DESIGNER’S NOTES

During the development of the Accura 4, one of the aspects the team worked on was optimising the 3D shaping and skin tension for increased performance. Designer Alexandre Paux pushed the limits to create a wing which is simple but still delivers the latest technology transferred in a lower-aspect ratio design.

“Optimising the 3D shaping and skin tension gave us more performance and a better feeling in the air. The glider is more damped in pitch which means that you don’t lose energy when gliding in unstable air. The Accura 4 is also easy to core in weak thermals by turning towards the core. And then, once you’re inside a thermal, the low aspect ratio and inherent stability help you get the most out of every thermal core, including the more turbulent ones. We also worked on making the wing as easy to launch as possible, especially in stronger winds. Take-offs are a critical stage of the flight, so it’s really important that the wing comes up progressively, smoothly and is not too energetic for the pilot. A majority of pilots have limited flying hours and need low risk flying without losing the fun factor. For these pilots, we know the Accura 4 delivers what we set out to achieve.”