Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ: "If it does improve on the concept of "weight shift" steering, and angle of attack is easily adjustable (maybe too easily?), Does then the addition of a rigid structure add complexity (and might tangle or break lines?). Also, if it lacks independent control of the two wing halves, is recovery of a collapsed wing more prone to rotation?
Responses: The CAGE is not some prototype, experimental, "crackpot" idea: it is fully tested; with rigorous testing having been done and videotaped at the same site, over water, where the "certified" paragliders are tested, to observe it's comportment in radical flight situations. The initial idea and prototype was created by Darlet 10 years ago, is fully patented in Europe, and commercially available since 1994. Darlet is one of the most intelligent and proficient designers in the sport of paragliding, and has even conceived wings for other paraglider manufacturers. His grasp of flight mechanics is of the highest order, and he has mastered and created the computer programming to allow him to create wings that fly beautifully. He personally test flies his wings, with thousands of hours of personal flying of them, in a great variety of conditions.
To answer these questions above, point by point:
Why would you think that the structure adds complexity? It was designed to ELIMINATE the complexity of brakes, accelerators, trim tabs, seat steering, hand wrapping, "big ears” steering problems, complex body gests in turbulence. It's true, there is a "control bar" structure (a very light weight tensegrity structure); however, with paragliders you’re talking about adding accelerator bars and pulleys...! Rather than hinder the suspension lines, the Cage structure when unfolding, arranges them in clean, ready to launch order.
It takes very little schooling to keep from tangling a line on set-up or launch, no more chance of doing that, than of stepping on and crushing your suspension lines of your paraglider as you try to untangle all those lines.
By the way, you rarely see a paraglider pilot walk back UP a slope or around a takeoff area on a gusty, windy day, without an infernal dance under his wing, trying to keep it flying while ground handling, because those brakes serve to YAW a paraglider, and this creates the typical swaying and dancing around during windy ground handling. With the CAGE, and its extraordinary maneuverability, you can keep the wing precisely where you want it under those same conditions: Roll, Yaw and Pitch are easily mastered. In the air, the sensitivity to the aerology through your hands is precise: the wing follows the Cage movements and the pilot has direct and immediate control over his wing.
The logical thing to do when discovering the pleasure of this sensitivity is to follow through with the idea of direct multiaxis control (without the trappings of a multitude of gadgets to achieve it, and the needless complexity of assigning different body parts to different functions.). In other words, the logical finished product of such a search is: the CAGE.
In turbulence, and in the inevitable (inevitable to all soft wings) collapse situation, you couldn't be more wrong about your thought that the Cage wing would be MORE prone to rotation! The Cage pilot who suddenly finds himself flying a drastically reduced -in-size wing, simply and automatically shifts the equilibrium of suspension lines/wing loading to the part of the wing still flying, and flies straight ahead. Think about it: in a massive collapse of your paraglider wing, the left 51% for example, what good does it do you to flail your arms about "pumping" on lines that are de-tensioned to the point of inactivity?
Another technical detail: modern paragliders, in order to achieve efficiency in braking, have gone to using straight trailing edges, so that the brakes activate efficiently perpendicular to the airflow. In a 50% wing collapse (one side) situation, the rapid change of center of lift (which was already located more rearwards due to this modern design) PROVOKES a more rapid auto-rotation. Which leads me to the next reflection: why would you think of the regular paraglider's curse, of being divided into two separate halves, as being an advantage???
Most designers realize that it's just "one of those things you have to live with", and design around, and exploit as much as (little) can be done. One important thing to consider with the limits of two sets of suspension lines -right and left - was very well describe by Darlet in an article in 1997 in Cross Country Magazine, called "Regrets: Fatal Wing Loading" (CC#51 June 1997). The main point of the article being that with "seat steering" in a paraglider you are loading up more weight than just 50% of your weight on one side, and there are situations (surprisingly easy to achieve) wherein you can exceed the load factor of that side and rupture your lines (which is exactly what happened to a friend of his on a "competition class" glider in fairly mild conditions, showing off his seat-steering spiral capability, and eventually overstressing one side of lines which came unbuttoned, leading to his death.....) .