INLETS
The Swift's inlets are exceptionally efficient, and its overall surface area is slightly larger than some beginner suits. However, both the arm and leg wing pressure can be adjusted with the internal zips, allowing a softer and more manageable ride for newer pilots.
LEADING EDGE
Leading edge construction is a complicated matter in wingsuit design. Performance can undoubtedly be enhanced by creating a rigid structure over the arm, but this results in a significant reduction in passive safety. Overly flexible designs can result in lost performance, and even profile deformation. We have focused on this part of our wingsuits since the beginning of our development, and we believe we have found the perfect solution in our three-layer leading edge design. The exterior layer is finished in Glideskin, a highly flexible and durable material which yields a very smooth surface when gently stretched. The middle layer is a static, non-flexible air-mesh material which is sized wider than the Glideskin. This air-mesh panel does not stretch, and does not allow profile deformation. The interior is finished in Lycra, which provides a smooth surface for skin or clothing to slide across, and houses the leading edge foam. It is important to note that although the glideskin is stretched across your arm to form the smooth leading edge, the profile cannot deform thanks to the interior layer of static air-mesh. The only part of the leading edge which allows full flex is the first few centimeters of the wrist, for easy BOC and brake toggle access.
PLANFORM
We have chosen to use a nearly identical stance and sweep to our other more advanced wingsuits, for several reasons. First of all, our goal is to create a seamless transition from our most basic, to our most advanced, wingsuits. When you transition from a Swift to a Colugo, or a Colugo to an Aura, the stance and sweep will feel instantly familiar, allowing an intuitive switch from suit to suit.
PROFILE
The Swift's profile is taken from the Aura, and adapted to the Swift's lower surface area and shorter chord. The thickness is similar to the Colugo, and was chosen for stable trim flight and good stability across a wide range of Angles of Attack.
FEATURES
We believe that all performance-enhancing features in a wingsuit should be standard. If it's important to performance flying, then it's included in the price of your suit. Foam padded foot cavities, chest pocket / belly-cam access, internal pressure-zips, nut-sack storage compartment, mylar reinforced leading edge, and rubber BASE soles are all standard features in all of our suits.
ACCESS
In BASE and Skydiving, easy BOC and brake toggle access has proven to yield the safest and most reliable deployments. We firmly believe in the mantra, "Keep it Simple and Safe". For that reason, we designed a suit for which cutaways are totally unnecessary, BOC access is of unparalleled ease, and brake toggles can be reached with little effort in any situation. The arm sweep, wrist-cut, and leading edge construction have all been engineered for what we think is a perfect balance of safety and performance.
PERFORMANCE
The Swift features excellent glide performance for its surface area, but our main focus was ease of use and versatility. The Swift's high arm sweep and arced wrist cut make deployment easier and safer than any other suit we have flown, and the suit can even be "flown" in an arched "box-man" position if needed. The arm wing surface area extends to the waist for glide range, but the arm wing top surface is well clear of the BOC area for easy access. If you have questions about flying your Swift at any level of performance, please don't hesitate to contact us! We are always here to answer your questions.
Please let us know what you think of this new design - we look forward to hearing about your flights from you. Cheers from all the team at Squirrel, we'll see you up there.
Main Surfaces: Our main concern was finding an ideal ratio between weight and durability, along with high mechanical stability and good results in stretch and tear tests. Our main surface fabric is a 210D Ripstop, with very low stretch, and a good rigidity to comfort ratio.
Internal Ribs: All ribs are constructed from the renowned Porcher Skytex 40, which has an unparalleled stability-to-weight ratio.
Leading Edge Mylar: We offer two choices for wing surface Mylar reinforcement on your Squirrel Suit:
- Porcher Sport (white / translucent). This is our standard option.
- Dimension Polyant Carbon-Graphite (black / clear). The highest quality laminate on the market, with a carbon and graphite weave. It's black, and it's more rigid, but there is not a measurable performance difference over the Porcher mylar.