LittleCloud Urubu (PAST MODEL)

Technical data

*All-up weight

** This wing has passed EN 926-1 load test certification. It has not undergone EN or LTF flight certification, and so does not have these.

*** LittleCloud gives the Pilot Level / Category only as a rough guide to help choosing the right level of wing . This wing does not have EN flight certification. Pilot Level / Category may vary depending on wing size and loading.

Colours

Standard colours: Red, Yellow, Lime, Orange.

Package

• Wing
• Simple and light fast packing bag
• Compression strap
• Manual
• Control sheet

Related Products (optional extras)

• Paragliding Backpacks
• Concertina Packing Bags
• Fast Packing Bags
• Speed Systems
• Clothing

Urubu: advanced pilot, in one word: FUN

Design

• As a base LittleCloud kept the Gracchio plan form (57 cells), but reworked its shape, increased its aspect ratio to 6.15, and used a new airfoil (Air intakes thinner and more on the back). 

The construction remains extremely simple and without gimmicks… 
The design was pushed far to control all dimensions of the wing’s fabric tension.
• The weight stays very light, only 3.8kg for the 24, which makes it a great wing for Hike and Fly. The glider keeps the compact feeling of the Gracchio, but has incredible damping abilities for this class of wing, while still having a very high thermal sniffingcapacity. Brazilian strong wind take off have always been a piece of cake! Stunning!
• The span increase doesn’t affect the Urubu’s handling, it remains very direct and precise, offering a very tight turn possibility thanks to the work done on the arch.
• The Urubu is made for flying safely and with peace of mind. XC, soaring, Hike and Fly, the Urubu is a very funny wing to fly. It’s very difficult to upset the wing, thanks to its huge brake travel, very heavy stall point, and very damped reactions (pitch stable as usual at LC).
• They’ve been testing it in very difficult conditions this 2019 summer at the office, and it always gives this incredible feeling of serenity. The winter tests in Brazil just confirmed this feeling.
• The Urubu’s feedback is always crystal clear and gives you a real idea of the air conditions. The glider can be used all along its weight range, without considering the handling or speed but more the conditions the pilot will use it. For flatland, the pilot should be in the low part of the weight range to optimize the float and the climb, with no inflexion of the handling.
• A pilot flying strong conditions will use the middle/top part of the weight range.

Target

The Urubu is dedicated to EN C pilot who’s capable of making decisions and cope with their consequences. Thanks to its great handling, the Urubu is a great machine for soaring, fast, sharp… in one word: FUN!

In my eyes, this is the most accomplished glider I've ever designed, and the most versatile! I flew at least 200h with it and I'm always astonished at each flight about its compromise between safety/performance/serenity!

- Tom's words

Chart

Reviews

"The wing rises easily in all conditions from light wind to stronger. Even in strong gusty conditions the wing still rose smoothly with no sudden acceleration. The couple of forward launches I did were equally easy. Once in the air the wing feels nicely responsive, turning easily and immediately when brakes are applied. Roll feels a bit more controlled than on the original and, while it will happily flick up on a wing-tip, it is a little easier to keep flat when you need it.

Going on bar the wing accelerates smoothly with no massive increase in sink rate. At trim speed it’s maybe not as fast as the latest high-B wings but was in line with other mid-B wings I was flying with. The bar gave a good 12km/h extra when going pulley-to-pulley and I felt comfortable using the whole range. It was then an into-wind push along the ridges back to the car. Here again the pitch stability showed as the wing smoothly pushed through broken lift. What could have been an uncomfortable glide was marked for its smoothness with the wing neither getting knocked back or surging: this is great behaviour for a wing aimed at pilots starting their cross-country explorations.

The Gracchio has matured, and has become less demanding of its pilot, giving the same levels of performance with true B-style demands. Little Cloud’s inherent pitch stability make it an easy wing to fly, even in big air. I was impressed with its into-wind performance: not getting knocked around really seems to help this in real air. The light weight and good low-speed behaviour also makes it suitable for vol-biv adventures, with more than enough performance for early adventures. If you are not worried about the lack of EN certification, give the wing a try – you might just fall in love."

— Marcus King , CROSS COUNTRY MAGAZINE (Issue 216 (Dec 2020 / Jan 2021)

LittleCloud Philosophy & Certification

It all started in 2008… with Tom’s vision of being able to enjoy flying as much as possible, all year long, and with maximum pleasure, LittleCloud was born. Pleasure, it seems, is something that is often lost in flying… because of the never-ending quest for performance and maximum distance. It has become their mission and philosophy at LittleCloud to deny this quest and focus their efforts on creating products for a community of pilots that pursue the pleasure of flight

A while back, LittleCloud chose to opt out of the flight certification game, except for tandem wings.

Find out more here: LittleCloud Philosophy, Certification, Technology and FAQ.

Materials

FABRIC DOMINICOTEX

• Top and Bottom: Dominico 20D
• Ribs: Porcher 32 hard

SUSPENSION (LINES)

• Uppers: 7850 Edlerid
• Mids: 7850 Elderid
• Lowers: 7343 Edelrid

RISERS

• 12cm

LittleCloud downloads

Find downloads for LittleCloud products here.