AirDesign Loco

Technical data

*Take off weight is considered as the flight-mass (including Pilot, Glider, Harness, Reserve, Gear…)

Colours

Standard colour: Mosquito

Package

• Glider
• AirPack 50/50
• Goodies
• Repair materials and AirDesign stickers

Loco – #wackyracer

Marvin was waiting for his friend at the landing zone. He looked up and admired the fauna buzzing around: huge tandem wing, high aspect-ratio glider, potato-shaped school wing… and then he spotted his friend.
Alex looked like a mosquito, thermalling in the middle of the others. Marvin couldn’t wait to hear what he has to say about the Loco.

Once landed, his face said it all. “Man! That was… loco!”

Alex was grinning as he stuffed the tiny glider in his rucksack.

- ”What about the acceleration? Did you push the speed-bar?”

- ”Of course, I did! First bar, I was like, OK that’s nice. Second bar, I felt the speed much more and that was exhilarating. But when I pushed the last bar, man! That was awesome! Never felt that fast before, even with my comp wing, this is totally crazy!! Man! What is that glider?!”

Marvin was driving home. He was thinking of the Loco. Two-liner, 16m2, EN-C. What else? That was huge. He saw all the possibilities: soaring on the seaside, speed reserve in high mountains and so many different ways to have fun! You tick such a lot of boxes with the Loco, because you cannot put it inside of any. “The Loco is running from boxes and blowing them up” he thought.

Once at home, he sat on the couch, turned on the TV. There was this old cartoon shown, named “Wacky races”. The Red Max was grappling with the Mean Machine. What was the Loco? Well, it definitively was a wacky racer.

Loco – Catch me if you can!

How to describe the Loco…

…in one word?
Loco

…in one image?
A smiling pilot, mosquitoes stuck on his teeth.

…in one dream?
Cross the finish line of a World Cup right under the nose of the CCC gliders. That would be so crazy!

Construction & Features

• Double coated Skytex, doubled seams, edging tape and new nose guard patches: robustness is the key
• Superlight dyneema risers, unsheathed but color-coded lines (Aramid, Edelrid 8001U)
• XC high performance
• Two-liner internal structure (derived from the development of the Volt 4)
• Full length top surface Nitinol rods
• Low drag thanks to a reduced total lineset, you will hear your lines whistling!
• On the leading edge, ground attachment loops help to prevent the paraglider from slipping on a steep and/or slippery slope (snow).

Designer's notes

“For every AD wing, we use a claim and a hashtag. For the Loco, we chose Catch me if you can and the #wackyracer. The Loco is my latest crazy invention! It could be presented as the son of SuSi and Volt, a combination of the Volt 4 2-liner concept which provides performance, stability and maximum speed with the simplicity and the handling of the SuSi. Simply said, it is a 2-liner SuSi.”

-Stephan Stiegler, Designer

Stephan's interview

What is the Loco?
The Loco is my latest crazy invention! It could be presented as the son of SuSi 4 and Volt 4, a combination of the Volt 4 2-liner concept which provides performance, stability and maximum speed with the simplicity and the handling of the SuSi 4. Simply said, it is a 2-liner SuSi 4.

So, why did you make such a wing?
Actually, because we could!

What is it for?
We don’t know *laughing*
The Loco is the fastest glider we ever made. The top end-speed reaches 70km/h (full bar, full load,) which is insane, fast and stable at the same time. And the gliding is not bad either.

And how does it fly then?
Well, not much different to a SuSi 4 actually. Starting is very simple, it got an agile handling and thermals also well. In the air it is rock-solid. Performance is a big step up.
In general, it feels similar flying a Susi 4 – in addition you always have this certain speed addiction.

But I doubt this one has a certification, or?
Here comes the point… We certified the Loco within the EN-C, using folding lines to provoke the collapses.
Despite the wing is very small and with massive overloading, it went straight through the certification process.

What sizes do you offer?
We only made one size in 16m² (flat surface), certified EN-C from 60 to 90kg, it has passed the EN-926-1 certification (shock and load test) up to 120kg.
The idea behind this project was to explore what is possible to achieve, using the 2-liner concept and we did not really have a precise idea for what we are making it. We just did it.
But believe me… just flying full speed all the time is really insane with this glider. Means the name of the wing hits it perfectly – it’s crazy – LOCO.
I will personnaly use it for hike & fly. Others may use it for “Dolomitenman” or other outdoor speed competitions. Other pilots will just fly that fast around for fun or for swooping, soaring, and thermalling… which is great as well.

Does the Loco have any disadvantage?
Yes, we are having the same problem continuously. If I lend the glider to any friend, I never got it back. Take care to whom you give it!

Features

• 2-LINER CONCEPT
• SUPERLIGHT
• WINGLETS
• VORTEX HOLES
• CROSS SHARK-NOSE *
• NOSE GUARD PATCHES
• NITINOL RODS
• FLEX-RODS
• 3D-CUT
• MINI RIBS
• RAZOR EDGE (FULL INTERNAL SEAMS**)
• UNSHEATHED & COLORED LINES
• SUPERLIGHT DYNEEMA RISERS
• BS PULLEY CONNECTOR

* The Shark-Nose is assembled with crossed Nitinol rods, for the highest structural stability at all angles.

** No external seams on canopy. No risk of hooking.

Materials

Sail
• Top Sail: Porcher Skytex 27 classic II
• Bottom Sail: Porcher Skytex 27 classic II
• Ribs: Porcher Skytex 27 hard

Lines
• Top lines: Edelrid 8001/U
• Middle Lines: Edelrid 8001/U
• Main Lines: Edelrid 8001/U

Risers: 3.7mm Dyneema Rope Edelrid Taurus

Maillons: 4,3mm JOO-TECH/Korea

FAQ

Did you know?

Our designer had never been told it was impossible, so he made it. Gliding at 70km/h full bar full load, the Loco is the fastest certified glider ever designed by Stephan. But what is it for? Wind soaring, thermalling, proximity flying, by the sea, in the mountains,… You’ll tell us!

AirDesign product registration

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Downloads

Brochure - Certification - Lineplan - Manual - Test report FTR