembly |
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Service
Parts are shipped daily. All repairs,
including those to the sail, can be made inexpensively and according to specification at
our production facility in Kenn, Germany |
Quality
Control
Every glider passes through various production processes
before it is inspected, test-flown and released for sale. Our "Quality Insurance
System" insures your satisfaction. All components are inspected by at least
three specialists before glider assembly |
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