Sponsons, Tubes & Collars

Constructed primarily of Mil Spec 40oz polyurethane fabric, with options for lighter weight fabric
Virtually indestructible heat welded seams
Available in custom colors and dull-coat finishes
Smooth, Light and Heavy texture coatings for non-slip traction
D-Rings, Rubstrake/Rubrale, Lifelines/Grablines and Handles available in customizable configurations
Proprietary, custom software, combined with superior design and engineering ensures the best fit available

RIB Tubes and Sponsons for Commercial and Military Applications

WING® Inflatables sponsons can be made to any specifications, to fit virtually any Rigid Inflatable set-up on the globe. Our original equipment manufactured (OEM) sponsons partner with some of the finest RIB and RHIB builders on the water.

Wing polyurethane has twice the puncture resistance and four times greater abrasion resistance than Hypalon. The standard expected service life of a Wing polyurethane tube is 7-8 years—versus only five for a Hypalon tube—with Wing tubes running stiff, strong and still in service after 12-14 years is increasingly common. Learn More

Wing specializes in designing and manufacturing four types of RIB tubes, or sponsons. There are advantages to each type. Which you choose depends on the specific purpose and application of the RIB in real-world situations. You can be sure any of the four types are the world's most durable.

Air
Air/Foam
Hybrid
Foam

Air Tubes

Air-holding tubes are the traditional RIB sponson; cylindrical in shape with hull attachment points to the inside. Air-holding tubes are divided into a number of independent inflatable sections by baffles so that if one section fails the rest of the tube remains inflated. The number of inflatable sections depends on the overall length of the tube.

Foam-Filled Air-Holding Tubes

Redundant flotation is the key feature of this air-holding tube. High-density, non-absorbent foam is packed into each chamber. In the rare event of a breach in the polyurethane fabric and a loss of air pressure, the packed foam maintains the chambers shape and 90% of it's flotation factor.

Air/Foam Hybrid Collars

Patent #6,460,477B1

The Air/Foam hybrid melds characteristics of air-holding and foam-insert collars. The key to the hybrid is the inflatable bladder that is compressed between the hull and the foam. By inflating the bladder the foam is forced away from the hull bringing the polyurethane sheath around the foam under tension. This makes for a wrinkle free, cosmetically clean and pleasing foam sponson that provides very good shock absorption, while holding it's shape over time and far better than a foam sponson without the internal bladder.

Foam Collars

A foam collar consists of closed-cell (non-absorbent) high-density foam surrounded by a polyurethane sheath attached to the hull above and below to keep it in place.