Hi,
I have made a mistake—in fact, a huge mistake… In 30 years, it has never happened to me…
The details:
I was waiting for both the Sigma DLS 22 Petrol and 24 Spectra to arrive. My friend called me saying that the 24 Spectra color has arrived and I should pick it up.
With everything going on in my country and all the problems my head can carry…I swiftly pick up the bag with the Spectra color on it and head on to the takeoff. With my Impress 4 at 92 all up, I took off and later flew next to my friends. After two hours, I landed and wrote my impressions.
The weird thing is that, after 15 days, as I was re-arranging my gliders, I saw the outside bag of the supposed Sigma DLS 24 (Spectra) and saw the number (22)! I froze for like an hour…My eyes pooped out!
Seeing the spectra color with the size 22 ( 68-87) with an ideal range between (72-84) I opened the glider to see that the label on the Sigma DLS I had tested was indeed the size 22!
I flew that size at 92, which was 8 kilos from the ideal weight range! This largely explains the difficult climb rate in weak air!
I am so sorry for that…I don’t know how this happened…Surely, I’m getting old...
Now I have the size 24 (Solid statement after wearing my glasses )!
I will re-test the Sigma DLS next week when the weather improves, especially for the climb rate in weak and the overall behavior!
Sigma DLS size 22 (Petrol)
Yesterday, I flew the Sigma DLS size 22 with my Lightness 4 harness at 83, all up in moderate air.
The handling and turning abilities at 83, in combination with the Lightness 4, deliver a very agile and playful glider. I could easily core any thermal in super tight turns. The climb rate is now more than acceptable at that load!
More to come soon for both sizes.
Again, my apologies for that terrible and awkward mistake!
Ziad
Dust of the universe
This blog is dedicated to testing the most recent paragliders and flying gear.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Mistake...-----NOW UPDATED and the test is ready for 22 and 24 . !!
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
DAVINCI Mambo 2 liner EN-C S size
DAVINCI Mambo EN-C 2 liner size S (70-95)
The Mambo is the first EN-C with a two-line design from DAVINCI.
On the ground: The look of the aggressive and big shark nose with the SN+ feature looks like nothing else in the market. Laying down close a Photon, they both seem from different worlds in shape, size, line attachment points…To delete the rumors that presume a copy from any other two-liner. It is not, at least from what I see in front of me.
Construction: The Mambo construction looks very neat, from the risers to the sewing of the glider. Nitinol rods are used in that glider. A new feature inside that glider with four double smart snake systems inserted in the profile ( see pic) Jihun Lee says that it resits collapse and should make a faster recovery. I didn’t have any collapse during my tests, and I cannot comment on the recovery. But I can confirm a very different feel under it ( more info down)
I have flown the Mambo from 90, 93, to 95. It's best to fly it in strong air at 94…95.
Launching:
Pulling on the A’s in nil wind requires a steady pull, and the mambo rises slowly and evenly, keeping your pressure on the A’s. It feels slightly heavier to launch than a Photon, for example. But still, the inflation in nil wind is easy. Just slightly slower. In 10-15 to 25 km/h, the pull on the A’s also needs a steady pull, but overall it is an easy-to-launch EN-C glider.
In the air:
The Mambo has moderate to short brake travel with very nice agility. The authority on the brakes is good for the pilot. Every pull I got is a linear feel and in reaction from the glider. The agility is similar to a GIN Camino 2 and slightly less than a Volt 5. It's on the moderate side but still quite direct and very satisfying!
Climb rate:
One day, I flew the Mambo with my Impress 4 harness at 93 all up, next to a Photon M size (90-105) at 105 all up.
In weak thermals, less than 0.5 m/s, both gliders float nicely. When there’s a slight increase in climb, I felt on many occasions that the Mambo had the upper hand in float ability! … Actually, we were both surprised, and later, we tried again and again with the same results. The Mambo has a nice climb rate, and I enjoyed teasing my friend with his head right and left
In strong surges, the Mambo doesn’t have a neutral pitch and climbs very quickly upward. It felt like it slowed down inside the lift, and with the direct brakes, any small radius is doable.
Gliding:
Of course, we also made many glides despite the Photon being a larger size.
At trim speed at 93 on the Mambo, I was around +1 km/h slower than my friend on his Photon M size at 105. To compensate for this, I pushed the speed bar to keep it side by side. After some kilometers, We both didn’t see any difference in glide with a 5 km/h headwind. We also tried again and again with the same results at that speed.
At half bar, the result is also the same next to the Photon! There’s no doubt about the glide efficiency of that machine.
Comfort and pilot control:
In moderate air, the Mambo is a comfortable glider to fly with smooth roll and pitch movements.
