Laminar Z9
The Laminar, which, piloted by Manfred Ruhmer, has already won three World Championships as well as the absolute distance world record at 701 km, is now presented in its 9th stage of development for 2008.
Hence its suffix Z9.
Description of the hang glider
From its first appearance in 1994, the Laminar has benefited from Icaro’s policy of continuous product development. Every innovation has been examined and tested by our great champion Manfred Ruhmer before being definitively approved and incorporated.
We are proud to say that Manfred is not only the greatest pilot in the world, but he is also responsible for the development of ALL models of hang glider manufactured by Icaro.
This ninth edition of the Laminar is the result of a year of experience, both in competition and in test flying, above all by Christian Ciech and Alex Ploner (Alex, flying prototype number 2 of the Z9, won 5th place overall at the 2007 World Championships held in Texas).
Felix Rùhle (designer and manufacturer of the Atos rigid-wing hang glider) made valuable contributions regarding the optimization of the carbon fibre components.
The higher aspect ratio, obtained by means of a different distribution of the chord along the span, has made it possible to increase wing loading. This means better handling, better performance, and above all, greater flying pleasure. A pilot of 80 kg unclothed weight can now fly the 14.1 model instead of the 14.8, without being penalized by an excessive sink rate. In addition, the new chord distribution along the span has increased the proportion of sail area at the extremities. This has further improved both lateral and longitudinal stability.
Description of the sail
A number of important modifications have been made to the sail:
- The leading edge is no longer interrupted at the nose by the presence of pockets for the Mylar stiffeners, and this ensures optimum, uniform leading edge tension distribution.
- The new design of the upper sail surface totally eliminates even the slightest degree of fabric deformation at all VG settings during flight.
- The wingtip tubes have been increased in length and rigidity, in order to improve sail tension at the trailing edge.
- The leading edge sail cut has been modified in order to optimize the section profile.
- Likewise the design of the canvas below the leading edge has also been modified, again to improve sail tension in the forward part of the wing.
- The chord ratio between the central and wingtip sections has been modified, and this has made it possible to increase the aspect ratio. This has produced notable benefits in terms of handling, performance, stability, and flying pleasure for the pilot.
- Wing reinforcement has been redesigned in order to reduce weight.
- The 14.1 and 14.8 models have one extra batten to further reduce profile deformation at high speeds. The wingspan/battens ratio is now equivalent to that of the smaller models.
- The batten pockets on the under-surface have been redesigned to prevent the battens from sliding out when the hang glider is exposed to a strong tail wind while waiting at the launch site.
New sail design and new colours
The wing’s under-surface now has a new graphic design and new colour combinations.
A total of 18 colour schemes are available, ensuring that the hang glider is spectacular and unmistakable in appearance.
Description of the frame
The frame is constructed from the finest aluminium tubing available on the market today: 7075 aluminium alloy, identical to that used in the aeronautical industry. Our tubing is exclusively drawn aluminium, which offers the best possible characteristics in terms of weight/strength ratio and durability.
Crossbar junction
Icaro2000 is the only hang glider manufacturer in the world to manufacture, for all its topless models, a central crossbar junction block in Ergal 7075, made by the digitallycontrolled machining of a solid block.
This process yields a strong, light component, in which stress is uniformly distributed throughout the structure of the unit.
The cost of this technology, when compared with the conventional system used by our competitors (two aluminium plates bolted to the central slider) is far higher, “but it is the only system that offers the correct safety margin over the years”, as stated by the Aermacchi engineer and designer Montalberti, who designed this component in 1998.
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Crossbar/leading edge junction
Just as for the central crossbar junction, the crossbar/leading edge junction, another important component, is made in Ergal 7075, and again, by machining a solid block.
As mentioned above, this system, as well as being more visually attractive, offers a better strength/weight ratio.
The unit manufactured using this system is highly compact, and this has made it possible to optimize the wing profile at all VG configurations.
