Kitefoil Ultimate AIR

Présentation du Kitefoil Ultimate by AlpineFoil

This year, AlpineFoil has crossed a real gap by renewing its kitefoil Ultimate. From now on, the Ultimate is different from the rest of the range thanks to an intense electric blue color which sublimates the carbon texture. The company has also chosen to perfect the already exceptional glide of this ultra high performance foil to provide even more incredible sensations. To do this, the fuselage has been completely rethought.

   To buy your AlpineFoil kite foil Ultimate , go to the online shop

New :

• The all new AlpineFoil AIR technology which provides a significant gain in lightness and maneuverability, while remaining ultra rigid.
   
• Revolutionary innovation: anti corrosion system by sacrificial anode
     
• A brand new fuselage:
   
  • New design
  • Rounded rostrum
  • New rigging for more possibilities
  • New section for optimal laminar flow
  • New karmans
  • Long fuselage for unequaled stability
     
• A redesigned mast:
   
  • All new high modulus carbon draping plan
  • Anti-ventilation system: 0% stall
     
• A new RTeam stabilizer with a Race profile

The AlpineFoil Ultimate kitefoil is one of the two most outstanding foils in the AlpineFoil range with Titanium. If it takes the concepts and elements of Titanium, the Ultimate has an aluminum fuselage rather than titanium, which makes it much more affordable. This is the economical version of AlpineFoil Titanium. It differs from the 5.0 Full Carbon thanks to a taller, wider mast, but with a much thinner profile, which gives it a significant gain in glide and rigidity in twisting. This foil is without equivalence in the current production of foils.

Its fabulous glide is due to an extremely worked fuselage which combines the search for a perfect flow with an optimal rigidity. A greatly reduced drag compared to a 5.0 Carbon results from it.

This very high performance foil is however ultra accessible and is perfect for the beginner with an XLP wing but also for the competitor who has a Race wing. The experienced FreeRide practitioner will prefer Wave wing or Sport wing.

1. This exceptional glide gives the feeling that the foil accelerates continuously, that it does not saturate and responds to the slightest request with a disconcerting reliability and stability. These factors generate an impressive progression for any user: everything becomes easy, and reaching 30 knots becomes almost a formality. The length of the mast (1 meter) is an ideal compromise between ease, accessibility, gone back up to the wind and navigation in every type of stretch of water, shallow or sea formed.
2. But what does the Ultimate bring more than the others?

The all new Ultimate is a kite foil ultra high-end but with an unbeatable value for money. It has a high quality of manufacture, a meticulous elaboration and a neat finish Made in France provided by the RTeam division. Its conception, 100% French, is the result of eleven years of development and research by AlpineFoil.

Its progressive "s" shape mast has been entirely studied to get an absolutely sensational glide thanks to a great reduction of the drag, but also to get an unfailing rigidity. This rigidity is possible thanks to the use of a very high quality material: a high-resistance carbon combined with high modulus carbon fiber to make it a completely monolithic full carbon structure. The housing of the Ultimate is integrated into the mast: the carbon fiber is continuous, which brings excellent resistance, reduced drag, a low bulk, but also a much better connection stiffness (accentuated by the conical shape of the housing). Now, the Ultimate has two mounting screws for several reasons: it largely limits the risk of loss of foil, allows a recovery of efforts and increases the rigidity of all of it.

The Ultimate has a brand new revolutionary fuselage. It is now equipped with a unique anti-corrosion system in the world of foil: the sacrificial anode, which, if regularly replaced, prevents corrosion. Added to this is OAD 70 microns anodization, GIS technology and Tefgel, for even more protection. AlpineFoil rounded the rostrum for added safety and placed the drift at the top of the fuselage to avoid damaging it. Thanks to the use of machined aluminum blocks, the fuselage section is 60% thinner than that of a carbon fuselage. It has a leading edge and a draging edge for optimal laminar flow, but also karmans, to reduce the drag: the glide is greatly improved. The fuselage is relatively long, which involves maximum stability. Finally, the GIS wedging, besides improving flow, provides a customizable setting.

• Finally, the Ultimate offers the possibility to choose any wing of the RTeam range without supplement. The wings are made of prepreg carbon oriented so as to meet all the requirements of flexion or torsion. They are then put under high pressure, which generates an ultra precise profile. The screws are placed in staggered order to obtain an extremely rigid fixation. Finally, the wings have the VAS system that allows optimal gliding regardless of speed or practice. The stabilizer supplied is the new RTeam stabilizer with asymmetric profile from the Race wing: this results in extraordinary stability, better control and first-class glide.

