If you have additional information (ex: specificity of piloting, various characteristics...) on the hang glider Profil by La Mouette, you can supplement his card by adding your comment or write to us :
In this photo, I am flying the original Profil. The two winghalves were joined by bungees, there was a large gap inbetween; it had a floating hangpoint (PifPaf, ancrage Darlet) which made me feel I was barely connected to the glider.
Follow-ups Profli Sport and Profil Competition had hadly anything in common with the original.
18/10/2005
Not only was the piff paff used on this wing invented by Jean Louis Darlet as noted by Bart above - but the whole wing was designed by him when he was working for La Mouette.
His concept with the separation of the wing halves was to overcome the roll limitations that persist to this day. While the billow shift mechanism does improve roll control, the inertia of the unloaded side delays upward billow.
Darlet sought to improve roll response by separating the wing halves and reconnecting with a rubber bunge to allow the laoded wing half to billow up independently to the unloaded side.
Darlet claimed the roll response was consideribly improved with this concept such that the wing could be safely towed free from fear of lateral lock outs. Pilots were apparently less enthusiastic (and possibly not prepared for such positive and light control inducing PIOs) and the wing was modified by La Mouette, firstly with the LE to kingpost junction reconnected so only the rear half of the wing was separted, then finally the entire wing was rejoined.
Darlet went on to design the Cage paraglider, which he now manufactures himself, while the piff paff became modified and simplified to the keel rocker now used on all modern wings.
29/04/2007
J'ai jamais pu m'y faire! trop légère à piloter, peu de sensations dans la barre, trop petite pour moi (mal conseillé) toujours en décrochage, ça m'a usé! sinon quel plaisir quand elle est à la bonne taille, un régal. Il faut dire que je sortait d'un Alpha Eole 2000 surtoilé et renforcé moteur, un tank de 38 kg !!!!!
08/01/2010
J'avais un profil 17 monté sur un chariot Monul de cosmos avec un Fuji Robin de 35cv, c'était un petit vélo. Le pilotage précis et très lent à l'atterrissage. Aujourd'hui il vol toujours dans le nord Gresivaudan.
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