Steven Pearson <<Steve>>
writes:

Polyant "Liteskin" is a non-woven replacement for conventional
taffeta. Neither taffeta or "Lightskin" add any strength to the laminate, and
both add roughly a 25% penalty. The structural properties of laminates are a
composite of the fiber and film properties, with the fiber (polyester, PEN,
Technora, Carbon, Aramid) mainly handling the orthogonal directions and the film
controlling the bias (45).

The advantage of taffeta backed laminates is increased durability which is why
we used them almost exclusively before UV films were available. Also, without
taffeta, we have to add more local reinforcements to support the stitching.

The idea that a LiteSkin laminate could improve the performance of a hang glider
compared to a comparable taffeta laminate, or the non-taffeta laminate with a
higher specific strength is not substantiated by the evidence. I don't have a
problem with promoting the appearance but claiming increased performance is a
misrepresentation.