GermanDE-CH-ATEnglish (UK)

Finsterwalder Karabiner

Update about the PARALOCK

Trennkarabiner

Lightweight, safe, just as convenient to use as a conventional paragliding carabiner – and yet more durable and separable under load. This is the current status of the Paralock pre-series.

In terms of safety, stregth and function, the current Paralock pre-series is faultless.

We have ensured this through extensive testing. The first flights with prototypes by Tom Grabner and other test pilots were still made without a security cap.

 

 

However, after it became apparent that an unintentional opening due an accidental push of the release mechanism is unlikely but still possible, we added the security cap as an additional safety step. The paraglider can still be disconnected in seconds, even under load.

However, there is still room for improvement, and the currently available pre-series is also not yet flawless in terms of visual appearance.

The current manufacturer has to date not been able to deliver the quality we require for mass production. As a result, each Paralock is being completely disassembled in our Munich workshop and some parts have to be extensively reworked. The costs of production still far exceed the achievable revenues. Not even taking into account our investments in forging molds and machining equipment.

Nevertheless, also based on the knowledge gained with the pre-series, we are in the process of completely revising the design of the Paralock and restarting production with a different manufacturer. Just like our Quick-Out, the Paralock has to be forged in a complex two-stage process that only few companies can master. Based on our experience, we do not expect the new Paralock generation to enter the market for another one to three years, due to the overall very high complexity of the product.

But when it will be available, we want to offer an upgrade to the new generation at a 50% discount to all pilots who have purchased a pre-series Paralock and thus helped to finance this challenging project.

More information about the Paralock and other Finsterwalder & Charly carabiners ...

Risk of material fatigue in air sports carabiners with conventional snap gate

White Paper
Dipl. Ing. Thomas Finsterwalder, Juni 2020

Conventional carabiners have a snap gate, for whose frictionless movement a certain amount of gate play is required. Depending on the size of the play, form fit on the side with the closure only occurs at a load of 30 to 150 kg. The side facing away from the closure is thereby exposed to relatively high tensions. Due to the oscillating load, which permanently affects air sports carabiners during flight, there is a risk of material fatigue in this area. In the following, we explain the background of the problem and describe how the strength of some currently used conventional paragliding carabiners is tested by a uniform method. It turns out, that fatigue strength for a time span of 5 years is not always given, and that there are very different ways to achieve it with regard to carabiner design.

 screenshot2000

The white paper for download can be found here:
Risk of material fatigue in air sports carabiners with conventional snap gate [PDF, 506 KB]

 

Almost all connecting links between pilot and wing, that are currently used in air sports, are carabiners with a snap gate as known from mountain sports. These carabiners are popular, because they are easy to handle and the automatic locking of the snap gate largely excludes any maloperation. Also their low weight at high breaking loads and the small dimensions make them attractive for hang glider and paraglider pilots. In addition, the production of such carabiners is relatively inexpensive. We, too, manufacture conventional carabiners, although we have been developing alternative air sports carabiners in parallel since 1993.

It should, however, be noted that carabiners are not only exposed to static, but also to dynamic loads during flight, which in the long run can lead to material fatigue. Material fatigue would necessarily only occur, if the critical stresses are excessively exceeded. But since the snap gate becomes form-fit before, this is prevented. But still, a certain probability of occurrence remains. It tends only slowly towards zero, depending on the size of the gate play and the number of load changes. This also explains why to date only a few cases have become known in which carabiners broke during use due to material fatigue, although hundreds of thousands of conventional carabiners have been used in air sports since the 1970s.

However, the danger is that a fatigue fracture usually occurs suddenly and without warning.

Infinite fatigue strength is actually standard in engineering, especially in aviation. Due to the problem of gate play, however, there is to date no compact conventional carabiner with infinite fatigue strength. One of the reasons is, that it is difficult to guarantee a low form fit point. Only limited fatigue strengths of 5 years have been achieved so far. But limited fatigue strength involves the general problem that it is not possible to tell how many load changes a carabiner has already endured, and many pilots do not seem to be aware of the potential danger of using it too long. Just recently, at the beginning of 2020, the case of a fatigue fracture in Slovakia became known, in which the maximum allowed operating time of the carabiner was exceeded (see the expert testimony by the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic of March 26, 2020).

Since standardized tests are still lacking, manufacturers currently apply own test methods and consider different safety factors when determining fatigue strengths. The strength tests described in the following on some currently common paragliding carabiners show, that this practice leads to very different results. We have carried out these tests during the development of our own air sports carabiners for comparison purposes.The tests have been carried out with unused carabiners according to the method described below. It turns out that fatigue strength for a time span of 5 years is not always given, but that there are very different ways to achieve it with regard to carabiner design.

 

 

cic-alu-xCIC aluminium carabiner

Aluminum carabiner of the Taiwanese manufacturer CIC, as it is currently used in various harnesses.
Weight: 60 g
Static breaking load: 2 000 DaN
This carabiner withstood 2 000 load cycles with an upper load of 252 DaN and then broke after 68 000 load cycles with an upper load of 115.4 DaN. A limited fatigue strength of 5 years for mono paragliding use is not given. The aluminum carabiner has a rather wide belt support, which in combination with too much gate play led to exceeding the permissible tensions.

