The Bullet

Experience - Expertise - Excellence

Developed by Rob Whittall and the Ozone Test Team, the Bullet is the ideal choice for discovering the sport of Speed Flying, or taking the sport to the next level. It’s up to you.

The characteristics that make the Bullet an ideal first wing are the same characteristics that have already made it the choice of some of the most experienced Speed Flying Pilots in the world. Simply choose your size according to the wing loading you want - high wing loading for experts, low wing loading for beginners.

The Bullet comes with the Atak Harness, designed specifically for the new sport of Speed Flying. Also included in the Bullet package is a stuff sack with compression straps, mountain backpack with ski-carry system, snow-stakes, and more. And thanks to Ozone’s fair pricing policy, after getting your Bullet package you’ll still have plenty of cash left for ski-lift tickets!
Testing and Development

The Bullet has evolved from a series of prototypes designed by Rob Whittall, whose philosophy centers on pilot safety and ease of use. Our main concern with this sport is safety, and we feel that the only way forward is to focus on safe and usable designs.

We experimented with 2 and 3 line riser designs, a variety of profiles, varying amounts of sail tension and number of cells. Ultimately, we strove for a simple safe design, and we believe that we have achieved this in the final version of the Bullet.

Testing was conducted by Rob and the Ozone Team at a wide variety of conditions from high wind soaring to tail wind launches at 13,000 feet. We have repeatedly foot launched and landed all sizes of the Bullet in no wind and tail wind conditions with success each time, and flown it in highly turbulent rotor conditions (we do not under any circumstances recommend foot launching or landing the Bullet or flying it in turbulent conditions!).

All of our testing has confirmed that we have a wing suitable for anyone wanting to experience the exhilaration and fun of speed-flying.

Features:

• Easy launch. This is imperative for new speed-flyers, and the sometimes difficult launching conditions that can be experienced in the mountains (tailwind, crosswind, etc). To achieve this, we have a simple cell structure with lines to every cell to promote even and progressive inflation in all reasonable conditions.
• Relatively slow speed take-off. The reason we feel this is important is that it is obviously dangerous to be hurtling downhill at high speed with a non-flying wing. We chose a profile that has high lift, allowing early take-off and excellent slower speed performance.
• In flight stability. After testing several other Speed-Flying wings, one major factor that we felt detrimental to the confidence of the pilot was very low sail tension which resulted in a total lack of in-flight solidity. The line configuration and sail tension of the Bullet help reduce in-flight glider movement to a minimum.
• Handling. Speed-flying wings have very high wing-loading and therefore the handling must be smooth and progressive, with a long brake range to help prevent pilots from over-controlling the wing. The Bullet’s turn is smooth and stable, without excessive dive.
• Performance. In Speed-Flying, the traditional definitions of performance do not apply. The performance of the Bullet is ideal for its application: Reasonable trim speed (45-70km/h depending on wing-loading) and a glide angle of approximately 3.5, again depending on wing-loading. Under no circumstances do we feel the need to push the limits of speed and glide performance at this stage of the sport. Safety and usability should always come first.
• Landing. The Bullet has excellent flare and landing characteristics. Again, the high lift profile and moderate sail tension allows the wing to be slowed down easily for soft, slow speed landings, which is a very important factor in this new sport.
• Durability. Ozone has been conducting research with fabrics and materials in the snow sports industry for 6 years (Snowkiting), which has lead to the development of the OzTech material. This cloth has been tested from the Polar ice-caps to the Sahara desert and we are very confident that it is the best material possible for Speed-Flying.

Our Philosophy

Speed-flying is a completely new sport and therefore we must understand that everyone practicing it this year is a beginner. For this reason, we have striven to make the Bullet as accessible and enjoyable as possible for the new pilots who will be taking up the sport this year.

During the course of our testing, we realized that our first prototypes and the current wings on the market for speed-flying fell short of what we considered to be acceptable in terms of ease of use and comfort. Because these wings are so small and so dynamic, total beginners found it difficult to be confident with the high speed and dynamic handling that is inherent in the nature of these wings. As a result of this, we have designed the Bullet to be safe and easy to use in all respects.

We are not at all interested in pushing the limits of performance and speed in this sport, as we see this leading in the wrong direction and potentially to the failure of the sport.

Testing and Development

The Bullet has evolved from a series of prototypes designed by Rob Whittall, whose philosophy centers on pilot safety and ease of use. Our main concern with this sport is safety, and we feel that the only way forward is to focus on safe and usable designs.

We experimented with 2 and 3 line riser designs, a variety of profiles, varying amounts of sail tension and number of cells. Ultimately, we strove for a simple safe design, and we believe that we have achieved this in the final version of the Bullet. Testing was conducted by Rob and Matt Gerdes and other factory pilots at a wide variety of conditions from high wind soaring to tail wind launches at 13,000 feet.

We have repeatedly foot launched and landed all sizes of the Bullet in no wind and tail wind conditions with success each time, and flown it in highly turbulent rotor conditions (we do not under any circumstances recommend foot launching or landing the Bullet or flying it in turbulent conditions!). All of our testing has confirmed that we have a wing suitable for anyone wanting to experience the exhilaration and fun of speed-flying.