Mentor 2 S & Sprint Evo S, & Rush 3 M
Most easy to fly:
1-Sprint EVO
2-Rush 3
3-Mentor 2
Climb rate in weak conditions .NO head wind (<0.2m/s)
1-Sprint EVO
2-Mentor 2 =Rush 3 if equally loaded
Climb rate in weak conditions with 15 km/h head wind and thermals (<0.2m/s)
1-Mentor 2 S (Efficiency showed)
2-Rush 3 M (have to be loaded)
3-Sprint Evo S ....
Climb rate in strong conditions:( With strong valley breeze)
The Rush 3 (loaded) and the Mentor 2 S have a good climb ,but i sensed an efficient forward thermal bite for the Mentor 2 as it can fit itself inside the core better .The Sprint evo will struggle a bit in strong valley breeze.
Climb in strong thermal (No drift) .. I wish all thermals are like that Wink
All are equal in climb with the tendency of the Sprint Evo to stay inside the stronger part of the thermal,and could have the edge in those particular conditions.
Glide in calm air :
1-All very close
Glide in turbulence and head wind (Equally loaded)
This was done after many flights (now I am more convinced)
1- Mentor 2
2- Rush 3 (Should be 90% loaded to achieve good results)
3- Sprint evo
Overall efficiency in racing upwind:
1- Mentor 2 S
2- Rush 3 M
3- Sprint Evo
Glide at second bar in turbulence and head wind:
The Rush 3 and Mentor 2 are equal if there 's a little head wind ,with a stable profile for the Rush 3 at bar. The Mentor 2 seems more efficient when the head wind is blowing.It can cut through with ease.
Conclusion:
I have spent 3 whole days taking off and landing and swapping gliders, to determine what glider is the most suitable for all conditions. It is the best way to find what glider can get through those same conditions better.
The 3 are excellent gliders, The Evo has a very nice handling, the Rush 3 has a soft feeling underneath it. Pilots looking for performance and handling in a mild way will love those two. The Rush 3 M has to be loaded to cut through head wind. The Evo has a big profile that doesn’t penetrate the strong head wind like the 2 others.
The Mentor 2 S still has the most sharp and precise handling, with “usable” performance in all conditions, no matter if you have a head wind, strong thermals, the Mentor 2 S @ 95 will cut through nicely and powerfully. It does have more roll response than the two others, and feels exactly like a high end EN-B glider, but for a good EN-C or D pilot, it is the cherry on the cake. Efficiency at its best in the EN-B cat.
Your blog is excellent, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am in the market for a new glider EN-B, have ~250 flights but not much in last 2 years.
The blog mentions 2 times the result for same conditions "Climb rate in weak conditions with 15 km/h head wind" - did you mean to mention this 2 times?
Trying to read between the lines Rush3 handles like Sprint Evo but is better behaved in thermals with wind condition ?
Please advice
fi
Hi Tinu,
ReplyDeleteThank you.I have rectify it...
The Evo has much better precise and coordinate handling than the Rush 3 with excellent climb rate.
In head wind conditions the Rush 3 cut through better and move forward if you load the M over 102.
Cheers,
Ziad.
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ReplyDeleteHey Zen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. It's been a toss between the Evo and the Mentor. You've saved me a lot work, I'm going for the Nova for sure.
Some beautiful rugged scenery in your vids of Al-Libnaan. I dream of one day returning to Egypt, where I grew up to do some flying. Maybe around the red barren mountains of Suez, my dad's home town. Bit worried about the security though. Last thing I want it to be hauled away as a spy! :)
Drew
Hi Ziad,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to buy a Rush3 S, but by dilema is the weight. My naked pilot weight is about 69-70. So I will load it about 90-92. Is it problem, or not? Does this glide like if it is overloaded?
Or do you know anything about Skywalk Chili 2?
I'm thinking about this. Chili or Rush.
thank you for your help in advance
Peter
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteThe Rush 3 is a good performant and mellow glider.The S size at 90 will suffer from climb rate in weak conditions.The same dilemma has happened to a friend here.He first bought the S size and found it too small ,having to land sooner than usual ... and then he sold it and got an M but he has now to take plenty of ballast and still being far from 100 all up ...As a result ,he is always above the same site ,without the possibility of going XC because he needs a more cutting through glider...You know what i mean !
I have never tested the Chili 2 ,but it seems a good glider from the feedback i keep hearing.Skywalk makes comfortable gliders with good performance.
It is better to have a glider when you will be at the max ± 5 kg below its total weight.
Hope i could be of help,
Happy landings,
Ziad.
Very helpful reviews. I going to be testing these three wings over the next few weeks to decide which one to buy. I am about 107Kgs all up with current wing (Sky Anakis) which puts me at the very top end of the Sprint Evo and Mentor but in the middle of the Rush 3. I still have to see how they fly, but would my weight push you more in favour of the Rush 3.
ReplyDelete