The ECHO is back, our lightweight low-B is perfect for pilots who like their paragliding served all ways. Hike-and-fly? Tick. It’s a kilo lighter than the EPIC 2, at 3.4kg in XS, and 4.4kg in L. It folds down nice and small with no fussy packing techniques required. Cross-country? Absolutely. It’s still a safe and easy low-B, with great glide performance and more speed than the original ECHO. You can safely use the bar all the way, and it has a B/C- steering system so you can get in your groove on bar, steer with the rears and munch those miles. Vol-biv? Please do! The sheathed lines, easy-handling risers and careful cloth choices mean ECHO 2 won’t wilt at the thought of a rocky launch. It’s easy to clear the lines to lay out in the wild, and the launch is really easy. So take her into the mountains, ECHO 2 is at home there!

The weights in the Specs table are with softlinks. The ECHO 2 is supplied as standard with maillons; softlinks are available on request.

TARGET

ECHO 2 is a multi-purpose superstar, a quiver of one! Whether you’re a relative beginner or have 20 flying years under your belt, she’s safe and accessible, with fun handling and good performance. We found a solution to the lightness/durability paradox with clever cloth combos that mean she’s light but still durable, and easy to handle too. So whether you fly locally, hike, travel or vol-bivouac, the ECHO 2 is everything you need.

DESIGNER’S NOTES

With the ECHO 2 we wanted to make something nice and light, that is easy to fold and carry. At the same time, it had to be user-friendly, not too fragile and have really usable performance.

The ECHO 2 is made entirely from high quality and industry proven Porcher cloth, mostly in 27g/m2 weight for both surfaces. On the leading edge there is sturdy 38g/m2 cloth in the centre where it is needed for additional strength and to ensure longevity.

There are small rods in the leading edge, but none are very long, and there are no rods in the back of the sail so it’s easily foldable and can be packed small.

We opted for the same risers as are on the EPIC 2, because they are much easier to handle than Dyneema ‘rope’ style risers, and this wing is designed to be accessible to lower-airtime pilots. We also kept to sheathed lower lines for the same reason, especially for rocky or awkward launches. They are easier to see, so you can spot if they are caught around anything before you try to launch, and it means they can be colour coded so you can easily tell the lines apart.

We worked a LOT on perfecting the launch, and from the feedback we’re getting we reckon we got it right. The light sail comes up like a dream and settles over your head till you decide to go. No holding back or over-flying, and no hurtling forwards at high speed in strong winds. It’s easy and relaxing, just the way we like it!

While safety is always a priority with a low-B wing, the ECHO 2 included, we also wanted the ECHO 2 to have really usable performance. It is a bit faster than the original, and we’ve used a similar B/C steering system to that on the BASE 2, on the EPIC 2 and ECHO 2. You can safely explore the whole bar travel, and learn to correct your direction with the rear risers. There won’t be a lot of pitch-correction to manage with the ECHO 2, and rear-riser steering is a good method to get used to if you’re a newer pilot moving up through the glider levels. If you’d rather not use it yet, that’s fine. The way it’s designed it does not clutter the risers, and can be ignored until you’re ready.

Long brake travel helps avoid an accidental stall or spin, and the brakes are beautifully precise and direct. The handling is BGD through and through – playful and fun and the colours have crept onto the undersurface too for even more pzazz. (And as the pilot you get to see them too, bonus!)

The post BGD Echo 2 first appeared on Torrey Pines Gliderport.

The EPIC 2 is very safe and reassuring, accessible to low-airtime pilots but with handling and performance that experienced pilots will love.

We’ve improved the launch behaviour – the wing comes up smoothly and easily without overshooting. In flight, it’s slightly faster than its predecessor (+1km/h at trim, +3km/h top speed) and has improved glide. It’s also a great climber, especially in weak lift.