In strong air, things get more interesting… As the glider holds many stiff parts, high energy stored inside is feelable when hitting turbulence. There are some yaw movements translated to the harness that push you slightly sideways. Of course, the brakes give you a large authority and will help control that glider in heavy turbulence. A narrow chest strap will also help, but it is a thing that you don’t feel under any 2-liner C, and most probably, you will get used to it…
The B controls, while stepping on the bar, have moderate to hard pressure. Control by the B’s in turbulence is efficient in keeping the glider overhead in mild turbulence.
The top speed is around 16 km/h over trim.
Conclusion:
I never thought The Mambo would climb and glide that way! If heavily loaded, this glider has lots of potential in XC and competitions. I’m curious about pilot feedback after test-flying it.
With good handling and good brake authority, the Mambo is a special glider for good C pilots in the 2-liner C category.
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
ADVANCE Sigma 12 DLS
Yesterday, I flew the Sigma DLS size 22 with my Lightness 4 harness at 83, all up in moderate air.
The handling and turning abilities at 83, in combination with the Lightness 4, deliver a very agile and playful glider. I could easily core any thermal in super tight turns. The climb rate is now more than acceptable at that load!
More to come soon for both sizes.
Monday, October 7, 2024
Axis Vega 6 M
AXIS Vega 6 size M (85-102)
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Thursday, September 12, 2024
FLOW Freedom 2 Light size S (70-95)
FLOW released the light version of their high EN-B the Freedom 2.
Awaiting the website to be updated, please find a picture of the Freedom 2 Light technical details.
In summary, Nitinol rods are used, shark nose, hybrid set up 3/2 line layout.
Launching this high EN-B is straightforward and super easy. The glider rises without any hard point even with no wind. I like the light materials when launching the glider in tight areas.
I flew the Freedom 2 light at 92 all up on my Impress 4 harness. The brake travel is short and the pressure is on the medium side. The authority of the brakes given to the pilot is excellent! Turning the Freedom2 light in thermals is a pleasure. So smooth in turns, direct, precise, without the dynamics. As soft as it gets for a high-B glider. You can narrow your radius or widen it, and the glider doesn’t dive into turns rather very efficient.Talking about efficiency, I think the Freedom 2 light holds again that ‘aboriginal magic’ in its climbing abilities. That glider does climb impressively well.
After a while, flying it the sensations it gives felt like a butterfly in the air. Sooth, light, and climb effortlessly.
Performance:
The trim speed is slightly slower than the Rook 4 that was flying near. The glide seems also on par with the best B’s out there. Applying the first and second bars showed moderate pressure and a very good glide angle. The top speed seems around 12 km/h over trim.
Comfort:
The overall movements in the air felt tamer than the normal cloth Freedom 2. The Light version seems more taught and very comfortable to fly.
The C steering is as efficient as the good B’s in keeping the glider overhead.
Ears are stable and efficient. They reopen without pilot intervention, but smoothly and evenly.
The energy stored while doing wingovers is high.
Flow created a very interesting light construction high B. You can load it at the top to get slightly more forward dynamics, with no worries about the climb rate, which stays on top of the category.
Maybe I would have preferred a more simplified riser construction, but that's just a Tiny detail.
Climb is outstanding, and will surely keep you at cloud base! Glide is also excellent, and you can push the speed bar for faster glides if you wish while getting an efficient glide.
Comfortable, calm, and simple. That’s the Freedom 2 light.
Cheers,
Ziad
Saturday, September 7, 2024
OZONE LYGHT S and MS
Ozone LYGHT MS
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
GIN Calypso 2. S. (75-95)
GIN Calypso 2 75-95
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Advance Lightness 4 size M.
Advance Lightness 4 size M.
The lightness harness series from ADVANCE is famous for its highly comfortable seat-less sitting position and its light weight of around 3 kilos. ADVANCE released the Lightness 4 in June 2024, and many pilots wonder if the Lightness 4 will also be an enhanced product over the Lightness 3. Let's find out...
The Lightness 4 is created with a rear moderate-size fairing in a nice light blue color with a relatively good space inside the back pocket.
At first sight, the construction quality seems close enough to the Lightness 3.
The side zippers of the pod are small, and perhaps a bigger one could be sturdier as I was in a hurry to sit in it, I didn’t check the pod's main left attachment point that wasn’t inserted inside the left carabiner, and as soon as I pushed on my leg the left zipper snapped. It was my mistake, not to check it, at first. Check yours!
The Lightness 4 as its predecessor is a seat-less harness without having that seat-board feel even from the underneath foam protector.