Made in France manufacturing quality

AlpineFoil, manufacturer of foils since 2007, is one of the few companies to fully control the design, industrialization, production and after-sales service of its products. The exceptional reliability of the latter lies in this complete control of the chain, which is a major asset of the company. AlpineFoil's know-how and equipment such as the machining center, the digital carbon cutting table, the hydraulic presses and the two 6-axis robots give a unique reactivity and an immediate adjustment of the processes: the design of each product is perfectly refined in the heart of our workshop. But it also serves AlpineFoil to offer an after-sales service and maintenance to always have a functional foil at a lower cost and within a reasonable time regardless of the country. This speed is possible thanks to our transport partners (UPS, DHL, GLS, etc.) who deliver France in 1 working day, Europe in 2 days, the United States in 2-3 days and Asia and Australia in 4-5 days.
 

The mast

The Ultimate kitefoil distinguishes itself from all the foils on the market by the adoption of the patented "S" mast ("S" shape), exclusive to AlpineFoil. This mast in "S" shape requires a very particular care in the production because its shape largely increases its technical complexity: that’s why only the RTeam AlpineFoil division is able to realize this French manufacture.

This technology fully eliminates unhooking by ventilation (inadvertent unhooking strongly accentuated by the presence of air in the wake at the mast profile). The combination of the cavitation phenomenon with that of ventilation of the mast profile is likely to cause the fall.

The principle of the mast "S" shape is to reduce ventilation by removing the supply of air from the mast, especially near the wings. The purpose is to guide the flow of water which goes back up behind the mast to avoid the descent of air. At the present time, this foil is the only one of the market not to ventilate and thus to insure a perfect serenity and an absolute confidence in the foil, which makes it possible to push away the pleasure of navigation as well as its limits in competition.

Besides the "S" shape, the mast of the Ultimate is a mast with a non-constant, progressive profile, where each mast area is designed to optimize rigidity and glide. The upper zone, close to the KF-Box, has a thicker profile to greatly increase rigidity in this stress concentration area. Conversely, the permanently submerged part of the foil is provided with a thinner profile which implies a reduction of the drag and an exceptional improvement of the glide.

The construction of the new Ultimate mast is made of monolithic carbon baked at very high pressure. This fabrication, carried out by the RTeam division, is a learned mix of fiber orientation and combination of high modulus and high strength carbon fiber. AlpineFoil's long experience in manufacturing carbon parts today allows guaranteeing outstanding performance and reliability: to date AlpineFoil can boast of having had no return on a mast using this process.
 

The box

The Ultimate is equipped with a KF Box (KiteFoil Box), the first housing specially studied for the practice of foil. Developed in 2011, it has four conical faces that imply an automatic catch-up of the play and a resumption of efforts between the deck and the hull of the board. Initially, the KF-Box had only one central screw: there were therefore risks of loss of foil in case of rupture of this screw. AlpineFoil has improved its KF-Box with two screws on the box. In addition to greatly reducing the risks of loss, this system brings a considerable increase in rigidity to the foil.

The KF-Box technology can’t be operated properly without a good system of fixing and recovery of forces on the deck. So, to ensure the proper functioning of the housing, AlpineFoil has developed a force distribution system with machined ABS washers placed at the screws: this allows collecting the occasional surcharges in case of shock so as not to destroy the board. The choice of machining on this part increases its mechanical strength by 80% but it also avoids the shear failure which may deteriorate the deck of the board. In this ABS washer are inserted a wide stainless steel washer to prevent friction and a special A4 Torx bolting made for AlpineFoil in Germany to increase the bolt torque by 300% without damaging the stainless steel screw footprint.

Before the KF-Box, in 2007, AlpineFoil used a plate system to fix the mast to the board. But during experiments in 2007/2008, plate had many disadvantages:

  - Increase the drag of the board on the water before the take-off or at the impacts, this acting as a brake in Light Wind,

  - No effort recovery between the deck and the hull, significantly reducing the rigidity of the whole,

  - Bulky during transport,

  - Long to mount because it has four mounting screws.
 

So in 2010, AlpineFoil decided to use the KF-Box to eliminate the disadvantages of the plate system. This box is revolutionary thanks to the technology MCBox (Monobloc Carbon Box) technology developed and patented by AlpineFoil. The principle is simple: if usually the manufacturers of carbon masts model a resin housing on the mast (bringing flexibility and risks of crumbling and deterioration of the resin), AlpineFoil instead opted for a carbon KF-Box housing directly molded with the mast, in a single block. The carbon fiber is therefore uninterrupted, which increases the rigidity of the connection of the box on the mast by 20%. This MCBox technology applied to the KF-Box has other major advantages, such as a very small bulk, a significant reduction of the drag in take-off or at an impact, and ultra-fast assembly. This innovation is made possible thanks to the know-how of the French AlpineFoil factory which uses a high pressure technology allowing this manufacture.