 

camp-alu-xCamp aluminium carabiner

Aluminum carabiner of the Italian company Camp, as it is currently used in harnesses from Woody Valley.
Weight: 46 g
Static breaking load: 2 000 DaN
This carabiner withstood 2 000 load cycles with an upper load of 252 DaN and then 5 mio. load cycles with an upper load of 115.4 DaN. The very light aluminum carabiner has a rather wide belt support. Since it is relatively flexible, the gate becomes form fit already at low loads. A limited fatigue strength of 5 years for mono paragliding use is given.

 

edelrid-alu-xEdelrid aluminium carabiner

Aluminum carabiner "Forsas" of the German company Edelrid, as it is currently installed in harnesses from the company Advance.
Weight: 51 g
Static breaking load: 2 300 DaN
The carabiner endured 2 000 load cycles with an upper load of 252 DaN and then 5 mio. load cycles with an upper load of 115.4 DaN. With this relatively stiff carabiner, form fit occurs rather late. Due to the extremely narrow belt support, however, this carabiner still has a limited fatigue strength of 5 years for mono paragliding use.

 

supair-stahl-xSupair steel carabiner

Carabiner made of stainless steel from Supair, as it is still available today.
Weight: 132 g
Static breaking load: 2 400 DaN
The tests in 2005 had been carried out with a lower oscillating loads. This carabiner endured 1 mio. load cycles with an upper load of only 40 DaN and then broke at approximately 740 000 load cycles with only 50 DaN. The measured form fit point was reached at 81 DaN. To achieve limited fatigue strength, form fit would have to be reached at less than 50 DaN.Since steel has a three times higher stiffness than aluminum, it is particularly difficult for conventional steel carabiners to achieve a low form fit point.Even in two further tests carried out in 2005 with closed gate, the required limited fatigue strength of 5 years for mono paragliding use according to the method described here was not given.

 

finsterwalder-titanal-xFinsterwalder-Charly Titanal carabiner

The "Snaplock" made of Titanal is produced by us since 2009 for various harness manufacturers.
Weight: 76 g
Static breaking load: 3 000 DaN
The Snaplock withstood 2 000 load cycles with an upper load of 252 DaN and then 5 mio. load cycles with an upper load of 115.4 DaN with open gate. Since the test was carried out with the gate open, it is not relevant that form fit occurs late with this carabiner. Due to the high strength of the carabiner body, the limited fatigue strength of 5 years for mono use is given in any case.

 

 


Additional information

What is the reason for material fatigue in conventional carabiners?
For a frictionless movement of the snap gate, there must be a play between the nose of the carabiner and the gate. Due to the manufacturing process, this play has a variation range which cannot be exactly defined. Within the play, the carabiner is being stressed as if with the gate open. The load bearing system corresponds to that of an open ring. Depending on the size of the gate play, the material used and the dimensions of the carabiner, form fit of the gate is given only at a more or less strong load. Then, the load-bearing system is that of a closed ring.

Therefore, when dimensioning the carabiner, two different load cases must be considered: within the gate play ("open ring") and form-fit ("closed ring"). Depending on its width, the lever arm of the carabiner's belt support increases the tension by a factor of 20 to 35 in the load case "open ring" compared to the load case "closed ring". Due to the high tensions in this load case, to date no manufacturer has succeeded in designing a conventional carabiner with small dimensions that has infinite fatigue strength.

How can a carabiner´s fatigue strength for a time span of 5 years be tested?
It is necessary to determine the resistance by means of fatigue tests. A special test method has been developed for this purpose. It uses the findings of the SincoTec test specification 05781 of February 22, 2006, which is based on fatigue tests of various air sports carabiners in 2005 (see the SincoTec test report 05601 of June 13, 2005) (both documents are only available in German):

  1. As infinite fatigue strength (without considering safety factors) for the load case "open ring" (open gate), values between 21 and 90 DaN were determined for conventional paragliding carabiners. The examined steel paragliding carabiners had no higher fatigue strength than the aluminum paragliding carabiners. Infinite fatigue strength is given if the upper limit of an oscillating load is endured 2 mio. times for steel carabiners and 5 mio. times for aluminum carabiners.
  2. For the conventional carabiners examined, form fit was provided only at loads of 15.5 to 214 DaN.
  3. It has been determined, that the upper loads during normal thermal paragliding flight at a total flight weight of 100 kg are 60 DaN. During extreme manoeuvres, values of 210 DaN have been measured. The carabiners should be designed for a total flight weight of 120 kg in mono use and 250 kg in tandem use.
  4. According to the DHV, the frequency of load changes during normal flight is about 37 times per minute. A maximum of 2 000 extreme manoeuvres within 5 years is assumed.

