The Super Sport balloons are bringing a totally new dimension into ballooning - in the old and traditional sport you may now experience a big chunk of excitement, adrenalin and amusement with your whole family in one basket! Feel the tense of a competitive pilot not only by yourself! Share the basket space with your colleagues, friends, or family - they will all fit in!
Super Sports are to be a linkup to the amazing eXtreme Racers, just in “family size”. Competitive pilots are not the number one target group now. We are trying to focus on “free time” pilots who are willing to experience something new and uncommon - the feeling of an immediate reaction of the balloon and following acceleration. As well as the eXtreme Racer, the Super Sport was designed for optimal aerodynamic round-flow and to minimize aerodynamic resistance.
What the main advantages of Super Sport are:
- immediate reaction due to minimal aerodynamic resistance
- essential shape for pilot training - keeps the student in constant awareness
- fast rotation when using rotation vent
- keeps in shape while quickly ascending/descending (9 m/s / 1,800 ft/min)
- better turbulence performance due to solid shape
- narrow shape helps with landing in unusually small places
- carries on with all safety elements of the eXtreme Racer, including the attached top of the paravent
- easily goes over limits of normally-shaped balloon while keeping the comfort of flight
- maximum allowed ascend/descend rate is 9 m/s / 1,800 ft/min (have done 10.7 m/s during test flight!)
- Maximum rate of ascend and descend is the next greatest advantage of the balloon, right after its extremely fast reactions!
Super Sport Balloons also keep some of the characteristics of the Z Type - same volumes and envelope-mouth sizes, most of the operation restrictions, including the Maximum Take Off Weight. Despite its qualities, flying the Super Sport doesn’t require any extra qualifications or other special flight procedures. For demonstration, here is a sketch and pictures comparing the Super Sport to the Z Type.
A Parachute is included in the balloon as default, but for maximum performance we do recommend to have a Paralite inside, not only due to the bigger size. This type of envelope cannot be equipped by standard FDS Slide vent, since we cannot guarantee its safety during fast ascend. Upon request a Rotation vent can be installed too.
Model overview
| Type | Volume [m3] | Volume [cuft] | # of Gores | Optimal # of Passengers | Typical weight [kg] | Graphic sheet |
| BB22XR | 2,200 | 77,000 | 24 | pilot + 1 - 2 | 95 | PDF [640 kB] |
| BB26XR | 2,600 | 90,000 | 24 | pilot + 2 - 3 | 110 | PDF [644 kB] |
| BB30XR | 3,000 | 105,000 | 24 | pilot + 3 - 4 | 120 | PDF [695 kB] |
Suitable and certified combinations with baskets and burners are to be found in this table.
Standard equipment:
- Full size nomex mouth - first envelope panel
- Full nomex scoop
- Balloon transportation bag
- Spare fabric
- Nomex braided control lines
- Paravent
- Crown line
- Registration marks
- 4 Stubai karabiners
- Melting link
Series of safety elements for the best performance:
- parachute with attached top - this way the vent can never fall down inside while quickly ascending
- tightened mouth of the balloon - to avoid the balloon from collapsing during descend
- extra horizontal tapes above the equator - in case of collision with another balloon
- top see-safe windows including a central window to cover the “blind spot” right above the balloon
The envelope is by default made of Kubicek Polyester fabric.
Additional envelope equipment
Feel free to find all the specified additional equipment here.