Sprog
The carbon fibre sprog in the central section of each wing half is slightly pre-tensioned, to ensure the correct degree of warp at different VG settings. The sprog, together with the tip, supports five battens. This increases the wing surface dedicated to stability control.
In other words, considering equal performance, your Z9 has a greater stability than another wing with a lesser degree of warp control.
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Twist Tips
The Twist Tips system is an exclusive solution created by Icaro2000, enabling the outer swivel tips (which support battens n°s 10 and 11) a degree of contrary motion, even when the sail is in contact with the tips.
This situation occurs in Variable Geometry configurations from ½ to full on.
At these VG settings, wings of the previous generation did not permit any sail movement, and this caused a drop in handling qualities.
In the Icaro2000 system, the tips are directly interlinked by means of a cable, so that they do not prevent the necessary sail movement. Handling is notably improved when VG is half or fully tight.
In addition, stability is not affected, because the tips’ compensatory function – another exclusive Icaro2000 feature – operates equally effectively in these configurations.
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Outer leading edge section
The configuration of the outer leading edge section has been changed. In order to improve coordination of the hang glider’s flight behaviour, the axis of the outer leading edge section runs parallel to that of the internal leading edge section, and it is no longer swept forwards.
The pretensioning effect that was previously attained by means of the latter design is now achieved by means of a different sail cut.
Variable geometry
In wings with Bainbridge LSP sail, the VG range has been increased. This further improves performance when VG is fully tight. In addition, towards the rear of the keel pocket there is a small sheath that avoids any contact between the sail and the VG cord.
Batten ends
The “snap lock” system is efficient and practical, and it also permits the precise regulation of sail tension.
Optional competition features
The standard model is supplied with our special sail made in a Dacron material named “Square”.
This sail offers the best possible guarantees of durability, and optimum performance in halting the propagation of a tear (rip stop), by means of the reinforcing fibres that are arranged to create a pattern of small squares (hence the name).
This hang glider is ideal for pilots who do not intend to fly in top-level competition or to attempt to break world records, but who nonetheless wish to fly a high-performance glider, with optimum guarantees as to its durability over the years.
The following optional components are available for pilots looking for even better performance characteristics:
- Aluminium competition A-frame with carbon fibre MR Speedbar and profiled aluminium downtubes.
- All-carbon fibre competition A-frame with carbon-fibre MR Speedbar and profiled carbon-fibre downtubes
- Sail in Diax-PP60P (the Bainbridge high-performance laminate)
- Sail in Diax - 60LSP (the new Bainbridge high-performance laminate)
- Carbon fibre battens
Carbon-fibre battens were introduced some time ago in order to reduce the weight of the hang glider. However the concept underlying their use has now changed. The weight of the new set of carbon fibre battens is about half that of the set of aluminium battens, but they have a far higher rigidity. This means that the resulting airfoil offers both a considerable increase in stability, and a higher performance. The benefits offered by carbon fibre battens are particularly evident with a low sprog and tip setting.
In this configuration, the hang glider has a higher pitch stability even at a tight VG setting, with positive control bar pressure at all speeds.
An example: with aluminium battens, at a tight VG setting, and very low sprog and tip settings, control bar pressure was almost zero at about 90 km/h, which is thus the VNE (velocity never to exceed) of the glider in this configuration.
Flying the same hang glider in an identical configuration but with the new carbon fibre battens, the control bar pressure is positive at all speeds. In the Z9 with carbon fibre battens and a correctly-regulated configuration, control bar pressure will be light, but positive, even at 120 km/h.
Up until today, 12 mm diameter carbon fibre battens had never been used in a flex-wing hang glider. The benefits that we have experienced using carbon battens are so
exceptional that their adoption is more than justified, notwithstanding their high price.
- Carbon fibre stiffeners
On the leading edge, 1.25 m long and ± 20 cm wide. This component is inserted into the leading edge of the sail, and it prevents its deformation at high speeds.
