All the elegance and grace of a princess, with the raw power of a Queen. We call her SLeia. The voice in our head that spurs us on. The ambition to give our all. The insatiable hunger for more. These were the motivations behind her design. With SLeia we achieved something really special. We stayed true to the heart of what Leia is, but at the same time reinvented her. How so? In the details there is a touch more precision, power and aggressive attack. Her ostensibly unsurpassable performance potential has been turned up a notch or two. Leia always promised performance. SLeia keeps that promise in an exceptionally impressive way: with mini ribs, a new trim, and full sail construction. If a princess isn't enough for you, SLeia is your Queen.
Design
SLeia - she delivers the ultimate Leia experience, a raw and powerful limited addition to our range of hyper performance wings.
She's made from 100% polyurethane coated nylon (sail). As with Petra, this delivers the best overall performance of any fabric.
We changed more than just the fabric. There are mini ribs, a steeper trim and no attachment point (available on request). Vectran 300 comes standard. If you like a little more girth to your lines, you can opt for Vectran 400. A combination of breathtaking performance and efficiency. Sporty. Distinctive.
Features
3D Designed
We use Catia V5 to design canopies. This is one of the most advanced 3D CAD softwares available. It gives us more freedom to design the canopy down to the finest details and helps generate the most accurate panels possible. The result is a more accurate shaping, a smoother surface, and better aerodynamic efficiency.
CFD TestedThe SLeia shape was tested using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), which gives us, among other things, a better understanding of her behaviour in turbulence and during recovery.
Sail fabricSail fabric was first used years ago on custom JVX's designed for our sponsored athletes. The canopy is entirely made out of polyurethane coated nylon fabric that gives it more rigidity and less stretch. The shape is less distorted and more stable in flight which increases performance. The fabric used has now been improved thanks to a close collaboration with our fabric supplier. It lasts much longer than it used to.
PowerbandWe've added the split leading edge Powerband to all our new canopies since we pioneered it with Petra. It allows us to better control the aerodynamic shape in the nose area, which prevents parasitic drag. It also helps to delay the stall.
Mini-ribsMini ribs are a clever way to reduce drag generated by the canopy trailing edge by making it sharper. The improvement is really noticeable for a limited cost in terms of packing volume.
Line TrimSLeia's line trim is based on Leia's original trim, but we've taken her a notch steeper and more aggressive to get this extra long recovery arc.
No StabilizerLike Petra and Leia before her, SLeia has a specific end cell design with no end rib and no stabilizer. The last chamber is designed to replace them while limiting induced drag.
New Crossport DesignCrossports have been strategically placed in SLeia to have the least influence on the upper surface shape. They have also been designed with an elliptical shape that optimizes their area while reducing the upper surface distortion.
Custom SizingParachutes aren't a one size fits all. SLeia is available in any size you choose so that you can get the perfect wingloading for you at this stage in your canopy progression.
Flight Characteristics
Who is SLeia for?
You love Leia, but you want even more. If you're looking to compete, jump a wing for fun, and even do XRW, SLeia is your perfect choice. SLeia is designed for the the experienced competitive canopy pilot who has thousands of jumps on small highly loaded crossbraced canopies.
To order a SLeia you MUST:
Have plenty of jumps on a highly loaded Leia/VK or equivalent.
Be current
SLeia is not suitable as a first crossbraced canopy
Openings
Terminal or subterminal, the openings are a little brisker than you would find with a ZP or Hybrid Leia. Not hard or uncomfortable - just a bit quicker.
Inputs
Front risers are light and easy to use and rears deliver for days! In the harness, she's quite sensitive to roll, but still easier than Petra or Sofia. Toggles are the business for snappy turns. They deliver a big powerful flare, even more than you're used to with Leia!
Dive/Recovery
If you've been flying a standard Leia, you'll want to bump up your turn. SLeia is trimmed steeper and the recovery arch requires more input. In this respect she is a great stepping stone for the Petra and a first full sail canopy.
Performance
She's more forgiving than Petra, but delivering a very high end performance that's a close match - she's even been clocked quicker through a speed course on occasion.
In a nutshell, what's the difference between Leia and SLeia?
SLeia is the full sail comp version of Leia with a more aggressive line trim.