Based on these findings and assumptions, and assuming a safety factor of 1.145 for scratches plus a general safety factor of 1.5, the following procedure results for a carabiner fatigue test with closed gate and a limited fatigue strength of up to 5 years in mono use:

2 000 load cycles with an upper load of 252 DaN, subsequently 5 mio. load cycles with an upper load of 115.4 DaN for aluminum carabiners. For steel carabiners, 2 mio. subsequent load cycles are sufficient.

For a limited fatigue strength of 5 years in tandem use, 2 000 load cycles with an upper load of 525 DaN and subsequently 5 mio. load cycles with an upper load of 240.5 DaN must be endured by aluminum carabiners.

For steel carabiners, 2 mio. subsequent load cycles with an upper load of 240.5 DaN are sufficient.For the proof of infinite fatigue strength according to the general rules of aviation with a failure probability of 1%, the carabiner would have to endure the required 2 or 5 mio. load cycles with an upper load of 432.8 DaN in mono use and 901.7 DaN in tandem use.

 

Downloads on the subject of fatigue strength:

 

Finsterwalder carabiners

Die bisher im Flugsport verwendeten Karabiner sind Entwicklungen von Bergsportausrüstern. Im Bergsport und im Bereich der Sicherheitstechnik sind für den Karabiner hauptsächlichst hohe Bruchlasten erforderlich.
Für die im Flugsport auftretende permanente Schwingungsbelastung im Bereich des Schnapperspiels sind Bergsport-Karabiner nicht ausgelegt.
 
Es ist im normalen Flugbetrieb deshalb bereits mehrfach zu Brüchen infolge von Materialermüdung gekommen. Typisch ist der Fall in Tschechien. Näheres dazu » hier!
Die von Finsterwalder & Charly entwickelten Karabiner sind speziell für den Flugsport entwickelt worden.
Die bisher im Flugsport verwendeten Karabiner sind Entwicklungen von Bergsportausrüstern. Im Bergsport und im Bereich der Sicherheitstechnik sind für den Karabiner hauptsächlichst hohe Bruchlasten erforderlich.
Für die im Flugsport auftretende permanente Schwingungsbelastung im Bereich des Schnapperspiels sind Bergsport-Karabiner nicht ausgelegt.
 
Es ist im normalen Flugbetrieb deshalb bereits mehrfach zu Brüchen infolge von Materialermüdung gekommen. Typisch ist der Fall in Tschechien. Näheres dazu » hier!
Die von Finsterwalder & Charly entwickelten Karabiner sind speziell für den Flugsport entwickelt worden.

Since 1993, we have been developing carabiners specially made for air sports and helicopter air rescue.
These carabiners are particularly designed to withstand the permanent oscillating loads in flight, which in the long run can lead to material fatigue in conventional carabiners.

>> More information on the risk of material fatigue in air sports carabiners with conventional snap gate...

  finsterwalder-paralock-3  

PARALOCK 3 universal paragliding carabiner

The Paralock 3 is a universal paragliding carabiner with important safety features that can save your life in a variety of dangerous situations.

The next generation paragliding carabiner is not only useful for emergency water landings and high wind conditions on the ground, its quick-release function also makes it possible to prevent dangerous interactions between the reserve and the paraglider and to make use of the possibility to steer the reserve.

» More information

         
  hkar12-quickout-neu  

QUICK-OUT separation carabiner

Special carabiner for helicopter air rescue, which allows quick separation under load

Due to its intuitive operation and high level of safety, the Quick-Out has proven itself for many years in air sports as well as in mountain and offshore air rescue, where it is used by the military, police, fire department and SEK.

» More information

         
unilock

UNILOCK carabiner

Ultralight, universal paragliding carabiner

  • Replacement interval: mono 5 years, unlimited flight hours
  • Working load limit (air sports): 115 DaN* per carabiner
  • Drop-forged from Titanal, 45 g
  • Breaking load: 2.500 DaN
  • Gate play individually tested
  • Suitable for belt widths 25-45 mm

» More information

       
  snaplock700x800  

SNAPLOCK carabiner

Hang gliding and paragliding carabiner with conventional twist lock

  • Replacement interval: mono 5 years, tandem 2 years, unlimited flight hours
  • Working load limit (air sports): 115 DaN* per carabiner
  • Drop-forged from Titanal, 76 g
  • Breaking load: 3 000 DaN
  • Breaking load, open gate: 2 000 DaN
  • Load without permanent deformation, open gate: 1.600 DaN
  • Inside height: 60 mm
  • Suitable for belt widths 25-30 mm, tucked in up to 45 mm

» More information

         

* 1 daN (decanewton) = 10 N (newton) ≈ 1 kg

 

>> You can find more carabiners for hang gliding and paragliding in our webshop <<

 

 

Snaplock

 Hang gliding and paragliding carabiner with conventional twist lock

snaplock700x800

 

Features:

  • Working load limit (air sports): 115 DaN* per carabiner
  • Drop-forged from Titanal, 76 g
  • Breaking load: 3 000 DaN
  • Breaking load, open gate: 2 000 DaN
  • Load without permanent deformation, open gate: 1 600 DaN
  • Inside height: 60 mm
  • Suitable for belt widths 25-30 mm, tucked in up to 45 mm


* 1 daN (Dekanewton) = 10 N (newton)  ≈ 1 kg

  • 5 years replacement interval for PG mono use and 2 years replacement interval for HG and PG tandem use with unimited flight hours.
    In a dynamic fatigue test with open gate, the Snaplock withstood 5.000.000 load cycles at 115 daN as well as 2.000 load cycles at 240 daN.

