Dudek Paragliders aim to provide you with the highest quality paragliders, in order to compete effectively with the best brands in the world. The quality of our products meets world standards regarding materials, technology and craftsmanship. After dominating the domestic market, we are already selling our excellence around the world.

Dudek Paragliding started operating in the summer of 1995. It was founded by:

• Piotr Dudek - paragliding designer and instructor, active in the sport since 1987,
• Wojciech Domański - paragliding enthusiast since 1995,
• Dariusz Filipowicz - also fascinated by paragliding since 1995.
  

A mixture of paragliding experience, computer knowledge and marketing skills brought outstanding results - our products are now sold worldwide in large quantities. We believe that the key to our success lies in close co-operation with pilots. Our team consists of gifted flyers and experienced competitors who test the wings in all possible conditions.

Design

A three-dimensional modern design is possible only by the application of computer numerical capacities. Hence widespread use of CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs. There is a lot of other software, too - specialised in calculating aerodynamic forces or pressure distribution. A good program can give you a thorough aerodynamic analysis of the entire body.
Currently we are developing our own design software. It will make our work more efficient and permit us to prepare and tune prototypes much faster, thus making the overall effect even better.

As soon as the first ideas show up on a computer screen, we can create a prototype and test it in all possible conditions. Then, according to the results, we can modify the design, prepare the next prototype and so on, until we reach satisfying wing qualities and consider the paraglider ready for mass production.

Matching the elements

The canopy of a paraglider is a three-dimensional body, which consists of a couple of hundred elements. Its lower surface is smaller in area than its top and is shaped differently. None (!) of the top and bottom sail panels is a rectangle. They are all connected at different angles and, in addition, many of them are twisted along an axis, and, what's more, these axes don't have to be straight lines at all. So, to achieve parts of a three-dimensional body cut from a flat - as it initially is - sheet of cloth.

At DUDEK Paragliding we constantly strive to make our products even better. We improve both the production scheme and technology used.
To show you how much we care, here are some details.

Cuts

A special form is made for every part of the wing. Later it is laid on the cloth, drawn on it and cut. When preparing the elements for a single paraglider you can cut the cloth folded in two (the wing is symmetrical, so every element of its left side has a mirror duplicate on the right). If there are more wings to be made, you fold the fabric accordingly.

Cutting the lines is a different story. They are measured with a specialised, computer-controlled device and cut under a stable 5 kg tension. The mentioned device and careful procedures guarantee that final tolerance in line length does not exceed 0.15%.

Precise sewing

This is the most time-consuming part of the production. As the seams (e.g. on the cells) can be several metres long, and the cloth is quite slippery, it is easy to make a mistake and shift one element in relation to the other. To make the sewing as precise as possible, we decided to use a painstaking technique of marking points. These are special points drawn along the line of the future seam. The greater the curvature of a given element, the greater the density of these points required. During sewing, these respective points are harmonised in order to ensure high seam precision.

Eventually, the sail surface is smooth and free of the wrinkles that normally characterise the seams, which in turn has a significant influence on a paraglider's performance. The type and succession of the seams is important for the durability of a wing, too. Experience gathered during obligatory inspections of our wings showed, for example, that many instances of damage were caused by the lines catching on roots or stones, with the fabric torn in the vicinity of the suspension points. To minimise this problem we altered the way these points are made. The required strength is now achieved with fewer of the needle pricks which previously weakened the cloth.

Final assembly

Rigging of the suspension lines can be pretty exhausting - there are several hundred of them, varying in length, colour and diameter. After assembling you join them together with the quick-links and fasten them to the risers.

The paraglider is sold in such a form. The pilot individually chooses carabiners, harness and speed-bar.