The Astir is our bowsprit glider for performance-oriented hobby pilots seeking an extremely high safety level, excellent sink rate, very light handling and a compact breakdown length. Some of our customers experienced the additional safety of the bowsprit in a crash landing and do not want to miss this feature any more.

The concept of the Astir is largely based upon our renowned Zephir CX. The upper sail battens are fitted with clips engaging with the border of the trailing edge. Close to the nose plate, the leading edge has two zippers which prevent creasing the Mylar leading edge when the gilder is folded up; this is a feature of all our gliders. The lower part of the kingpost with the hangpoint is covered with a neoprene sleeve. Compared to the Zephir CX, the cable junctions are situated somewhat higher which facilitates setting up and folding the glider. The telescoped leading edge tubes have sturdy arresters.

The Astir combines highest manufacturing quality and an excellent safety concept to provide a maximum of flying pleasure. It has a DHV rating of 2 (intermediate).

The Safety Concept

The bowsprit protects the pilot in the event of a crash landing. Due to the flatter angle of impact, the pilot simply swings forward rather than hitting the ground. Like the crush zone of a car, the boesprit dampens the impact and protects the pilot against injuries. The double nose wires provide additional safety; this is also true in the event of a tree landing, where every cable is helpful.

Rigging

The Astir is set up and folded quickly and without effort. Details like well-positioned zippers and knee-hinged tensioning battens facilitate the process. Transport and storage present no problem as the Astir has a short-pack length of 3.00 m (9.8 ft); it therefore fits inside most station wagons.

Launching

The relatively narrow A-frame and the neutral static balance make for a safe and easy take-off. As the sidewires are tight, control on the ground is perfect. Few steps are sufficient to get airborne. Let the fun begin!

Flight

Staying on top of the gaggle – not a problem with the Astir. The wing has an efficient high-lift soaring airfoil. The unsurpassed light handling of the bowsprit glider enables you to climb in the weakest thermals. The best “floating crossbar” is the one that doesn’t exist...

Landing

Landing is just as easy as launching. Turn into final, let the speed bleed away, flare – a soft and predicable stall will follow. Corrections during final glide and crosswind landings don’t pose any problems.

Frame and Cables

Leading edge and keel tubes are made of seamless aluminum tubes (AlZnCu 1,5; 7075 F51). The uprights and the kingpost are made of extruded aluminum (AlMgSi 0,5, F25). All cables consist of V2A steel; they are partly plastic covered. All screws, nuts and fittings are also made of V2A.

The Sail

At the leading edge and trailing edge, the sail is made of Apen Smoke. The central part of the main sail is white polyester sailcloth. This combination of sail materials leads to a reduction in weight of approx. 1 kg, compared to the conventional woven sail  For the undersurface (Dacron), colors can be chosen at no additional costs. As an option, we offer a main sail with the even lighter, yet very strong transparent aramid sailcloth.

Standard Equipment & Options

The batten bag has separate compartments which help assorting the battens. The pack bag is equipped with zippers for long and short packing. Several paddings protect the sail from damage during transport.

The Astir can be ordered with CNC-milled corner brackets and a profiled aluminum control bar. Split wheels can be mounted to this control bar via fitting wheel hubs.

Extra options:

Main sail ODL Technora transparent + 470,- €

Bottom sail ODL Technora transparent + 390,- €

Profiled aluminum control bar with CNC corner brackets + 477,- €

Black tubes (keel, kingpost and trapeze) + 178,50 € 

(all prices incl. 19 % VAT)

Quality Control

Each hangglider passes many production steps and is finally controlled, test flown and approved for sale. Our quality management system guarantees for maximum safety: All parts are checked and marked by at least two members of staff before being built into a glider.

Service

Spare part orders are carried out within 48 hours. All repairs, including sail repairs, are performed professionally and economically in our factory in Kenn / Trier (Germany).

Technical Specifications