Fabric – more to it than meets the eye….
What makes a great paragliding fabric and why Skytex 32 is the missing link that we have been looking for.
There is perhaps more to the production of a paragliding fabric than meets the eye. Our industry has seen many different fabric manufacturers come and go over the years. There is however one player that has consistently worked closely with its key customers to improve their product; Porcher Sport. Porcher have listened to the designers requirements and have strived to produce a material that is now extremely light and strong. Our own designer, Alexandre Paux has been instrumental in the design philosophy behind the new Skytex 32 fabric and Sky Paragliders has been a part of the testing process to bring this new fabric into the hands of the everyday pilot.
We take a look into the thinking and processes behind such developments.
The evolution of fabrics
The first paragliders were sewn from parachute- or spinnaker-fabric, as no specialized material was available at that time. One of the companies involved with both sports was Porcher Sport from France – and they quickly started the development of fabrics with the properties required for our new sport: modified Spinnaker-fabric with a new soft coating resulted in weight between 45 and 50 g/m2. Many companies producing paragliders of the first generation went out of business long ago, but Porcher is still here and striving. And the development continues.
Progress in weaving
Developments in yarns as well as weaving looms enabled the development of new, lighter fabrics, that result in an even denser weaving. This enhances stability as well as the ability to bond permanently with the coating.
Chemical development
The coatings also improved over the years and can be applied in very thin layers nowadays. The coating´s efficiency and fabric-protection have improved, while weight decreased: Only 5-7 grams of coating cover an entire square meter of cloth. Different single- or doublesided coatings applied to the same fabric result in materials with quite different properties – as the requirements for the upper sail differ vastly from what is needed for profiles and secondary ribs.
Porcher 32 – the smart combo
There is light Skytex 27 Evolution from thin 20D-yarn and heavier Skytex 38 from thicker 30D-yarn – each of these fabrics features warp and weft of equal diameter. The stress imposed on fabrics in flight is not uniform. For example, a higher resistance and strength is required along the span relative to the chord.
This led to the development of Porcher Skytex 32, that uses 30D-yarn for weft and 20D-yarn for warp. The result is a fabric with the structural strength of heavier material, while saving considerable weight.
Glider-lifespan
As the average pilot flies about 30 to 50 hours per year „everlasting“ material would be of little use, while lighter fabric has big influence on glider behaviour during launch, in flight handling, during collapses, and also when packing, carrying and storing the glider as well. Despite the use of lighter fabrics Porcher Sport states a lifespan of up to 500 hours for a normally treated glider, while heavy use in schools or tandem-companies can reduce the lifespan to 300 hours. This way an average pilot could fly his solo glider for 10 to 17 years …
Lighter than 27 g/m2?
Could Porcher Sport still go lighter than current Skytex 27 Evolution? „We could go down to 10D or even 7D-yarns.“ Porcher-spokesman Daniel Constantini states. „But the fabric would be really expensive because special looms would be required and these would have to weave at lower speeds, thus reducing production speed. Consistency and quality control could also be critical. At the moment we focus on other topics, but who knows …“
To learn how to look after your glider fabric and extend its life, have a peak at the information poster below in download.
Download