Some harnesses deliver a similar seatboard feel with their still protector, like on the Arrow P. Having said that the overall feel of the Lightness 4 is very similar to the Lightness 3 which many pilots cherish and use. The side adjustments can be fine-tuned in the air. The seat adjustments are better fine-tuned before flying with a new metal adjustment part that was added for durability and replaces the old rounded plastic adjustments.
Seating position comfort:
ADVANCE added a thick pad on the back sitting position to enhance comfort.
I have sat and flown the Lightness 4 in different conditions and under different gliders from B, C, and D gliders.
Here’s my personal opinion which mainly depends on my specific body measurements. (As I always mention: Every pilot must try a harness before they buy, just because everyone has a different body shape) .
Let’s break down the sitting position into two parts:
From the lower back to the upper back and shoulder area, I think I was even more comfortable than the Lightness 3, which is probably due to that new thick comfort foam. That part is the most comfortable in a harness light or normal similar to my Impress 4.
The other part from the lower back to your sitting position resembles Lightness 1 or 2 a bit more. In the M size, with my back perfectly comfortable, the sitting position covers 3/4 of my thighs with moderate to good comfort. There are two lower straps from each side, a bit thick, (see pic) that put a slight pressure on the Pelvic area just on the top of the Femur. So perhaps I might need a Large size.
The legs are naturally supported, like sitting on a sofa.
Underneath the sitting position, I found out that you could insert a small seat plate (Type Forza2) and a bit longer one that could reach the ballast pocket (Width 30X30 cm). And that could give, the seatboard lovers, about +50 % more reaction and feel. I was happy in that configuration, but that only concerns my personal feelings...
The ballast pocket under the seat can easily fit a 4 kg water ballast.
On the other hand, the Arrow P M size, and only when using the foam protector (not with the inflatable) has a more direct seat-plate feel and position support from the lower back to your thighs. From my personal view, I would say, If only I had the sitting position of the Arrow P and the back of the Lightness 4 mixed in one harness :-)! But for 90 % of pilots, who are looking for seat-less feel, the overall sitting position of the Lightness 4 will be considered as (very comfortable).
And to be clear on the comfort it delivers, I can confirm that the Lightness 4 hammock style harness is one of the most comfortable to sit in, much like the Lightness 3 in that matter.
Roll comfort:
Having flown the Lightness 4 with different gliders I feel that the roll is slightly more tamed than the Lightness 3 and slightly less tamed than the NK Arrow.
Comparing it with the Woody Valley GTO 2 Light, I would promptly say that the Lightness 4 is much more roll comfortable.
I also felt that the ABS configuration is quite balanced and offers a very nice turning behavior. For example, flying the Lightness 4 and NK Arrow or the NK Arrow P, on the same glider with the same weight, gave me that slightly tighter radius on the Lightness 4 which gave me a high-quality flying time in thermals!
Having said that, tight turning those thermals, I thought what a harness it would be if the seating position gave slightly more authority on the outer thighs for that pressure you long for as if you are sitting in a seat harness, or probably on a slightly harder sitting position like on the Arrow P for example.
But that concerns only me who is addicted to precise weight shift authority which logically can be delivered with a hard seat sitting position.
Cockpit:
The Lightness 4 has the nice feature of opening the cockpit and reaching its contents as the one found on the Arrow. There are some magnets and also a center clip. For that kind of light harness, I found that the space inside it is quite enough though it is half the size of the normal NK Arrow.. There’s a place for your power bank.
The angle is somehow steep, but sometimes it is preferable to prevent at some specific daily hours, the reflection of the sun in the instruments into my eyes.
I just have one remark to make for the cockpit, It needs a center clipping system on the main strap, that will prevent it from swaying down when I push the bottom on my instruments. I need a stable cockpit. But that can be easily fixed if anyone adds some kind of clip.
I saw that ADVANCE updated it with a strap. But a simple carabiner will do ( see pic)
Packing:
The Lightness 4 can be packed quite small even with its foam protector, but surely any light harness with an inflatable protector would logically pack smaller.
The rescue pod is large enough to accept a Rogallo-type rescue system which I have already installed.
I also felt that the Lightness 4 delivers a lighter pressure on the speed system over the Arrow.
Chest strap:
The Lightness 4 chest strap's tighter position is around 45 cm between the carabiners. If you choose, you can release it 3 cm with a better roll. But if you release more, the result would stay the same as it wouldn’t affect the ABS. It can be easily adjusted in the air.
After take off it is easy to enter the pod with the use of a small ball or hook inserted in your shoelace. ( see pic)
Conclusion:
The Lightness 4 delivers good roll comfort for a seat-less harness. The comfortable seating position is very good, and the turning authority could be enhanced depending on your current harness.
This is a written test, but I strongly suggest that you make the effort to try and harness it before buying, and don’t rely only on any tests…They will only cover a shallow layer of the actual product. Harnesses are based on your body structure. I am just writing you one half, you have to cover the other one by a test flight.