  • Lightweight and safe:
    Snaplock carabiners are drop-forged instead of bent which results in increased material strength. The material of bent carabiners, in contrast, is weakened by inner tensions in the bended areas.
    With an open gate breaking load of 1.600 daN, the Snaplock can bear approx. four times more load than conventional paragliding carabiners. Snaplock carabiners weigh a mere 76 g and thus save approx. 150 g of weight compared with steel carabiners.

    * 1 daN (Dekanewton) = 10 N (newton)  ≈ 1 kg

  • Convenient:
    snaplock-naseThe Snaplock's conventional twist lock is easy to operate as the locking sleeve does not need to be pushed down to open the gate. The carabiner is self-locking after releasing the sleeve. 

    As the counterpart of the snapper is closed, the risers cannot get caught whilst hooking in and out.

  • Universal fit:
    The Snaplock is suitable for band widths of 25-30 mm and narrower, but also accomodates the previously common 44 mm webbings if they are tucked in (see assembly instructions for 44 mm wide webbings).

  • Non-twist:snaplock-eingebaut2
    Thanks to its distinctive "nose", the Snaplock can be attached to the harness in such a way that a sidewise turning is reliably prevented. Moreover, harness manufacturers have the possibility to use the nose for back strap attachment. Back support can thus be significantly improved.

 

More information on the fatigue endurance of air sports carabiners...
Paragliding carabiners are subject to permanent load changes during flight. Measurements by the DHV show that they can amount to between 10 and 110 kg and more, depending on pilot weight, pilot flight behavior and thermals, and that they can occur up to 26 times per second. Given the carabiners' high breaking load (at least 1.500 kg), such load changes should generally be unproblematic. However, conventional carabiners exhibit a construction-related peculiarity: their play in the gate. This play is necessary for the snap hook to open and close frictionless. However, the snap hook is force-locked only at weights of 30-120 kg (depending on the amount of play in the gate). As a result the pilot flies as if the carabiner lock was open within the range of the play in the gate. Since the carabiner construction - as practice and dynamic fatigue tests show - is not designed for such load cases, already the relatively low operating load during normal flight operations can lead to breakages due to material fatigue. As the play in the gate cannot be reliably limited and as it is difficult to control, we have constructed the Snaplock in such a way that it is fatigue endurable also within the range of the play in the gate. Please note: Not all carabiners are tested for fatigue endurance. Special caution is required when the carabiner manufacturer does not give information about the replacement interval.

Steel is good ?

The fatigue endurance of carabiners is not a question of material but a question of design! In dynamic fatigue tests, some aluminum carabiners exhibited substantially higher fatigue endurance levels than steel carabiners. Although stainless steel is generally more fatigue endurable, harder and more resistant to corrosion, the difference in strength can easily be outweighed by a larger width of the aluminum component. Due to the better strength-to-weight ratio, high-quality aluminum alloys are the standard in aircraft construction.

karbruchThe crack in the steel carabiner on the left occurred after 1.739.700 load changes between 5 and 50 daN. The steel carabiner on the right broke after 287.000 load changes between 7 and 70 daN. For comparison: Titanal Pin Lock carabiners withstood 5.000.000 load changes between 40 and 400 daN without failure.
* 1 DaN (Dekanewton) = 10 N (Newton) ≈ 1 kg

         
Art.Nr. Article Breaking load (daN in ~kg) Weight (g) Price (€/pc.)
HKar35 Snaplock carabiner 3.000 76,0 27,50

 

White paper: Risk of material fatigue in air sports carabiners with conventional snap gate

 

 

 

 

Quickout paragliding carabiner

Special carabiner that enables quick release under load

 

Features:

  • In emergency situations, fast disconnection without effort is possible
  • Four safety steps with the possibility of gradual unlocking
  • Form-fit and fatigue resistant
  • Replacement interval: mono and tandem 8 Jahre, unlimited flight hours
  • Working load limit (air sports): 400 DaN* per carabiner
  • Body drop-forged from Titanal, insert made of high strength aluminum alloy 7075 T6, 200 g
  • Breaking load: 4.000 DaN, individually tested to 2.000 DaN
  • Inside height: 40 mm

The Quickout is used everywhere where a reliable connection and if needed a quick release even under load is necessary. It is designed for secure load attachment - in particular for the carrying of persons - and is suitable for outdoor use.

There is no specific CE standard for separation carabiners. However, the Quick-Out is a central component of different certified special harnesses, which are used and proven nationally and internationally in many applications, e.g. in helicopter missions by the police, military, mountain rescue and fire departments.

In paragliding sports, it allows the release of the glider when used with a steerable rescue system.

