U-Turn GmbH is a German
aircraft manufacturer
An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry.
...
originally based in
Villingen-Schwenningen
Villingen-Schwenningen (; Low Alemannic: ''Villinge-Schwenninge'') is a city in the Schwarzwald-Baar district in southern Baden-Württemberg, in south-western Germany. It had 89,743 inhabitants as of September 2024.
History
In the Middle Ages, ...
and later in
Tuningen. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of
paraglider
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched Glider (aircraft), glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a :wikt:harness, harness or in ...
s in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft, particularly for
aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...
.
[Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 34. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ]
The company was founded by Thomas Vosseler and Ernst Strobl in 2002. One early innovation was offering glider purchase financing through an owners' club.
U-Turn is organized as a
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung
(; ) is a type of Juridical person, legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the Romandy, French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Ticino, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland.
It is a ...
(GmbH), a German
Limited liability company
A limited liability company (LLC) is the United States-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of ...
.
The company's first product was the
U-Turn Infinity
The U-Turn Infinity is a German single-place paraglider, designed and produced by U-Turn GmbH of Villingen-Schwenningen. It was the first glider introduced by the company in 2003 and remained in production in 2016 as the Infinity 4.Bertrand, N ...
, an intermediate glider designed for easy handling and safety.
By 2016 they had a full line of gliders for all levels of pilots, plus aerobatics, including a two-place aerobatic glider, the
U-Turn Twinforce
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the U, letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as ...
.
Aircraft
Summary of aircraft built by U-Turn GmbH:
*
U-Turn Annapurna
*
U-Turn Blacklight
*
U-Turn Blackout
*
U-Turn Emotion
*
U-Turn Eternity
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a ...
*
U-Turn Everest
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a ...
*
U-Turn Evolution
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a ...
*
U-Turn Infinity
The U-Turn Infinity is a German single-place paraglider, designed and produced by U-Turn GmbH of Villingen-Schwenningen. It was the first glider introduced by the company in 2003 and remained in production in 2016 as the Infinity 4.Bertrand, N ...
*
U-Turn Lightning
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a ...
*
U-Turn Paramotion
*
U-Turn Passenger
*
U-Turn Redout
*
U-Turn Trinity
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a ...
*
U-Turn Twinforce
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the U, letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as ...
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.u-turn.de/
Aircraft manufacturers of Germany
Paragliders
Companies established in 2002
2002 establishments in Germany
German brands