Here’s what Armstrong had to say about making the new A-Wing Handheld Inflatable Wing.
From the first prototypes to the final production model, developing the A-Wing has been a total blast! We’ve been riding and testing in all kinds of crazy conditions, making sure that the A-Wing lives up to the Armstrong philosophy of better by design! Each step of the development process we were searching for the ideal balance between power and feel while reducing leading edge flex to a minimum. From SUP boards to sinkers we are confident that the A-Wing has the power and performance to get you up and riding even in light winds!
Powerful…
The A-Wing is powerful! This is primarily because the aerofoil section has been carefully developed so meter for meter the A-Wing is one of the most powerful wings on the market. This power makes riding easy, especially gaining enough speed to get on the foil or deep water starting a short board. Once on the fly, the balance of power between the front and rear hand is similar which makes it comfortable and less physically fatiguing for longer riding sessions.
Solid…
The solid airframe of the A-Wing is the second ingredient to power and performance. We found that the stiffer airframe helps dramatically when pumping the wing for power in light winds and also holding its shape in powered conditions or jumping. The thickness of the leading edge is not only for structural stability it’s also defining the nose radius of the aerofoil section that generates the power of the wing in flight!
Balanced…
We refined the A-Wing design to be well balanced in a wide range of conditions. It is strong in terms of construction and durability but as light as possible in design for that perfect balance. We trimmed off all the excess fat because we could feel the difference the lighter we made it. It floats better on the front handle when riding waves or swells and feels more maneuverable when tacking, gybing or tricking around!
Construction…
•The leading edge and strut have Aramid reinforced cloth on all high load and stress points.
• Internal tape reinforces all seams on the leading edge and strut.
• Double layer of Dacron and Aramid cloth reinforces the strut to leading edge connection.
• High volume inflate and deflate valves make setup and pack down a breeze.
•The leading edge and the strut, inflate and deflate separately
The Package…
The A-Wing comes complete with Carry Bag, Wrist Leash, Repair kit, Manual and in three optimized sizes, 3.5m 4.5m and 5.5m.
FROM THE FIRST PROTOTYPES TO THE FINAL PRODUCTION MODEL, DEVELOPING THE A-WING HAS BEEN A TOTAL BLAST!
Each step of the development process we were searching for the ideal balance between power and feel while reducing leading edge flex to a minimum.
Powerful…
The A Wing is powerful! This is primarily because the aerofoil section has been carefully developed so meter for meter the A-Wing is one of the most powerful wings on the market.
Solid…
The solid airframe of the A-Wing is the second ingredient to power and performance.
Balanced…
We refined the A-Wing design to be well balanced in a wide range of conditions. It is strong in terms of construction and durability but as light as possible in design for that perfect balance.
Construction…
- The leading edge and strut have Aramid reinforced cloth on all high load and stress points.
- Internal tape reinforces all seams on the leading edge and strut.
- Double layer of Dacron and Aramid cloth reinforces the strut to leading edge connection.
- High volume inflate and deflate valves make setup and pack down a breeze. The leading edge and the strut, inflate and deflate separately.
Materials…
- Leading edge and struts… Dimension Polyant Dacron (Germany)
- Sail… Teijin T9669 D3 (Japan)
Package…
The A-Wing comes complete with Carry Bag, Wrist Leash, Repair kit, Manual and in three optimized sizes, 3.5m 4.5m and 5.5m.
Please select the A-Wing size and pump option required.
Armstrong Interview
From an interview with
thefoilingmagazine.com:
Firstly, what spurred you guys into joining the wind wing market?
Winging is simply so fun! It’s light, easy to setup and makes foiling accessible for more people to experience the sublime sensation foiling delivers.
So tell us about the A-Wing set-up, and some of the technical highlights…
We have put a lot of time and effort into understanding what we wanted our A-Wing to deliver. This led our design process to create something powerful yet well balanced in a wide range of conditions.
Some key features are:
-Shear Web stiffened handle connection system for enhanced control and no energy transfer loss.
-Pre loaded LE geometry for maintaining our unique airfoil section when under load.
-SAIL101 leach tensioning Dyneema line.
-Aramid Reinforced Load Zones, to maximise structural integrity when wing is loaded.
What’s the optimum foil pairing to ride the A-Wing?
Any Armstrong foil depending on wind strength and experience level – I use the 85cm/33.5” mast, TC60 fuse HS232 stabiliser and HS1850, 1550 or 1050 depending on wind and wave energy.
We’ve seen some pretty stunning shots of the wing in action, and we’ve featured some here. Where did the majority of your testing take place, and who’s been feeding into the production process?
We have been in development for over a year, since being bitten by the winging bug while testing our HS foil prototypes and Wing SUP boards on Maui last summer. Many people have contributed to the design from legendary kite designers like Dano See to Olympic Gold medalist Sailor Jo Aleh and current America’s Cup winning sailors. Almost all of our testing and development has been done in the varied weather conditions of New Zealand.
How long was the testing period, and how many iterations did you go through?
We have made so many versions I can’t even remember how many… so many materials tested and ideas… I almost had to fire myself for making too many prototypes and spending too much cash on RnD. In the end, functional simplicity of design was the key and we are stoked with how the A-Wing has finally come out.
You’re claiming the A-Wing as one of the most powerful wind wings available. What work has gone into this, and what are we gonna notice when we get it on the water?
Light wind pull, handling and powered aerials are on another level. This is primarily because the airfoil section has been carefully developed by an internationally renowned sport wing designer and we have incorporated industry leading pre load geometry to the airframe = making it solid and the perfect designed shape when UNDER LOAD. This translates into the A-Wing meter for meter, being one of the most powerful wings available.
Tell us about the size range, and who should be riding what?
3.5m 4.5m 5.5m. They all ride a little bigger than their size compared to current wings due to the above – You need them all!
We’ve gone all out on wind wings this issue, and feature plenty in our ‘Buyer’s Guide’ too, including yours. What’s your assessment on the rocketing uptake of wind wings from both the industry and consumers?
It’s a revolution for foil sports because it make it easier and more accessible, it’s super fun from beginner to expert and is going to blow minds in the coming years.
As with any pretty new product, undoubtedly there’s going to be a bit of an arms race with wings now there are several in the market. In what areas do you think advancing tech can improve these over time?
The great thing is that there have been awesome products on the market for years like the rigid frame land Kite Wing, so we have a perfect springboard to start at a solid design platform. From here it’s mostly a matter of understanding the different loads involved and how these are transferred into energy for the rider, and combining this with manufacturing techniques and materials that bring it all together. It is a super exciting time and the future is wide open. We look forward to continuing to develop some really radical concepts and push the sport forward.
And while we have you here… any more Armstrong goodies in the pipeline that we should know about?!
We have also been working hard on our Foils, especially our Mid Aspect HS foil range with the
HS1250 soon to be released, expanding our foil quiver, from the Low Aspect CF range to the 6 size Mid aspect HS range plus there will be one more set to complete our foil line-up…
Armie Armstrong.
