BGD Base 3

Crazy about flying and looking for a thermalling, soaring and cross-country partner ? Look no further, the Base 3 is a dashing suitor. Its colourful Aztec-inspired attire reflects its fun-loving nature, and it will instantly put you at ease. But don’t underestimate its serious side. You won’t tame its sporty, competitive streak and it’s proud to be top of the class when it comes to speed and performance. The Base 3 will work with you to achieve your shared goals, and then set new ones, expanding your potential while keeping you safe.

BGD Base 3 information :

The BASE 3 is our sports-intermediate high-B. Our optimisation software allowed us to increase the performance without increasing the aspect ratio compared to its predecessor. The BASE 3 is born from the BGD Performance Quest project, whose first offspring was the DIVA 2. It clearly shares some family traits: the high arc, short lines, tapered shape and raked wingtips give it a very distinctive silhouette, as well as multiple performance and stability advantages.

Like the LYNX 2, it is a 2.5-liner. The performance gains from the lower line consumption are enhanced by the lines being unsheathed micro-lines. The 2.5-line layout also gives a really nice two-liner feel with the rear-riser steering.

The BASE 3 has excellent pitch stability and very low surge tendency, yet it remains a talkative glider, giving the pilot good feedback at all times. And something new for BGD – the BASE 3 has winglets. A safety feature, they help the glider exit from steep spiral dives.

The BASE 3 is a real feel-good glider with excellent glide performance, the tool for pilots to break their personal XC bests while feeling safe and at ease.

Technologies :

• 2.5-liner : The 2.5-line design not only reduces line drag significantly, but also gives an incredible feeling of two-liner pitch control on the rear risers
• Chord Cut Billow (CCB) : Chord Cut Billow technology has been developed to improve the form friction, glider stability and overall performance of our paragliders. Two seams run chord-wise across the top panels of the leading edge. They accommodate the panel ballooning that happens when the wing is inflated. Without CCB, up to five centimetres of excess material is created on the sides of an inflated flat panel when it bends over a wing profile. This results in wrinkles. Chord Cut Billow technology removes this excess material and the 3D panel has fewer ripples and improved rib profile shape and stability.
• Progressive Stability : Using our Parasim simulation program, BGD gliders are designed to have a stable and solid centre with progressively softer tips. This teaches pilots to predict and avoid deflations and stay aware of the air.
• Reflex profile : The reflex in the wing means a lot of lift is generated near the leading edge and a force which opposes collapses. It gives excellent top-speed stability, and collapses are easy to anticipate and stop.
• Snap Locks : BGD developed the first snap locks a decade ago. They have been refined and improved over the years and have now been widely adopted in the industry. A small focused magnet inside the catch with an internal locking system holds the handles in place. They release only when the handles are pulled down towards the pilot, so they don’t fall off while kiting, packing, or performing manoeuvres.
• Tapered Wing : Originally there to maximise glide performance, the sharp taper also reduces the stall speed giving incredible stall safety
• Unsheathed aramid lines : The Edelrid 8001U waterproof lines are dimensionally stable so your glider will stay in trim
• Winglets : Winglets help the glider to exit from steep spiral dives. Incorporating winglets in the design gave us good spiral behaviour without compromising any performance or handling

Target

The BASE 3 is for cross-country pilots who have started flying XC on a low-B and are looking for more performance to push their distances. It is stable but informative, and has some secret ninja skills: it’s slow-speed handling make it a top-landing demon, and it’s really easy to launch in strong winds because it is so pitch stable and does not surge forward. Performance-wise it is top of the EN-B class, but safety-wise it could be a low-B.

Designer's notes

Like the DIVA 2, the BASE 3 has a high arc and short lines. The high arc came about on the DIVA 2 primarily to improve the glide ratio, but we noticed this also resulted in extremely gentle collapse behaviour. Short lines reduce drag and also increase pitch stability, while leaving some roll for a fun and lively feel.

It has a reflex profile. This design is often associated with paramotor wings, and it means the profile has a natural pitch-up tendency. With a reflex profile, a lot of lift is produced near the leading edge, creating a force that acts against collapses and improves both active and passive safety. It makes the glider very stable on full bar, and collapses are very easy to anticipate and stop.

The tapered planform gives very good slow-speed characteristics, a slow stall speed and a wide margin for pilot error. The raked wingtips very effectively reduce drag.

The C-riser steering allows very effective pitch control, and the neoprene ‘cradle’ which serves as a handle is comfortable to hold and easy to use. Unlike a bar-style handle, there are no bits sticking out that could catch in your lines.

We have chosen to use cloths that are durable and hard wearing, for real-life abrasion-resistance. The unsheathed Aramid lines are Edelrid 8001U. They have a waterproof coating, and are very dimensionally stable so your glider will stay in trim.

Material :

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