Airborne Sting

Sting
General information
TypeHang glider
National origin
Australia
ManufacturerAirborne Windsports
StatusIn production

The Airborne Sting is a series of Australian high-wing, single-seat hang gliders, designed and produced by Airborne Windsports of Redhead, New South Wales and introduced in the early 2000s.

Design and development

The Stings are intended to be intermediate hang gliders used for recreational flying. They all feature ease of handling with good performance

The Sting 2 154 XC model is made from 7075 aluminum tubing, with the semi-double-surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.09 m (29.8 ft) span wing is cable braced with a single kingpost supporting the ground wires. The nose angle is 121° and the aspect ratio is 5.7:1. The aircraft is certified as DHV 1–2.

Variants

Sting 2 118
Very small sized single-seat model with 11.0 m2 (118 sq ft) wing area for very light pilots or those wishing a higher wing loading
Sting 2 140 X
Small sized single-seat model with 13.03 m2 (140.3 sq ft) wing area, 8.45 m (27.7 ft) wing span, a pilot hook-in weight range of 45 to 85 kg (99 to 187 lb) and a wing aspect ratio of 5.5:1
Sting 2 154 XC
Medium sized single-seat model with 14.33 m2 (154.2 sq ft) wing area, 9.09 m (29.8 ft) wing span, a pilot hook-in weight range of 55 to 110 kg (121 to 243 lb) and a wing aspect ratio of 5.7:1
Sting 175 XC
Large sized single-seat model with 16.3 m2 (175 sq ft) wing area, 9.8 m (32.2 ft) wing span, a pilot hook-in weight range of 80 to 135 kg (176 to 298 lb) and a wing aspect ratio of 5.9:1
Sting 3 154
Improved medium sized single-seat model with 14.33 m2 (154.2 sq ft) wing area, 9.1 m (29.9 ft) wing span, a pilot hook-in weight range of 55 to 110 kg (121 to 243 lb) and a wing aspect ratio of 5.7:1
Sting 3 168
Improved large sized single-seat model with 15.6 m2 (168 sq ft) wing area, 9.5 m (31.2 ft) wing span, a pilot hook-in weight range of 80 to 120 kg (180 to 260 lb) and a wing aspect ratio of 5.7:1

Specifications (Sting 2 175 XC)

Data from Bertrand

General characteristics

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 41. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. 1 2 Airborne Windsports (2011). "Sting 3" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2012.