Zeolite 2 GT
The Zeolite 2 GT
This new light XC adventure wing was flown with great success in the 2023 X-Alps race. It is the same weight as the zeolite GT1 but with slightly higher aspect ratio and more cells (71).
The Zeolite 2 GT development process pulled technology from the Zeno, Photon and the Zeolite 2 XD (2023 X-Alps Design). This potent DNA combination has yielded a comfortable and highly efficient tool for hike & fly, vol-biv, and serious XC.
The Design
The profile has evolved to include the latest progress we've made in the areas of speed and handling. Principally, the benefits have come from a new cell opening position.
The aspect ratio is slightly increased, but still moderate for the category and very has proved to be comfortable in strong alpine conditions. The cell count is increased by 7, but a new refined structure provides the resulting performance increase without adding weight. The Fabric is now largely Dominico 10D with 20D along the top of the leading edge only for extra durability and edge cohesion at speed. This fabric combination is more durable than the skytex on the Zeolite 1 but lighter and double coated.
In Flight
Passive safety and collapse behavior has been improved via better chordwise line support at the rear of the wing. Despite the improved support, total line drag is less than its predecessor. A new spanwise architecture is made entirely of 3-cell bridges, similar to the Photon. This allows the best diagonal panel ratio for the amount of line attachments, which maintains light weight while increasing efficiency.
Relative to the Photon, The Zeolite GT is a faster and more agile wing for more experienced pilots. The Zeolite GT's arc and winglet-free design yields the best possible thermalling experience while maintaining good collapse recovery behavior. The Zeolite requires more precise inputs in strong conditions as it has more pitch & roll than the photon, but also has more direct agile handling. It is over 1kg lighter and much lower pack volume than the Photon. The durability of both wings is similar.