The finishing

AlpineFoil is the only manufacturer in the world to apply an elaborate finishing process on its masts and wings. Generally, most manufacturers apply only light sanding on the mast at the exit of the mold. Unfortunately, carbon fiber, because of its crosses, has much micro porosity harmful to the good flow of water on the profile, which creates multiple turbulences. To solve this problem, AlpineFoil fills these porosities in its manufacture by applying multiple successive layers of varnish. Between each layer, sanding is necessary: we return to the original profile but the porosities are gradually filled. To finish, on masts with gloss option, after the last coat of varnish, an AlpineFoil operator performs manual water sanding with P2000 and P3000. He then administers a final polishing with P16.000 with a polishing paste. The matte versions do not have this particular high-performance finish that refines the design of the product but also and especially its glide.

Note: The base of the Ultimate masts is equipped with a galvanic insulator that minimizes the ions transfer between aluminum and carbon and thus prevents corrosion.
 

The fuselage

The fuselage has been completely redesigned and rethought. It now has a major innovation in the foil history in aluminum construction. For the first time, AlpineFoil provides an ultra-efficient solution against the corrosion of this material: today, it is the first manufacturer in the world to offer a foil with an aluminum fuselage having a sacrificial anode (SACS technology : Sacrificial Anode anti-Corrosion System).

This solution resulting from nautism (engines and hulls of boats, for example) makes it possible to concentrate the corrosion on this sacrificial anode which one will have to replace once deteriorated. The effectiveness of these anodes is such that today it allows many boats (fishing, tourism ...) to navigate without any protection against corrosion. This is the case of silver gray raw aluminum boats that can be seen in some ports.

The principle of the sacrificial anode is to use a piece with a metal whose electrical potential is very low. The foil circulating in salt water (conductive) will behave like an electric battery. The anode will so give its ions instead of aluminum and will corrode first.

AlpineFoil, at the time of the release of the Access V1, had innovated by inventing the system GIS (Galvanic Isolator System) which behaves like an electrical insulator limiting the ion exchange between the aluminum elements. With this new Ultimate , AlpineFoil is the only manufacturer in the world that offers a quadruple protection against corrosion of aluminum:
 

  - Protection of the fuselage by hard anodizing OAD 70 µ,

  - Protection between the fuselage and the wings by galvanic isolation GIS,

  - Insulation between fuselage and stainless steel screws using TefGel,

  - Protection thanks to the sacrificial anode of the fuselage.
 

AlpineFoil also brings a great innovation in the flow of fluid around the fuselage profile. You should know that a foil fuselage does not move in the axis of the fluid, parallel to the surface of the water, but with a certain angle. This angle is due to the need to increase the lift of the main wing and therefore to increase the angle between the fluid (horizontal) and the wing, especially at low speed. The wing is fixed on the fuselage, the latter is therefore related to the wing angle. This angle will vary according to the speed of movement of the foil: the more it will go slowly, the more the angle will be pronounced, the faster it will go, less the angle will be pronounced.

Today, the majority of fuselages on the market are cylindrical or rectangular, and rather large section. However, we know that a cylinder placed perpendicularly in a fluid has an extremely high drag due to the depression behind the cylinder. For this reason, the entire rear part of the fuselage (from the mast to the drift) has in the lower part of the fuselage a leading edge shape, quite thick, and in the upper part a form of draging edge, much thinner. It is the FRDS technology : Fuselage with Reduced Drag System by AlpineFoil.

Regarding the shape of the fuselage , we generalized the soft nose to increase safety while maintaining the extra performance that brings an advanced rostrum on the wing.

Then, at the junction between the wing and the fuselage, the AlpineFoil foils are equipped with karmans (elements creating a progressive connection between the wing and the fuselage) which serve to significantly reduce the drag at this junction. To know: in competitive gliders, competitors go as far as placing adhesives on the karmans to increase the performances and to have the most laminar flow possible between the wing and the fuselage.

Concerning the front wing fixation, AlpineFoil uses an elaborate fixing system of four screws placed in staggered rows. Thanks to this system, the rigidity of the wing / fuselage assembly is exceptional. Indeed, within the framework of a fixation system where the screws are aligned, it creates a pivoting of the wing which can lead, in case of play between the wing and the fuselage, to the destruction of the fixation inserts.

The rear part of the fuselage is equipped with a small drift located at the upper part and which will therefore be protected in case of impact with the ground.

The AlpineFoil fuselage is one of the longest fuselages on the market. The reason is simple: it works like a lever arm with the rear stabilizer: bigger is the arm, the better the stabilizer is. For a stabilizer of equivalent size, the stabilization will be much higher on a long fuselage and the foil will be much easier to control. Another important advantage: with a long fuselage, the stabilizer is far from the turbulence of the wing and the mast. The stabilization is perfect, like the large competition gliders also equipped with a long fuselage.

