The FreeX Blade is a German single-place,
paraglider
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'po ...
that was designed and produced by
FreeX
FreeX GmbH (usually styled freeX) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Lenggries and previously located in Egling. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of paragliders in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft.Bertrand, Noel; ...
of
Egling
Egling is a municipality in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is ...
in the mid-2000s. It is now out of production.
[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 18. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X]
Design and development
The Blade was designed as an intermediate high-performance glider. Like all FreeX wings it features internal diagonal bracing. The models are each named for their relative size.
Operational history
The FreeX's CEO flew the Blade and won the German Distance Sport Class competition with it.
Variants
;Blade S
:Small-sized model for lighter pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of , 53 cells and the
aspect ratio is 5.8:1. The pilot weight range is .
;Blade M
:Mid-sized model for medium-weight pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of , 53 cells and the aspect ratio is 5.8:1. The pilot weight range is . The glider model is DHV 2 certified.
;Blade L
:Large-sized model for heavier pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of , 53 cells and the aspect ratio is 5.8:1. The pilot weight range is . The glider model is DHV 2 certified.
Specifications (Blade L)
References
{{FreeX aircraft
Blade
A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
Paragliders