Paratech P43

Last updated
P43
Role Paraglider
National origin Switzerland
Manufacturer Paratech
Designer Uwe Bernholz
Introduction 2003
Status Production completed
Unit cost
€2,382 (M size, 2004)

The Paratech P43 is a Swiss single-place paraglider that was designed by Uwe Bernholz and produced by Paratech of Appenzell. It was introduced in 2003, but is now out of production. [1]

Switzerland federal republic in Central Europe

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country situated in western, central, and southern Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The sovereign state is a federal republic bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are to be found: among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva.

Paratech AG was a Swiss aircraft manufacturer based in Wasserauen and previously in Appenzell. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of paragliders in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft, as well as paragliding harnesses, clothing and accessories.

Contents

Design and development

The aircraft was designed as an intermediate glider. [1]

The wing design includes "Permanent Air Flow", a feature by which the cell openings are made smaller to improve the leading edge profile. [1]

Leading edge

The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air; alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil section. The first is an aerodynamic definition, the second a structural one. As an example of the distinction, during a tailslide, from an aerodynamic point of view, the trailing edge becomes the leading edge and vice versa but from a structural point of view the leading edge remains unchanged.

Variants

P43XS
Extra small-sized model for lighter pilots. Its 11.29 m (37.0 ft) span wing has a wing area of 23.6 m2 (254 sq ft), 49 cells and the aspect ratio is 5.4:1. The pilot weight range is 60 to 80 kg (132 to 176 lb). The glider model is DHV 1-2 certified. [1]
P43S
Small-sized model for lighter pilots. Its 11.81 m (38.7 ft) span wing has a wing area of 25.8 m2 (278 sq ft), 49 cells and the aspect ratio is 5.4:1. The pilot weight range is 75 to 95 kg (165 to 209 lb). The glider model is DHV 1-2 certified. [1]
P43M
Mid-sized model for medium-weight pilots. Its 12.3 m (40.4 ft) span wing has a wing area of 28.0 m2 (301 sq ft), 51 cells and the aspect ratio is 5.4:1. The pilot weight range is 85 to 105 kg (187 to 231 lb). The glider model is DHV 1-2 certified. [1]
P43L
Large-sized model for heavier pilots. Its 12.84 m (42.1 ft) span wing has a wing area of 30.5 m2 (328 sq ft), 50 cells and the aspect ratio is 5.4:1. The pilot weight range is 95 to 128 kg (209 to 282 lb). The glider model is DHV 1-2 certified. [1]

Specifications (P43M)

Data from Bertrand [1]

General characteristics

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 51 km/h (32 mph; 28 kn)

Related Research Articles

The Advance Alpha is a family of Swiss single-place, paragliders, designed and produced by Advance Thun of Thun.

The Airwave Sport is an Austrian single-place, paraglider that was designed by Bruce Goldsmith and produced by Airwave Gliders of Fulpmes. It is now out of production.

Firebird Hornet

The Firebird Hornet is a German single-place, paraglider that was designed and produced by Firebird Sky Sports AG of Füssen in the mid-2000s. It is now out of production.

The Gin Bolero Plus is a South Korean single-place, paraglider that was designed by Gin Seok Song and produced by Gin Gliders of Yongin. It is now out of production.

The Gin Nomad is a South Korean single-place, paraglider that was designed by Gin Seok Song and produced by Gin Gliders of Yongin. It is now out of production.

Gradient Aspen

The Gradient Aspen is a Czech single-place, paraglider designed and produced by Gradient sro of Prague. Introduced in 2003, it remained in production in 2016 as the Aspen 5.

The Independence Avalon is a German single-place, paraglider that was designed by Michaël Nesler and produced by Independence Paragliding of Eisenberg, Thuringia. It is now out of production.

The Ozone Atom is a French single-place paraglider that was designed by hang gliding and paragliding world champion pilot Robbie Whittall and produced by Ozone Gliders of Le Bar-sur-Loup. It remained in production as the Ozone 3 in 2016.

The Ozone Vulcan is a French single-place paraglider that was designed by hang gliding and paragliding world champion pilot Robbie Whittall and produced by Ozone Gliders of Le Bar-sur-Loup. It is no longer in production.

The Paratech P25 is a Swiss single-place paraglider that was designed by Uwe Bernholz and produced by Paratech of Appenzell. It is now out of production.

Paratech P26

The Paratech P26 is a Swiss single-place paraglider that was designed by Uwe Bernholz and produced by Paratech of Appenzell. It is now out of production.

The Paratech P70 is a Swiss single-place paraglider that was designed by Uwe Bernholz and produced by Paratech of Appenzell. It was introduced in 2000, but is now out of production.

The Skywalk Cayenne is a German single-place paraglider that was designed and produced by Skywalk GmbH & Co. KG of Grassau, Bavaria. Introduced in 2003, it remained in production through 2016 as the Cayenne 5.

Swing Arcus

The Swing Arcus is a series of German single-place and two-place paragliders, designed and produced by Swing Flugsportgeräte of Landsberied. In 2016 it remained in production as the Arcus 7.

The Astral is a German single-place paraglider that was designed and produced by Swing Flugsportgeräte of Landsberied. It is now out of production.

The Mistral is a German single-place paraglider that was designed and produced by Swing Flugsportgeräte of Landsberied. It is now out of production.

The UP Kantega is a family of German single and two-place paragliders that was designed and produced by UP Europe of Kochel am See. Introduced in 2003, production of the final version ended in 2016.

The UP Makalu is a German single-place paraglider that was designed and produced by UP Europe of Kochel am See. Introduced in 2001, production of the final version ended in 2016.

The UP Summit is a German single-place paraglider, designed and produced by UP Europe of Kochel am See, now UP International of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Introduced in 2001, production continued through 2016 with the Summit XC4 model.

The UP Trango is a German single-place paraglider, designed and produced by UP Europe of Kochel am See, now UP International of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Introduced in 2002, production continued through 2016 with the Trango XC3 model.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 26. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN   1368-485X
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.