For its Ultimate, which is a high-end foil, AlpineFoil chose an aluminum fuselage. Why aluminum rather than carbon? Machined aluminum is a 100% monolithic material with no fiber orientation, it is easily possible to calculate the forces and maximize the shape of the fuselage, reduced to the essential. The fuselage section, and therefore the drag, are reduced by 60% compared to a carbon fuselage.

But so that this technology works effectively, it is imperative that the fuselage arise from a machined aluminum block: a fuselage from a foundry does not generate such a performance because it has many porosities and therefore significant risks of fragility and corrosion. A carbon fiber fuselage, as for it, requires to oversize its section in order to have many fibers in all the necessary orientations. Indeed, the fuselage is constantly subjected to very large forces in flexion as well as in torsion to the front wing. Also, carbon offers little resilience and is therefore unlikely to withstand very violent efforts on a short duration. For this reason, we strongly advise fans of jumps or freestyle against the use of a carbon fuselage: aluminum or titanium are much more suitable for the fuselage.

AlpineFoil was the first manufacturer to combine aluminum fuselages with carbon parts. This choice is really wise because AlpineFoil has opened the way: now many manufacturers follow this direction. However, it must be remembered that Alpine Foil has been conceiving foils since 2007 and that this great experience makes it possible to offer the most reliable foils on the market.

Finally, the new Ultimate fuselage sees its wedging modified in order to provide maximum adjustment possibilities (ultra wide stance) for racing pilots. The stabilizer / fuselage embedding has been reworked to further improve the flow. The fuselage comes with a set of eight wedges with dual function: wedging and GIS. The setting is unique and perfectly suited to each type of navigation and each rider, regardless of its weight. The front wing and the stabilizer can each receive a 0 °, 0.7 °, 1.1 ° or 1.5 ° setting.

The wings

The production of the wings of the Ultimate is entirely entrusted to the RTeam division. The Ultimate can be delivered at no extra cost with any AlpineFoil wing, except the Windfoil wing. Possible choices: the XLP wing, the Wave wing, the GT wing, the Sport wing, the Racefoil wing and the SC-Race M or S wing. The particularity of the RTeam wings lies in an extremely meticulous production in small series by our ultra specialized technicians of the RTeam division. This manual shaping 100% made in France guarantees products of remarkable quality. The RTeam division takes a very particular care on its fabrications because the exceptional performances of this foil are the conjunction of multiple micro-details: the smallest detail is important, nothing must be neglected. It’s this meticulousness during the production which guarantees an impeccable result.

Each piece of carbon constituting the kitefoil is composed of prepreg carbon (pre-impregnated) from the racing automobile and aviation. The pre-impregnated fabric is CNC cut for optimum compliance and perfect reproducibility of the wings. Each layer constituting a foil element is characterized by a particular orientation of the carbon fibers to perfectly meet all the requirements in terms of flexion and torsion. Thanks to its technology Made in France high pressure, each wing, each mast, each stabilizer is compressed with a pressure varying from 50 to 200 bars, according to the needs, in order to obtain an ultra compact carbon with a respect of the profiles without equivalence.

The wings of the AlpineFoil range are the successful conclusion of modeling, research and experimentation that lead to profiles specially developed for the hydrofoil.

The wings have different profiles at the center and at the ends with a particular twisting from the VAS system (Variable Angle System) developed by AlpineFoil. This makes it possible to fictitiously remove part of the surface of the wing at very low incidence (so at high speed). Indeed, in hydrodynamics, it is considered that the higher the bearing surface charge, the higher the speed. In other words, to gain speed, failing to be able to change the weight of the rider, we reduce fictitiously the bearing surface of the wing through a variation of angle between the profile located in the center and that located at the ends of the wing, so that the load on the remaining surface is higher.

The stabilizer

The new RTeam stabilizer retains an outline similar to that of the 5.0 Carbon and Access that made it successful, but its profile has been changed. The stabilizer now has the same profile as the Race wing. This brings a significant gain in gliding, but the main advantage is a very significant gain in terms of progressivity and foil control. The construction of this stabilizer is entrusted to the RTeam division which is specialized in the production of high quality and competition foils.

Some calibration settings recommended with our wings:

Position of the straps: front strap in central position (3rd hole).
 

   To buy your AlpineFoil kitefoil Ultimate , go to the online shop

Which AlpineFoil foil to buy ? How to choose your foil according to your level : beginner, confirmed, expert ? How much is it ? New or secondhand ? Contact us here.

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• Kitefoil Alpinefoil Ultimate AIR - Price 1989 euros 
• Combo Pack Kitefoil AlpineFoil Ultimate + VR6 Foilboard Freerace - Price 3 028 euros