The Independence Raptor 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 ' ...
that was designed by Michaƫl Nesler and produced by
Independence Paragliding of
Eisenberg, Thuringia
Eisenberg is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Saale-Holzland.
Neighboring municipalities are Jena ( in west) and Gera ( in south east). West of Eisenberg runs the motorway A 9 from Berlin to Munich. A tradition in ...
. It is now out of production.
[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', pages 20 and 30. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X]
The aircraft is not related to the
Skif Raptor.
Design and development
The Raptor was designed as a competition glider, with an unusually low price as a method of assisting completion pilots. The models are each named for their relative size.
Company
test pilot
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
Christian Amon was also involved in the development as well as flight testing of the Raptor.
Variants
;Raptor S
:Small-sized model for lighter pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of , 75 cells and the
aspect ratio is 6.34:1. The pilot weight range is .
;Raptor M
:Mid-sized model for medium-weight pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of , 75 cells and the aspect ratio is 6.34:1. The pilot weight range is .
;Raptor L
:Large-sized model for heavier pilots. Its span wing has a wing area of , 75 cells and the aspect ratio is 6.34:1. The pilot weight range is .
Specifications (Raptor L)
References
{{Independence aircraft
Raptor
Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to:
Animals
The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons.
* Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...
Paragliders