The simultaneous push of both lock buttons disconnects the pilot from the glider effortlessly. Safety trainings showed the release of the glider to be advantageous in the case of a rescue system deployment.

Aside from its advantages in the case of water- or tree landings and in strong wind conditions, the Quickout also offers superior handling compared to conventional paragliding carabiners.

 

Art.Nr. Article Breaking load  (daN *) Weight (g) Price (€/pc.)
HKar12  Quickout carabiner 4.000 200,0 78,50
HKar121  Extra insert for Quickout (suitable for webbing widths 25-28 mm)   46 27,50
HKar128  Adapter sleeves for narrow risers (suitable up to 18 mm)     13,50

1 DAN (dekanewton) = 10 N (newton)  ≈ 1 kg



Quickout release system for speed pedals :

Die Befestigung der Gleitschirmtragegurte ist ähnlich wie beim konventionellen Karabiner. Der Quickpin-Verschluss verfügt über eine automatische Verriegelung. Er ist so gestaltet, dass zum Öffnen zwei unterschiedliche manuelle Handlungen erforderlich sind: Das Drücken des Entriegelungsknopfs und ein Ziehen des Bolzens in entgegengesetzter Richtung.
 
Das Lösen der Tragegurte nach der Landung ist beim Pin Lock einfacher als beim Schnappverschluss Karabiner.
Damit bei extremen Starkwindverhältnissen ein ordnungsgemäßes Befestigen der Tragegurte am Karabiner sichergestellt ist, muss der Gleitschirm vor dem Anlegen des Gurtzeugs am Karabiner befestigt werden. Das gilt für konventionelle Karabiner wie für Pin Lock.
 
Bei Beachtung der Betriebsanleitung können selbst im extremen Winterbetrieb Vereisungsprobleme zuverlässig vermieden werden.

A foot accelerator separation system is required to allow the main canopy to be completely separated after an emergency parachute opening. The foot accelerator separation systems work automatically after the karabiner is opened. Charly offers 3 foot accelerator separation systems.

 

Accessories fors special belts

bornack-schnelltrenneinheit krah-hois-adapter krah-verbindungsgurt  
 BORNACK
rapid separation unit QR
KRAH
Hoist Adapter
 KRAH
connection belt Charly
 

 

Documents:
» Instruction manual Quickout carabiner
» 
Notice d'utilisation Mousqueton Quickout
»
 Safety note: On Quick-Out models before 2016, it was possible to swap the locking buttons during installation!
» Safety notice Ouickout carabiner 4.2019

» White Paper: Risk of material fatigue in air sports carabiners with conventional snap gate


 

PARALOCK Separation carabiner

With a conventional paragliding carabiner, separation under load is hardly possible. However, in certain situations this can not only be useful but even life-saving - e.g. when landing in moving water or in strong winds.
Also after an emergency parachute deployment, it may be necessary and in any case recommended to disconnect the paraglider. The Paralock eliminates the need to carry a line cutter or to pull in the paraglider which costs valuable time.
The Paralock's separation function is also useful in other sports, for air and water rescue, and in parachute harnesses.

Finsterwalder

 

Features:

  • Titanal drop forged
  • Axle and locking bolt made of hardened chrome steel
  • Replacement interval: 8 years with unlimited flight hours, 5 years for tandem paragliding use and use in hang gliders
  • Weight: 73 g at a breaking load of 2.800 DaN*

    * 1 DAN (Dekanewton) = 10 Newton  ≈ 1 kg

 

Gleitschirm Karabiner

Lightweight and durable

The Paralock weighs only 73 g and is equally suitable for Hike & Fly as well as for tandem paragliding.
Due to their form-fit design, the Paralock and the Quick-Out are to date the only air sports carabiners that have been able to demonstrate an approved replacement interval of 8 years for mono use and 5 years for tandem use. The Paralock is also suitable for use in hang gliders, where the replacement interval is 5 years. The number of flight hours is unlimited within the replacement interval.

>> More about the risk of material fatigue in conventional paragliding carabiners with snap gate

 

Gleitschirm Karabiner

Convenient handling

Easy operation even with gloves: After inserting the paraglider risers, the Paralock locks and secures itself automatically. The carabiner is opened by a 120° turn of the release lever against spring force, whereby the lever can only be unlocked after a button is pushed.

A security cap over the release button reliably prevents the Paralock from being opened unintentionally.

