AirDesign Hero XPed

The last few months have gone by so quickly! The selection, the team formation, the search for sponsors, the training, … Their heart rate is accelerating.
The glider? The AirDesign athletes calmly take a deep breath: nothing to worry about.

Designed to participate in “the world’s toughest adventure race”, the Hero XPed is the 2nd product from the Expedition series (XPed) to be introduced.
A light EN-D glider with a distinct DNA, offering great balance and enjoyment with homogenous tension across the span, yet still providing some degrees of freedom that assert its character and allow it to inform you about what is happening in the invisible world.
The Hero XPed will become your best mate.

We are profoundly happy to introduce the Hero XPed, a light EN-D glider that will accompany some athletes during the X-Alps. And we cannot wait to see which adventures you will embark on it! Usable performance, a unique turn, so precise, a glide that brings a smile, and a durable construction that will take you far, always with the same pleasure, even through a hard life… Here, in a few words, is what Hero XPed is.

The Hero 2 marked the return of AirDesign to the segment of EN-D gliders developed for hike-and-fly. But, now we’re talking about the X-Alps! For a race of this magnitude, a new glider was needed. With the Hero XPed, we take that one step further. It’s the lightest Hero ever created, yet still dependable in any situation. The tension in the wing span has been improved to make it even more all-terrain in tough conditions while maintaining the right flexibility at the wingtips to preserve excellent floatation qualities when conditions weaken. The turning behavior has also evolved significantly to facilitate thermalling using the whole range of brakes while offering greater soaring abilities.

Delivered with 12mm Aramid risers as standard. Heavier than Dyneema but in windy and/or tricky takeoff conditions, much easier to handle with no tendency to twist.

Double-coated Dominico DOKDO-10DSF for top and bottom surfaces. A choice that has proven itself in our Superlight gliders range.

Optimized nitinol rods: improve stability at the trailing edge, launching characteristics and also act as a safety feature. Not to mention the weight reduction and the compact folding!

Clever main ribs support design to ensure longevity of performance. Our gliders are built to last, performance included.

XPed what? A durable light construction that can handle dynamic maneuvers and random packing: it’s made for real-world flying, not just for ultralight optimization.

We are always striving for the best balance between lightness and solidity. That’s why the Hero XPed features a new style of internal wire routing and an innovative inner construction. We made choices to enhance the durability and strength of the Hero XPed’s construction, ensuring better load distribution and increased longevity. We want pilots to feel confident in our products by knowing they have built-in safety margins. Yes, that’s what the Expedition series is all about!

The Hero XPed is a serious contender for hike-and-fly competitions. Its passive safety, delightful turn and global performance make it also a perfect companion for vol-biv adventures. The Hero XPed is flown optimal around 5kg below the max weight loading, allowing you to carry more gear if needed, without exceeding the upper certified range, like in bivy for example. Hell yes, you have found #yourbestmate!

Take Off Weight is considered as the flight-mass (including Pilot, Glider, Harness, Reserve, Gear…)

Sail
• Top Sail: Dominico 10 DSF
• Bottom Sail: Dominico 10 DSF
• Ribs: Porcher Skytex 27 hard
• Straps: Dominico DOKDO-204432FM / Porcher Skytex 27 hard

Lines
• Top lines: Edelrid 8001/U-070, 090, 9200-035
• Middle lines: Edelrid 8001/U-130, 190
• Main lines: Edelrid 8001/U-190, 230, 280, 360

Riser
• Standard Riser: COUSIN – 12mm Aramid

Maillons
• 4,3mm JOO-TECH/Korea or AirDesign Softlinks