Wings of Change
 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Headquarters | , Austria |
| Products | Paragliders |
| Owner | Markus Gründhammer |
| Website | www |
Wings of Change is an Austrian aircraft manufacturer based in Fulpmes, founded by Markus Gründhammer. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of paragliders in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft.[1]
By 2003 the company had a range of gliders in their line including the Chinhook Bi two-place tandem, the intermediate Taifun and Twister, plus the performance Tsunami.[1]
Reviewer Noel Bertrand said of the company in a 2003 profile, "Markus Gründhammer still manages to make the safest paragliders without losing anything in performance."[1]
The company's 2011 and later line includes gliders with such names as the Deathblade, Predator and Psychohammer.[2]
Designer Gründhammer said of his Deathblade paraglider, a glider with an aspect ratio of 13.01:1, wing with 113 cells and a top speed of 68 km/h (37 kn), "finally, a wing that meets my expectations of performance and flying qualities and equally challenges my skills. Some guys need a Ferrari. As for me, I build my own paragliders in order to advance as a test pilot and also on a personal scale. To me, the motivation of finding ever new dimensions and testing out the limits of feasibility means developing mental strength and feeling 'pure life'."[3]
The company also builds the Skyman line of lightweight mountain gliders for activities such as bivouac flying.[4]
Aircraft[edit]
Summary of aircraft built by Wings of Change:
- Wings of Change Acrominator
- Wings of Change Braveheart
- Wings of Change Chinhook Bi
- Wings of Change Crossblade
- Wings of Change Deathblade
- Wings of Change Druid
- Wings of Change Edonis
- Wings of Change Reinhold
- Wings of Change Ötzi
- Wings of Change Predator
- Wings of Change Psychohammer
- Wings of Change Speedy Gonzales
- Wings of Change Taifun
- Wings of Change Tsunami
- Wings of Change Tuareg
- Wings of Change Twister
- Wings of Change X-Fighter
- Wings of Change XPlor-air
- Skyman Amicus
- Skyman The Rock
- Skyman CrossCountry
- Skyman Heartbeat
- Skyman CrossAlps
- Skyman PassengAir
- Skyman Tandem
- Skyman Reinhold II
- Skyman Furio
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 36. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
- ^ Wings of Change (2011). "Products". Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ Wings of Change (2011). "Deathblade". Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ Wings of Change (2011). "Skyman Line". Retrieved 25 November 2016.