finsterwalder-charly.de - Finsterwalder & Charly - Hanggliding and Paragliding Equipment since 1974

CHARLY paragliding rescue systems:
Pionier and market leader since 1984

Even before it became mandatory for air sports pilots to carry a rescue parachute in 1986, CHARLY, thanks to its innovative strength, was already one of the leading suppliers of hang gliding and paragliding rescue systems.
Center line construction, double canopy technology, rocket deployment, steerable rescues – CHARLY has always been among the pioneers. With the DIAMONDcross, the first steerable cross canopy, another milestone in rescue system construction could be achieved.

With Tom Grabner, CHARLY was able to win a developer who combines extensive technical know-how from his many years as an aeronautical engineer with a unique wealth of practical experience. The extreme paragliding acro pilot tests his equipment under the toughest conditions. This enabled him to take rescue equipment development a decisive step further.

What you should pay attention to when selecting a paragliding rescue system:

• Easy to deploy inner container

  The inner containers of most paragliding rescue systems are designed for use with a front container. However, they are often a poor compromise for harnesses with integrated container compartment, and deployment problems especially arise in conjunction with large-volume rescues. A compatibility test ("K-test") by a specialized company or flight school is therefore mandatory.
  The design of Tom Grabner's DIAMONDcross flat inner container has been specially optimized on the G-Force Trainer to make it easier to pull the rescue out of the harness compartment and thus speed up deployment. For use in front containers, Tom Grabner has developed a separate inner container version, into which the rescue can be repacked if necessary.
• Short connection between deployment handle and inner container

  The longer the connection, the more difficult it is to throw the inner container in a certain direction.
• Unobstructed opening
  
The inner container should be designed in such a way that the canopy is only released after the lines have been fully stretched. The Tom Grabner Design inner container ensures this by a separate compartment for the lines. This reduces the risk of the canopy getting caught in the glider. Opening speed is only marginally affected.
• Opening speed

  After the lines have been fully stretched, the canopy should inflate as fast as possible. The decisive factor for a short opening time is the air intake at the canopy base, whereby cross canopies generally have an advantage over round canopies. However, the ideal solution in this regard is the specially fanned-out base of the DIAMONDcross which is achieved by different line lengths.
• Sink rate in relation to max. load according to the certification
  
It is important to know that in the certification process, sink rates are determined without the glider. However, sink rates may be higher due to interactions with the glider. The maximum permissible sink rate of 6,8 m/s already poses a considerable risk of injury. Therefore, canopies with a higher max. load are recommended.
• Oscillatory motion

  With the appropriate design, also round canopies can have good stability against oscillatory motion. Generally superior in this regard, however, are canopies with lateral drift, with those with defined lateral drift in one direction being the optimum (steerable rescues as well as all non-steerable DIAMONDcross).
• Steerability
  
Being able to choose your landing site is definitely an advantage. However, in the past, steerable reserves have only been recommended for highly experienced pilots. This was due to the fact that the common steerable Rogallo systems were not yet mature in terms of their constructive design and required appropriate pilot skills, as these reserves had a tendency to downplanes and twists in certain situations. These disadvantages have been largely eliminated in modern Rogallos, and with the DIAMONDcross, there is now a steerable cross canopy available that has no disadvantages at all over non-steerable cross canopies – even if the pilot is completely passive.
• Fabric quality

  Low weight and small packing dimensions with high max. loads and sufficient robustness are made possible by the use of ultra-fine woven fabrics. The weaving process of such fabrics is very time-consuming and complex, which makes them expensive.

• Just like conventional cross canopies, the DIAMONDcross after opening initially enters a stall with vertical sinking. This reliably prevents a downplane position of the reserve.
• The S-shaped profile of the DIAMONDcross canopy provides a high righting moment and ensures that the paraglider is quickly unloaded and dives down. This prevents the risk of a stable shear position between the reserve and the paraglider, facilitates pulling in the paraglider and even allows the unhooking of one riser with Pinlock or conventional carabiners.
• Due to different line lengths, the base of the DIAMONDcross is fanned out in a zigzag pattern. This significantly accelerates the air intake into the canopy. However, it is associated with a substantially higher production effort.
• Effective reduction of the risk of of entanglements with the main glider: The lines of the DIAMONDcross are made longer, so that the canopy opens approximately in the radius of the main glider and not within reach of the paraglider lines.
• Soft Dyneema line material enables steering even with multiple twists.
• The inner container has been developed on the G-Force Trainer and features an extra compartment for the lines; it is available for both integrated and front containers.
• The ultra-fine woven and waterproof finished fabric allows minimal weight and packing volume with sufficient robustness.
• Although the packing method of the DIAMONDcross is slightly different from that of a conventional cross canopy, it does not involve more effort.

With a set of new risers, it can later be upgraded to steerable by the manufacturer or an authorized service center. The upgrade costs 140 € and includes repacking..

CHARLY reserve inner containers Tom Grabner Design

Our Tom Grabner Design inner containers have a separate compartment for the lines, so that the canopy is only released after the lines have been fully stretched. The line bundles remain protected inside the container, line tangles during deployment are safely avoided and the risk of entanglements of the reserve with the main glider is minimized. The fastening rubbers are made of elastic braids with a fabric sleeve and are much more durable than conventional packing rubbers.

The inner containers are suitable for the DIAMONDcross as well as for conventional CHARLY hang gliding and paragliding rescue systems.

Videos:

Downloads:

Manual DIAMONDcross	Manual DC Innercontainer	Info Brochure DIAMONDcross

Frontcont.Cockpit DC Installation instruction	Assembly instructions RISER COVER	Manual Round cannopy reserves