Happy and safe landings.
Ziad
Saturday, August 17, 2024
BGD DIVA 2 -S
BGD Diva 2 S
The first certified EN-D glider from BGD has been released with an aspect ratio of 7.
https://www.flybgd.com/en/paragliders/diva-2--paraglider-2021-2188-0.html
Nice color combination for a refreshing look. The DIVA 2 construction and details are excellent. The lines are minimalistic to reduce drag as best as possible.
The DIVA 2 S size I have for the test goes from 75 to 90 all up.
I flew it at from 86 to 88 and could be easily flown at 86 and preferably in strong air at 90 all up.
Launching the Diva 2 for an aspect ratio of 7 needs a steady pull but the DIVA 2 rises well easily like the Zeno 2 for the category.
In the air, the brakes have a longer gap from the pulley about 13 cm to act on the trailing edge. That gap is important to stay that way, to get the DIVA 2 at full speed with a loose trailing edge, with no brakes. At full speed, the DIVA 2 reaches 21-22 km/h over trim and the gap of 13 cm on the pulleys returns to zero.
Handling and comfort:
One day, I flew that glider in some bad air, with inversions, and large turbulence as tandems weren’t that comfortable in the air. Earlier I flew a Zeno 2 MS to feel the air and see the difference. The first turn after a half wrap on the brakes, immediately acts on the trailing edge with a nice turn. It didn’t feel as sharp as the Zeno 2 in turns, but the turns were smoother. I needed 15 to 20 cm to turn the glider in any core in moderate air. It has a moderately long gap, but still a relatively linear and direct travel to steer the glider.
When conditions are nasty with inversions and difficult areology, the Diva 2 works in itself in yaw, but the pilot underneath doesn’t feel much of the yaw movements.
In those bad conditions, there’s a slight pitch back, and then a quick surge through the thermal. The brake authority is quite satisfying in keeping the glider where the pilot wishes.
When conditions are more normal, and homogenous, the Diva 2 pulls you inside the thermals, and the turning is more straightforward.
On the DIVA 2 S, the overall movements are similar to the Zeno 2 MS size, but smoother and less dynamic than a small Zeno 2 (same size as the Diva 2 I’m test flying).
From another pilot perspective, the DIVA 2 S looks like it moves and snakes in turbulence, but those movements are not felt as described.
Saying that it doesn’t mean that it is close to a C glider at the pilot level. Certified in the D category, with its 7 aspect ratio, the DIVA 2 surely needs a D pilot under it.
The pitch stability is high in moderate air, but when hitting strong turbulence it pitches forward like any 2-liner D, but the brakes help a lot by keeping it above the pilot's head. It also delivers a moderate to good authority on the brakes in difficult conditions!
Doing some glides with a Zeno 2 MS size at 96 all up, which is a higher size than the DIVA 2 S 75-90, showed us a really superb glide angle, at trim, at half bar, and at full bar.
We believe that the DIVA 2 S size could have a slight edge on the same size as a Zeno 2 S size if both are equally loaded especially at trim and at half bar. With the Zeno 2 MS at 96, the gap in performance was super small for the Zeno 2 MS. I think, I will get the DIVA 2 M size for an interesting comparison.
Climbing next to a Zeno 2 MS the DIVA 2 S climb rate looks quite similar. In a weak climb, it felt also very efficient.
Pilots asking about the Photon /DIVA 2/Zeno 2.
High aspect ratio gliders like the DIVA 2 /Zeno 2 fly differently than any 2-liner C. When flying in smooth air, or even in moderate air, all those gliders C and D are very close, but this conclusion is false. As soon as you fly in a moving airmass, the ability for those D gliders to get the most out of the lift lines is yet above any 2-liner C.
When you are pushing on the speed bar in a headwind, and especially in tricky air with sudden lift and thermal lift areas, then not one EN-C at the moment has the power to outperform the Zeno 2 or the DIVA 2. They are from a different level.
While on the speed bar, the B steering has a moderate, efficient pressure, as it acts swiftly on the profile.
Ears can be done by the outer A’s (they are stable and reopen with pilot action) as well by the outer B’s.
Energy is very high doing wingovers.
The stall point is a bit far, but the DIVA 2 informs well before going into a stall.
Surprisingly, it can be slowed down quite well in tight places.
Conclusion:
The DIVA 2 is a solid contender for the 2-liner D category. It holds a very high-performance package with a sweet handling in moderate air. It is quite fast, without roll movements near the full speed. It requires a D pilot to extract all those performances. I think the M size would have a little more performance while being calmer, as the logic implies. A special and interesting product to test fly!
Cheers,
Ziad