Brad <<Brad>>
writes:

Team Raven is pleased to announce the release of Whoosh!Wheels 2.0
for aluminum airfoil base tubes. Following in the footsteps of our original
version of this popular product, Whoosh!Wheels 2.0 are updated for the 2011
flying season.

We started selling our original Whoosh!Wheels 1.0 in 2003, and we’ve shipped
hundreds of pair around the world over the past seven years. The feedback that
we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive. Whoosh!Wheels 1.0 have worked
well, lasted well, and time and time again have proven to be damage-resistant.
We’ve offered pro-rated upgrades (e.g., new hubs) and pro-rated replacement of
damaged wheels/hubs, and a handful of pilots have ordered replacement component,
almost always with a story to tell (“…put the hubs in my pocket but left the
wheels in the landing zone…” “…landed going sideways, broke one wheel but not
the hub…”). They’ve always been appreciative that they didn’t have to buy a
complete new set to get going again. We know of several pilots who use one set
of Whoosh!Wheels alternatively on both their Falcon and their high-performance
glider; all it takes is a second set of hubs for the other basetube style.

Our original Whoosh!Wheels 1.0 were made with modified European red and black
wheels (some readers will remember ‘Hot Wheels’ from Just Fly) and our unique
white nylon hubs. If we heard any complaints at all about our version 1.0 wheel
sets, it was that some pilots were concerned that they were (perhaps) too
lightly built for today’s gliders. We heeded that feedback when designing
Whoosh!Wheels 2.0, and our new wheels are substantially tougher than the
black/red spoked wheels we first offered, but only a few ounces heavier.

All of our Whoosh!Wheel 2.0 products are now 100% Made In the USA and
backwards-compatible with Whoosh!Wheels 1.0. Find them in our store at
www.hanggliding.com.

We do not yet have a product for the carbon-fiber basetubes. Unfortunately, the
chord of the carbon basetube is substantially greater than 2” where the wheels
would rest, and thus would necessitate an entirely different, larger hub size.
Think: Larger rim, smaller tire, just like on custom cars.

I’m open to creating a version of these hubs/wheels for carbon-fiber basetubes,
but would need to borrow a WW carbon basetube and a Moyes carbon basetube in
order to design the hubs (none of my local pilot friends have them). Also, do
you know whether any of the other manufacturers have other versions of the
carbon basetube blank that they’re using, or are there only two carbon basetube
blanks in common use worldwide? Obviously, the more versions of the hub that
have to be designed, the more expensive it is to set up

We’d like to design hubs for your carbon-fiber basetube. Does anybody out there
have a current-model carbon basetube that they’re not using (even a damaged
one)? Team Raven would like to borrow one each of the current carbon basetube
models, to begin design work on a Whoosh!Wheel hub for carbon airfoil basetubes.
We’ll cover all shipping costs both ways plus a discount on your first set of
wheels when it is available. Please contact
<info> with the subject
line: Carbon Basetube.”