We use a lot of invisible technologies at LittleCloud
We don’t have special names or logos for them,
but they are here for emphasing your flying experience…
1- light by essence
Since the birth of LittleCloud, we are focus on optimisation.
Smart design allows us to keep our gliders simple. No material is lighter than any light material available.
2- lines drag reduction
Always using optimised line plans on our gliders, especially with a shorter distance between the canopy and the pilot.
For the same aspect ratio/size we use up to 25% less lines than our competitors.
This way, we keep good efficiency upwind, even with lower aspect ratio/lower class gliders.
Free extra performance without any cost on the safety side.
3- Since 2012, we use a floating cell on the tips
This unsupported tip is helping to keep intrados and extrados meeting flux more optimized.
Again, this helps efficiency on upwind courses.
4- Since 2013, we got rid of the stabi lines
Tom kite design experience showed real benefit in terms of stability by having a linear lines distribution.
It helps reducing the line consumption too.
And don’t worry, it doesn’t affect the capacity to get rid of a cravat in the case you managed to get one (other methods are available- not only full-stall! ).
5- Since 2012 we have developed specific high-pressure airfoil hold in shape a single rod
The principal is very different from the original shark nose which requires 2 rods to get in shape.
We use a venturi effect on the air intakes, allowing higher internal pressure, a wider variation of angle of attack (especially at high AOA).
During a collapse, the air intakes are still feeding the canopy, offering a bigger resistance.
Since 2018, these inhouse airfoils are combined with very reduce air intake area, giving a great increase of efficiency on the performance side without altering the recovery in flying incidents or stalls.
6- Skin tensions balance
Using the internal pressure to keep a better 3D shape of the canopy offers a direct gain in efficiency and a very intuitive and progressive control of the canopies, even at higher wingloads.
The complex ballooning control of our gliders is one invisible technology that affect the most their behaviours.
We have a low leading edge tension that help stopping the collapses spread. It might not look as tight as some competitors, but the loss in performance is insignificant compared to the benefit in terms of safety!
When the wingload is increasing rapidly (during a collapse for example), we manage to temporally reduce the performance of our airfoil to reduce the power therefore the shooting.
7-The legendary LittleCloud pitch stability!
Again, an invisible technology that is changing the whole the game on the safety side. On all LittleCloud gliders since day one!
Easier in flight, in stronger wind take off, safer during flying incidents in reducing the hight loss drastically.
Thanks to our great understand of airfoil development we have the capacity to define a very pitch stability at low angle of attack and still keep a bitey behaviour, essential to have a great feeling in thermals.