>> Demo video of handling
>> Video: Separation of the paraglider after an emergency parachute deployment

 

5 reasons why the paraglider should be disconnected after an emergency parachute deployment

    1. According to the LTF, the maximum allowed sink rate for paraglider rescue systems is 6.8 m/s, corresponding to 24.5 km/h. However, many pilots are not aware that in the reserve parachute certification process, the sink rate is determined without the paraglider. Interactions between paraglider and rescue system can increase the sink rate substantially – for example, by increased swinging or due to a resulting shear position. The risk of injury increases accordingly.
    2. Although modern reserve parachutes usually reach maximum sink rates of "only" 5.5 m/s, corresponding to approx. 20 km/h, these values are often only achieved by a lateral drift that generates lift. A paraglider that is not separated or only separated on one side impedes this drift and thus substantially increases the sink rate.
    3. The possibility to choose the landing site with a steerable rescue system is a significant safety plus. If the main glider is not separated, this safety advantage is foregone. It is better to separate than to catch up...
    4. It has shown that a separated paraglider usually collapses very quickly and that its salvage is easier. In the case of a tree landing, there is also a much lower risk of damage to the glider when it does not carry the full pilot weight.
    5. Video of a downplane situation of the paraglider after an emergency parachute deployment

Easy attachment to almost all paraglider harnesses 

The V-shaped belt chamber for the harness is designed to correspond to the pulling directions of the main risers and the back strap.
In some pod harnesses, the pod is attached separately (e.g. in the Advance Impress 4). The pod loops can be inserted above the harness chamber separating screw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art.No. Article Breaking load (DaN *) Weight (g) Price (€/pcs.)
HKar129  PARALOCK Separation carabiner 2.800 69 94,00

 

Accessories

Charly foot accelerator separation systems:

Die Befestigung der Gleitschirmtragegurte ist ähnlich wie beim konventionellen Karabiner. Der Quickpin-Verschluss verfügt über eine automatische Verriegelung. Er ist so gestaltet, dass zum Öffnen zwei unterschiedliche manuelle Handlungen erforderlich sind: Das Drücken des Entriegelungsknopfs und ein Ziehen des Bolzens in entgegengesetzter Richtung.
 
Das Lösen der Tragegurte nach der Landung ist beim Pin Lock einfacher als beim Schnappverschluss Karabiner.
Damit bei extremen Starkwindverhältnissen ein ordnungsgemäßes Befestigen der Tragegurte am Karabiner sichergestellt ist, muss der Gleitschirm vor dem Anlegen des Gurtzeugs am Karabiner befestigt werden. Das gilt für konventionelle Karabiner wie für Pin Lock.
 
Bei Beachtung der Betriebsanleitung können selbst im extremen Winterbetrieb Vereisungsprobleme zuverlässig vermieden werden.

A foot accelerator separation system is required to allow the main canopy to be completely separated after an emergency parachute opening. The foot accelerator separation systems work automatically after the karabiner is opened. Charly offers 3 foot accelerator separation systems.

 


 Downloads

paralock-en trennsystem-brummelhaken trennsystem-easy-release
 Manual
Paralock Karabiner
Manual
Separat. system Brummelhook
 Manual
Separat. system Easy Release
 

Information about the carabiner problem

white-paper sincotec sincotec-pruefbericht sincotec-pinlock
 White Paper
Risk of material fatigue
Sincotec test specification
only available in german
 Sincotec test report
only available in german
 Pinlock endurance test
only available in german

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHARLY Speed pedal separation links

A speed pedal separation link is required to enable a complete separation of the main glider after an emergency parachute deployment. The speed pedal separation links are released automatically after opening the carabiner.
Charly offers 3 different speed pedal separation links.

 

Easy Release separation link NEW!

The system convinces by low construction height, easy handling and durable, safe operation.

      

The Easy Release separation link can be easily attached to the paraglider risers if the Easy Release ring clip can be looped in instead of the Brummel hook.

If this is not possible, the original speed system line must be replaced with the speed system line with ring clip of the Easy Release system

    

Detaching the 
Brummel hook
Attaching the
ring clip
 

Weight: 22 g / pair

       
  Scope of delivery:
  • 2x Ring clip with speed system line for
    attachment to the paraglider risers
  • 2x Release hook with speed system line
    and release line (static line) for attchment
    to the speed system lines of the paragliding
    harness
  • Installation instructions
 
Art.no. Article Br.load (DaN *) Weight (g) Price (€/pc.)
HKar142  Easy Release separation link 200 22 39,70

 

 

Separation link with Brummel hooks

We recommend this inexpensive separation link if the speed system of the paraglider is equipped with Brummel hooks.

Weight: 25 g / pair

hkar141-front hkar141-back
Art.no. Article Br.load (DaN *) Weight (g) Price (€/pc.)
HKar141  Separation link with Brummel hooks 300 25 19,50

 

 

Separation link with Brummel hooks

With the patent shackle separation system a ring is looped into the speed system of the paraglider instead of the Brummel hook. The speed pedal is attached to this ring by means of the patent shackle.

