Paramania
Company type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | Aerospace |
Founded | circa 2002 |
Founder | Mike Campbell-Jones |
Headquarters | , |
Products | Paramotors, paragliders |
Website | paramania |
Paramania is a British aircraft manufacturer based in London. The company was founded by powered paraglider competition pilot and light aircraft designer Mike Campbell-Jones in Wales, UK back in 1994 and later relocated to France. It specializes in the design and manufacture of reflex wings for powered paragliding. Years of painstaking R&D, countless prototypes and thousands of hours of testing were needed to bring the reflex profile into reality. Changing the sport of paramotoring and paragliding forever. Suddenly speed and stability was possible with a ‘soft wing’. Some even use the term ‘rigid wing’ thanks to this amazing advancement in wing design that compared to a standard paraglider feels much safer.
As well as pioneering the reflex wing Mike also produced paramotors for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules and the European microlight category.[1][2][3]
Originally the company was established by Campbell-Jones and when manufacturing became too costly in the UK it was decided to collaborate with Dudek Paragliding of Bydgoszcz, Poland in producing paragliders including Campbell-Jones' Reflex wing.
Prior to that Campbell-Jones' designs were produced and marketed by Reflex Wings Ltd & Eagle Flight Factory.[1]
Other collaborations with Ozone Paragliders, GIN Paragliders and a handful of other companies lead to the widespread use of reflex profiles.
By 2015 Paramania was specializing exclusively in the design and production of wings for powered paragliding and was producing the Paramania GTS, GTX, Revo and tandem Rokit wings.[4]
Thanks to Mike Campbell-Jones the reflex wing profile for ram-air paraglider wings was born. Improving safety and stability of the modern day ram-aim tenfold allowing more people to feel safe while flying a paramotor which was a huge factor that helped increase the acceptance and popularity of powered paragliding.
Reflex wings are now used by almost every paraglider manufacturer, especially for paramotor and speed flying use.
Aircraft
[edit]Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Paramania Vortex | 2002 | paramotor | |
Paramania Reflex | 2002 | powered paraglider wing | |
Paramania Action | 2004 | powered paraglider wing | |
Paramania GTS | powered paraglider wing | ||
Paramania GTX | powered paraglider wing | ||
Paramania Revo | powered paraglider wing | ||
Paramania Rokit | powered paraglider wing | ||
Paramania Fusion | powered paraglider wing |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 71. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
- ^ Paramania. "Paramania contact". flyparamania.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ Paramania. "Mike Campbell-Jones". flyparamania.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ Paramania. "Paramania Profile". flyparamania.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.