Long brake travel means you won’t accidentally stall or spin, but it is precise on the brakes with direct, playful handling. The EPIC 2 is safe and reassuring in strong air, but does not hide the bumps. At BGD we think feedback is really important: the wing tells the pilot about the conditions, and the pilot can anticipate and avoid collapses.

Like on the BASE 2, the new EPIC 2 risers have a B/C steering system for piloting the wing while pushing the bar and flying at speed.

TARGET

A safe, fun wing that’s a joy to fly. We’ve improved the performance while maximising safety, and the EPIC 2 is a versatile wing. It’s perfect for first cross-countries or a go-anywhere glider for weekend pilots. And, like the original Epic, it’s a great tool for getting to grips with your first freestyle moves. The test team can confirm it’s loads of fun for wingovers, SATs, heli’s and the like.

DESIGNER’S NOTES

The EPIC has been a very successful Low B wing. It was important to us to keep the accessibility and handling it was known and loved for, while improving performance. It has great glide and climbing ability, and a bit more speed than the original.

While it might look quite similar at a glance, design-wise a lot has changed. It now has 45 cells and an aspect ratio of 5.2, both slightly higher than on the original EPIC. The internal supporting structure is more intricate, but despite all this the glider weighs the same, 4.9kg for the M. The riser set is new, and the lines are a mixture of unsheathed higher up, and sheathed at the bottom.

The Epic 2 has short rods in the leading edge and none in the trailing edge, so it is easy to pack. The single-piece leading edge plastics are made of different materials: stiffer purlin in the central section with softer, more flexible supports towards the tips. It’s a light, elegant and effective method for shaping the leading edge.

As on the BASE 2 and CURE 2, there is a double skin on the lower surface of the leading edge. The internal pressure of the wing pushes on this lower skin which helps pressure it to maintain a clean and stable leading edge.

DOWNLOAD

MANUAL EN V1.3

XS FLIGHT REPORT

XS CERTIFICATE

S FLIGHT REPORT

S CERTIFICATE

M FLIGHT REPORT

M CERTIFICATE

ML FLIGHT REPORT

ML CERTIFICATE

L FLIGHT REPORT

L CERTIFICATE

MATERIAL

TOP SURFACE	Porcher Skytex 38g/m²
BOTTOM SURFACE	Porcher Eazyfly 40g/m²
INTERNAL STRUCTURE	Porcher Skytex hard finish 40g/m²
NOSE REINFORCING	Plastic wire 2,3 / 2,7mm
RISERS	12mm Kevlar / Nylon webbing
PULLEYS	Allen
TOP LINES	Edelrid 8000U
MIDDLE LINES	Edelrid 8000U
LOWER LINES	Edelrid PPSL and TSL
BRAKES	Liros DSL, PPSL

SPECS

	XS	S	M	ML	L
LINEAR SCALING FACTOR	0.92	0.96	1	1.04	1.08
PROJECTED AREA (M²)	17.7	19.4	21.1	22.8	24.5
FLAT AREA (M²)	21	23	25	27	29
GLIDER WEIGHT (KG)	4.4	4.6	4.9	5.1	5.4
TOTAL LINE LENGTH (M)	227	233	244	254	263
HEIGHT (M)	6.4	7	7.1	7.3	7.5
NUMBER OF MAIN LINES (A/B/C)	3/4/3
CELLS	45
FLAT ASPECT RATIO	5.2
PROJECTED ASPECT RATIO	3.8
ROOT CHORD (M)	2.5	2.6	2.7	2.8	3
FLAT SPAN (M)	10.4	10.9	11.4	11.8	12.3
PROJECTED SPAN (M)	8.2	8.5	8.9	9.3	9.6
TRIM SPEED (KM/H)	39
TOP SPEED (KM/H)	53
MIN SINK (M/S)	1
BEST GLIDE	9
WEIGHT RANGE (KG)	55-75	65-85	75-95	85-110	100-125
CERTIFICATION (EN/LTF)	B

The post BGD Epic 2 first appeared on Torrey Pines Gliderport.