Weight: 74 g / pair

 
hkar14-overview
Detaching the Brummel hook Attaching the ring
Art.no. Article Br.load (DaN *) Weight (g) Price (€/pc.)
HKar14  Separation link with Brummel hooks 300 74 33,50

 

 * 1 DaN (Dekanewton) = 10 N (Newton) ≈ 1 kg


 Downloads

brummel-hook-separation-syst patent-shackle-separation-system
 Manual
Separat. system Easy Release
Manual
Separat. system Brummelhook
Manual
Separat. syst. Patent shackle 
 


 

UNILOCK

Ultraleichter, universeller Gleitschirmkarabiner

Mit einem Gewicht von nur 45 g und mehr als 25 kN Bruchlast ist der UNILOCK der derzeit leichteste und gleichzeitig einer der am höchsten belastbaren Gleitschirmkarabiner auf dem Markt. Beim Dauerschwingtest ertrug er 2.000 Lastwechsel mit Oberlast 252 DaN sowie anschließend 5 Mio. Lastwechsel mit Oberlast 115,4 DaN. Somit erreicht der UNILOCK eine Zeitfestigkeit von 5 Jahren im Monobetrieb.

unilock1

Die wichtigsten Features des Finsterwalder UNILOCK im Überblick

  • Die um 45° gedrehte Schnapperöffung erleichtert die Montage am Gurtzeug.
  • Das Design in Form einer "3" bewirkt eine hohe Sicherheit gegen Verdrehen.
  • Der UNILOCK ist sowohl für schmale als auch für breite Gurtbänder geeignet.
  • Der untere Karabinerteil verfügt über eine extra Auflagefläche für den Hüftgurt, die dessen Position etwas erhöht. Das wirkt sich günstig auf den Komfort des Gurtzeugs aus.
  • Rot/grün Markierung vereinfacht die Orientierung beim Einhängen der Traggurte.
  • Schnapperspiel einzelstückgeprüft.

 

 unilock2 unilock3 unilock4 

 

Art.Nr. Artikel Bruchlast (DaN *) Gewicht (g) Preis (€/Paar)
HKar36  UNILOCK Gleitschirmkarabiner (Paar) 2.500 45 58,00

 

 

Downloads

Infos zur Karabinerproblematik

white-paper sincotec sincotec-pruefbericht sincotec-pinlock
 White Paper
Gefahr der Materialermüdung
Sincotec Prüfvorschrift
Auslegung von Karabinerhaken
 Sincotec Prüfbericht
Dauerschwingfestigkeitsvers.
 Sincotec Prüfbericht
Dauerschwingtest Pin Lock

 

 

 

UNILOCK

Ultralight, universal paragliding carabiner 

With a weight of only 45 g and a breaking load of more than 25 kN, the UNILOCK is currently the lightest and at the same time most loadable paragliding carabiners on the market. In the fatigue test, it endured 2.000 load cycles with an upper load of 252 DaN and subsequently 5 mio. load cycles with an upper load of 115,4 DaN. The UNILOCK thus achieves a fatigue strength of 5 years in mono use.

unilock1

Overview of the Finsterwalder UNILOCK´s most important features

  • The snap gate turned by 45° facilitates the attachment to the harness.
  • The design in the shape of a "3" pro- vides a high stabilit against twisting.
  • The UNILOCK is suitable for both narrow and wide webbings.
  • The lower belt chamber has an extra support surface for the hip belt, which slightly raises its position. This has a positive effect on the comfort of the harness.
  • Red/green marking simplifies orientation when attaching the risers.
  • Gate play individually tested.

 

 unilock2 unilock3 unilock4 

 

Art.N° Article Breaking load (DaN *) Weight (g) Price (€/Pair)
HKar36  UNILOCK paragliding carabiner (pair) 2.500 45 58,00

 

 

Downloads

Infos zur Karabinerproblematik

white-paper sincotec sincotec-pruefbericht sincotec-pinlock
 White Paper
Gefahr der Materialermüdung
Sincotec Prüfvorschrift
Auslegung von Karabinerhaken
 Sincotec Prüfbericht
Dauerschwingfestigkeitsvers.
 Sincotec Prüfbericht
Dauerschwingtest Pin Lock

 

 

 

PARALOCK 3 universal paragliding carabiner

The Paralock 3 is a universal paragliding carabiner with important safety features that can save your life in a variety of dangerous situations.

The next generation paragliding carabiner is not only useful for emergency water landings and high wind conditions on the ground, its quick-release function also makes it possible to prevent dangerous interactions between the reserve and the paraglider and to make use of the possibility to steer the reserve.

finsterwalder-paralock-3-en

 

Advantages over conventional paragliding carabiners

  • Lifesaving for emergency water landings in breaking waves or on rivers.
  • Helpful for handling strong winds.
  • Enables the paraglider to be disconnected after an emergency parachute deployment. This prevents an increased sink rate due to the interaction between the parachute and paraglider and the risk of a downplane through the paraglider.
  • Long service life without material fatigue problems.
  • Intuitive and safe operation with additional blocking option.
  • Easy and twist-free installation on almost any harness.
  • No need to carry a crosscut knife.
  • 28 kN breaking load at only 75 g weight.

Flying safely means being aware of the risks

In the year 2024, a tragic accident occurred with the Paralock 3. It is clear that in addition to the advantages of separation carabiners, they also carry risks. If you know them, you can avoid them. Our latest Paralock 3 owner's manual makes this even clearer.

Water landings are also very dangerous for paragliders, as the accident statistics show. The article ‘Death trap Water" in DHV-info 216, the magazine of the German Hang Gliding Association (DHV), highlights the dangers of water landings for paragliders. It emphasizes the importance of separating the glider quickly to avoid risks such as entanglement or dangerous pull forces.

