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Product information

The CHARLY Vitesse is an extremely lightweight paragliding Hike & Fly helmet that can be equipped with a visor. Three helmet shell sizes, replaceable inlays and the integrated headband adjustment allow precise adaptation to a wide variety of head shapes and sizes, while keeping the helmet dimensions as small as possible. Thanks to special inlays available as accessories, even the under- and oversizes XS and XXXL can be covered!

Important characteristics

Helmet and visor are certified according to the latest CE EN 966 standard for air sports helmets.
Remarkably lightweight thanks to the in-mold construction: from 380 g!
Unique size range: 3 helmet shell sizes with fine adjustment of the headband and replaceable inlays guarantee a secure and comfortable fit for all head shapes and sizes from XS to XXXL.
Effectively ventilated, exchangeable and washable fabric inlay
Pressure-free, removable and washable ear pads
Good protection of the forehead, without limiting the field of vision
All sizes can be equipped with visor and ski goggle retainer

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Certification: CE EN 966 2012 + A1 Helmet for Airborne Sports (HPG)
Weight: 380 g (XS, S Narrow, S/M), 430 g (M/L), 480 g (XL/XXL, XXXL)
Scope of delivery: Vitesse helmet incl. removable inlay, without visor

Manufacturer information: Finsterwalder GmbH, Pagodenburgstr. 8, 81247 Munich, GERMANY, office@finsterwalder-charly.de

Quality characteristics of air sports helmets

Air sports helmets must be certified according to the European test standard CE EN 966. An important difference to CE EN 1077 for winter sports helmets is the shock absorption test. While the drop height of the dummy with the helmet is 0.75 m for the ski helmet standard, it is twice as high for the air sports helmet standard. Air sports helmets therefore guarantee a significantly higher level of protection than winter sports helmets.
The CE EN 966 standard does not require a chin guard. But to prevent damage to the jaw and teeth, chin protection is recommended not only for hang glider pilots but also for paraglider pilots. However, the chin protection of air sports helmets must not significantly restrict the field of vision. An appropriate design should be considered in view of the danger of air collisions.
Helmets made of thermoplastics (PE, ABS or PC) age under UV radiation and should therefore be replaced after 2 to 5 years of use. In contrast, helmet outer shells made of fibre-reinforced two-component plastics (such as those of No Limit and Insider) are not only much more stable, but also practically unrestrictedly resistant to ageing.
The in-mold manufacturing process is ideal for Hike & Fly helmets, as it can save 20% weight without reducing the protective function. In this process, the EPS damping material is foamed onto the upper and lower polycarbonate helmet shells which are attached to the inside of the foam mold. Foam and helmet shells are thus firmly welded together, resulting in a highly resilient, bending-resistant helmet structure ("sandwich construction"). Disadvantages of this production method are the higher costs compared to normal hard shell helmets and the higher risk of damage during transport. Point loads, such as those caused by impacts on edges, can cause small dents in the foam, which become visible due to the firm bond with the outer helmet shell. However, the protective function is only impaired if a dent covers a larger area and is several millimeters deep.
A prerequisite for optimum protection is a close fit of the helmet on the head, which can only be achieved with a fine gradation of sizes. To be able to cover a wide range of sizes with head circumferences of 54-63 cm, at least 3 basic sizes are required, even for size-adjustable models.
Since the air noise is relevant for the estimation of airspeed, the design of the ear pads plays an important role. It is advantageous if the padding does not rest on the auricle, but is guided around it.
Important for spectacle wearers: The interior of the helmet should also allow the glasses to be put on afterwards.

Manual CHARLY Vitesse (1.38 MB)

EU type-examination certificate CHARLY Vitesse (1.04 MB)

Declaration of conformity CHARLY Vitesse (0.17 MB)