Air Design Volt 5

The Air Design Volt 5 is the fifth generation of the Volt — and the second generation of Air Design's pioneering EN C 2-liner platform. 57 cells, 6.45 flat aspect ratio, six sizes covering 60–128 kg, EN C certified across the lineup. The original Volt 4 was the wing that introduced 2-line construction to the EN C category; the Volt 5 carries that lineage forward, sliding down toward mid-C in pilot demand while gaining performance and a clearer stall point. Designed by Stephan Stiegler.

Aspect ratio is slightly lower than the Volt 4 — review feedback says the trade-off improves the connection through the rear risers, giving more feedback and control on bar. Brake feel is the most talked-about upgrade: pressure firms up predictably toward the stall point, with a clear, well-defined warning that the Volt 4 sometimes lacked — the wing is much harder to accidentally stall or spin. Brake travel sits on the long side, and pilots typically run a half-wrap for general handling. The wing climbs strongly with a flat-turn character that's good in weak air, and turns slightly tighter than the Volt 4 when you load weight-shift into it. Feedback is described as moderate — slightly on the dampened side, not chatty. Trim speed is competitive with mid- to high-C peers and glide is up over the Volt 4. On bar the system is moderate (not the lightest), but accelerated handling is solid and the wing picks up speed quickly. Pilot demand sits at mid-C — pilots coming from a mid-C 3-liner or 2.5-liner upgrade comfortably; comparable in demand to the Bonanza 3 but with notably better performance, glide and speed. Lighter and more accessible than the Codex feel-wise, while keeping ground above many peer EN C 2-liners. Construction is built around durable-superlight: double-coated Dominico DOKDO-10DSF on both top and bottom surfaces, full-chord Nitinol rods (saving weight, adding robustness, and helping the wing fold compact), new nose-guard patches on the leading edge to take ground-handling abuse, and an innovative internal structure aimed at long-term performance retention. 12 mm aramid risers ship as standard; superlight Dyneema risers are an option that drop another 110 g per wing. Proper packing in the supplied 50/50 concertina bag matters for long-term rod alignment.