The following two videos show specific situations in which it would have been helpful to separate the paraglider after an emergency deployment of the reserve parachute.

This 1 minute long video shows a downplane situation:

 

This 1 minute long video shows the attempt to pull in the main glider: 

 

Complex processing of high quality materials

The sophisticated forging process enables the Paralock 3 to be manufactured with a high surface quality despite the high degree of deformation. The forging of the high-strength material Titanal provides additional material reinforcement, resulting in a low weight of only 75 g with a breaking load of 2.8 kN. The steel parts are made of hardened chrome steel, the plastic parts are made of the oil-resistant and low-wear plastic POM, and the swivel lever has a hard-anodised coating for low-friction dry running.

 

Proven fatigue strength

Unlike conventional paragliding carabiners, the Paralock’s lock is form-fit, so the dynamic stress relevant to material fatigue in flight is only a fraction. It has survived the fatigue test of 2.000 load changes at 525 DaN top load and then 5 million load changes at 240,5 DaN at an accredited materials testing institute without damage. This is equivalent to 5 years of tandem operation with unlimited flight hours. The maximum recommended service life for mono paragliding use is 8 years, with no risk of material fatigue even with extended use.

 

Proven in practice

The Paralock has undergone extensive field testing during its development.

This 47-second video shows how easy it is to disconnect the paraglider after an emergency parachute deployment:

 

 This 7-second video shows how to hook in the paraglider and then check that the swivel lever is securely engaged:

 

 This 1:22 minute video shows the practical use of the Paralock 3

 

 

finsterwalder-paralock-entsichern-oeffnen  finsterwalder-paralock-blocking
 Unlocking, opening   Blocking of the release lever

 Connection

 finsterwalder-paralock-positions-1  finsterwalder-paralock-positions-2 finsterwalder-paralock-positions-3

 Insert the riser

 

 

Place the lock on the lever bearing

 

 

Swivel the Lever up and release. The Lock snaps shut, but malfunctions are possible, which is why it is essential to check that it engages securely before each flight (link manual)

 

Easy installation on almost any harness

 finsterwalder-paralock-overview-bg

 

Art. Name Breaking load Weight Price (€/pc.)
HKar130  PARALOCK 3 2.800 DaN 75 g 84,00

 

Accessories:

Die Befestigung der Gleitschirmtragegurte ist ähnlich wie beim konventionellen Karabiner. Der Quickpin-Verschluss verfügt über eine automatische Verriegelung. Er ist so gestaltet, dass zum Öffnen zwei unterschiedliche manuelle Handlungen erforderlich sind: Das Drücken des Entriegelungsknopfs und ein Ziehen des Bolzens in entgegengesetzter Richtung.
 
Das Lösen der Tragegurte nach der Landung ist beim Pin Lock einfacher als beim Schnappverschluss Karabiner.
Damit bei extremen Starkwindverhältnissen ein ordnungsgemäßes Befestigen der Tragegurte am Karabiner sichergestellt ist, muss der Gleitschirm vor dem Anlegen des Gurtzeugs am Karabiner befestigt werden. Das gilt für konventionelle Karabiner wie für Pin Lock.
 
Bei Beachtung der Betriebsanleitung können selbst im extremen Winterbetrieb Vereisungsprobleme zuverlässig vermieden werden.

Speed system separation links

A speed system separation link is required to allow complete disconnection of the paraglider when a quick release carabiner is operated. The speed system separation link is activated automatically when the carabiner is opened. CHARLY offers three types of speed system separation links:

 

FINSTERWALDER Paralock 3 Blue Disc

finsterwalder-paralock-3-blue-disc 800x800The installation of the FINSTERWALDER Paralock 3 Blue Disc on the securing pin of the Paralock 3, makes the operation of the release blocking mechanism easier, and its position (close to the Paralock / at a distance) indicates the activation of the mechanism.

Paralock 3 Blue Disc Instruction Manual

 

 

 


 Downloads

 

paralock3-upgraded-manual 150x110 platzhalter 150x110 platzhalter 150x110 platzhalter
 Manual
Paralock 3 Karabiner with upgrade
     

paralock3-betriebsanleitung paralock3-manuel manual-bluedisc manuel-bluedisc
 Manual
Paralock 3 Karabiner
Manuel d`instruction
Paralock 3 Mousqueton
 Manual
Paralock 3 Blue Disc
 Manuel d`instruction
Paralock 3 Blue Disc

realease system manual easy release
 Manual
Separat. system Brummelhook
Manual
Separat. system Easy Release
   

 

Infos zur Karabinerproblematik

white-paper sincotec sincotec-pruefbericht sincotec-pinlock
 White Paper
Risk of material fatigue
Sincotec test specification
only available in german
 Sincotec test report
only available in german
 Pinlock endurance test
only available in german

 

 

 

  •  Start 
  •  Prev 
  •  1  2 
  •  Next 
  •  End 

Page 1 of 2

Catalogue 2024

catalogue2024cover

Our partners

kortel-logo-blau500

flytec-neu130x30

ha-130x70

Naviter