The Helite Tsunami ( en, Tidal Wave) is a French

high-wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing co ...

, single-place, rigid-wing

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame cover ...

that was designed by Gérard Thevenot and produced by

La Mouette La Mouette ( en, Seagull) is a French aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Fontaine-lès-Dijon. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of hang gliders, paragliders and ultralight trikes. At one time they also produced paramotor ...

under the Helite brand.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 45. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X

Design and development

The Tsunami was developed from the La Mouette Top Secret as a rigid wing competition hang glider. Thevenot decided to market it under his ''Helite'' brand which was also used for a line of

powered parachute A powered parachute, often abbreviated PPC, and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane, is a type of aircraft that consists of a parafoil with a motor and wheels. The FAA defines a powered parachute as ''a powered aircraft a flexible o ...

s. Available c. 2003, the aircraft is now out of production and the brand is no longer used. The aircraft is made from tubing, with the wing covered in

Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foo ...

sailcloth. Its area wing is a "topless" design with no

kingpost A king post (or king-post or kingpost) is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above (whereas a crown post, though visually similar, supports items above f ...

. The nose angle is 145°.

Operational history

The Tsunami won a number of hang gliding championships in the rigid wing class.

Specifications

References

{{La Mouette aircraft Helite Tsunami Hang gliders