The Ozone FIREFLY from Ozone Paragliders on Vimeo.

A Word on the Firefly

The Firefly is flyable in a very wide range of conditions--from zero wind to high wind--and is an easy, stable platform for you to greatly increase the amount of airtime you get.

What pilots will notice first about the Firefly is how much more compact, stable, and fast it is compared to other mini-wings, thanks to a lower aspect ratio made possible by an advanced profile. You will also enjoy more glide performance than other speed wings, thanks again to the profile and a reduced-drag line plan.

What's New

The new Firefly is a hybrid speed wing with performance that will match many mini-wings, but stability that resembles lower-aspect-ratio speed wings. The performance of the Firefly is very impressive for its aspect ratio, with the result being glide performance and handling from the mini-wing category, but stability from the speed-flying category. The Firefly is equipped with an advanced profile which gives high pitch stability and excellent performance, and the low aspect ratio and thick chord adds protection for passive safety and stability. This wing is an excellent choice for pilots who want to experience the thrill of mini-wing piloting without the sacrifice in stability that is inherent in the higher aspect ratio designs which are common in the mini-wing category.

Performance

While still a 16m wing, the Firefly offers significantly better glide performance than the XT16, with improved speed and more dynamic handling. Pilots will find the Firefly to be much easier to ridge-soar at a wider range of sites than the XT. It will also handle shallower launches and naturally has an increased range due to the better glide performance.

Part of the Firefly’s performance increase is the result of a more advanced, reduced-drag line-plan. This could be considered a “free” performance gain, which has come at no cost in stability. However, the Firefly also has an increased aspect ratio and more cells, which has made it a more advanced wing than the XT16.

Safety

Speed flying is dangerous. That said, one of Ozone's top priorities is pilot safety. Higher wing loading does not automatically mean higher stability, and Ozone's design team has taken great care to produce a smaller wing that, while fun to fly, still retains a level of passive safety that is suitable for intermediate to experienced pilots.

While the XT16 remains an excellent choice for speed-flying pilots who want a stable and easy to use wing, the Firefly is intended for experienced speed-flying pilots only. Pilots with less than a full season of experience flying mini-wings and speed-flying wings in varied conditions would be better suited for the XT16.

Specs

To check out the full specs for the Firefly, click this link to view Ozone's page on the subject.