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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

NOVA Triton 2 S



Triton 2 S  

Finally and after a loooog wait the TRITON 2 S has arrived … 

As usual the quality of construction of NOVA wings is beyond a doubt a class of its own. Excellent workmanship and robust feel … 

This test concern ONLY the S size ! It will not reflect any other sizes as the M and L size could be slightly different in some ways… 


My first flight with the Triton 2 S at 98 all up was made in turbulent, punchy conditions… enabling me to open my senses, understand, and feel the glider . 



Flying my usual harness the X-rated 6 with some ballast to reach 98 all up, i launched the Triton 2 S. The launching is easy for that glider and immediate.  


First turn in a small bullet thermal , the Triton 2 S has a moderate to pronounced roll movement .The pitch behavior is average to dynamic especially in those sharp edges where the Triton 2 S would like to cut and surge ahead in the strong thermal. Catching it quickly with the brakes is no problem for a good pilot.  

In turbulent and strong conditions the Triton 2 S is indeed a lively glider.  
It moves in the air with sharp surges and quick responses to the airmass and the pilot could feel it’s energy, but luckily the brake fan is optimized to dominate this overall energy with an active pilot underneath. 


A good pilot and after some hours to acclimatize, has the power and the advantage to control every movement of the glider which at the end gives surprisingly a certain feeling of passive safety for the high C class as the whole structure seems coherent and supple sometimes . 

Describing the handling and maneuverability of the TRITON 2 S is like driving a Ferrari in turns. 
Cornering is sharp and easy with precise and direct input . 
This very good handling is the key to control the TRITON 2 S movements in order to keep it in this particular box of the targeted group of pilots it is designed for ! 

Doing some long glides with one of the best C’s of the moment, the Triton 2 S showed first a slightly higher speed than most C’s equally loaded, and a slight better glide at trim putting it in the higher top performance by a very small edge. This performance is increased when the conditions are more difficult and especially in the presence of a head wind or strong valley or sea breeze. In those conditions the TRITON 2 S has a clear advantage over the current C’s . 

Reference glide : 
Doing some long glides with an Aspen 5 26 loaded at 99 all up showed that the Triton 2 S has a faster trim speed of +0.5 km/h and a better glide angle. 
Pushing the bar for both with pulleys touching showed exactly same top end speed over a run of 5 km 

The climb rate of the Triton 2 S loaded at 96 is average to good in very weak lift . 
In more steady thermals over 1.5 m/s and choppy conditions, the Triton 2 S has the advantage to dig and climb much quicker and more efficient than C gliders .Like it’s another class … 

The top speed for the Triton 2 S with the pulleys touching, loaded at 98 and at 1000 ASL showed a ± 13 km/h over trim. I have tried it many times and i couldn’t read more on my GPS. May be i have to change it   Wink 
I felt that the Triton 2 S into wind glides are it’s strongest point where i could feel it’s ability to surf the air and move higher and forward like no other C could do… 

I am convinced now that it has the performance that could easily tickle the D class.   

Big ears are stable without pushing the bar. The pilot must pump them to open. Ears with bar are unstable.  





Then, i flew the Triton 2 S alone in another spot and then landed and flew another new C glider…and so on…all day… Alternating gliders help me to see the differences in the air.  

Flying the Elan 26, Delta 2, SM  Alpina 2 SM , Sigma 9, Queen M ,Aspen 5, etc..  in the past year gave me an idea about their behavior in turbulent conditions. The Triton 2 S stands more demanding in terms of piloting . 

Conclusion: 
For sure the Triton 2 S is (Two step) higher than a Mentor 3 in terms of piloting ! It stands strangely between a high C and a D !  
The Triton 2 S IMHO is aimed for experienced pilots with multiple hours in different conditions in order to feel at home and surely needs some respect and understanding in order to extract every bit of the outstanding performance it delivers. 
NOVA has built a C with today’s D performance, but the TRITON 2 in S size IMHO could be welcomed and cherished for a D pilot profile. 



Cheers, 
Ziad. 


11 comments:

Peter said...

Hello Ziad

+13Km/s over the trim speed results in the top speed around 53km/s which is quite low, even for a C glider. Just would like to confirm that there is no typing error in your review and it is indeed +13Km/s.;-).

Waiting for comparison videos (especially with alpina 2 and mantra 6).

Thanks
Peter

Unknown said...

I have a t2 medium flying at 105kg and have 18-20 kph on speed bar

I Frew said...

I concur with Steve and I fly 102.5kg on the Medium. Seems the performance when fully loaded is much more dynamic, expected of course.Surprised the top speed was much lower on the small. I think I'll ballast up and see the difference on my medium but no real thermals here now in my area. Great write up though Ziad! Especially like the reference to a Ferrari as that is how feel when I fly it. For XC Hannes had recommended flying this wing just above the middle of the range. Be great to see if you could get your weight down to around the 92kg to see how it performs. ��

Peter said...

Hello Ziad

interesting comparison video. May be it was just and a coincidence but it seems to me that it was pretty shaky (harness movements). Was it because of the glider or turbulent air? In fact, I do not remember any other video of yours being so shaky. Can you comment on that?

Second point. It seems to me (based on the video) that the Triton was loosing in climb a bit against the Aspen 5. Can you comment on that?

Ziad Bassil said...

Hi Peter, The day on the video was pretty calm ....The Triton 2 moves isharply in stronger and turbulent conditions. As for the climb, yes at 96 on the T2 the climb is slightly less than an Aspen 5 at 99. May be at 93 it will be better. The T2 S size is a glide machine rather than a climbing one .

Tom said...

Hi Ziad
thanks a lot for the great job you are doing! I am interested on a comparison with the Trango XC2 SM you flew 2 years ago. Of course its a long time since then with many other glider between, but could you say something about passive safety, pilots requirements and overall performance?

Ziad Bassil said...

Hi,
I found the Trango xc2 to have roll movements, but the Triton 2 S need more pilot control as the movements in active air is slightly more pronounced.

Peter said...

Hello Ziad,
Have you tested the Triton 2S with different/less weight, e.g. 93Kgs. If so did the climbing abilities of the wind improve?
Thank you
Peter

Ziad Bassil said...

Hi Peter, Yes the Triton 2 S at 95 will have slightly longer brake travel with still a direct response but it will not be efficient in windy days...and the climb will stay the same..So better load it at 98 to get the gliding into wind better.

Renato Ska said...

Olรก Ziad ..which vela is easier to ride Triton2 or Trango XC3 ??

Ziad Bassil said...

Ola Renato,
Triton 2 is easier .