SKY Argos

SKY Argos !!!!
The new light C glider from SKY arrived .The Argos !
Laying the glider on the ground show a superb finish construction to the last detail…
Thin risers are equipped with ‘FOUR’ lines A,B,C,D !
No plastic rods anywhere !
No shark nose, air scoop…whatsoever…
Normal lines on the lower part !
Unsheathed lines on the higher part ... "finally"

A clean and ‘normal’ paraglider…very difficult to see in those days…
So…what should we expect from such a design…
Flying the Argos ML 85-100 at 96 all up.
Launching : Just a small pull and the glider rises without any hard point .In strong wind a little brake is needed to stop the glider from overshooting.Normal for a C.
In the air : First contact with a rough and turbulent thermal, and the glider has that very little pitch back in entering it.
In smoother conditions the pitch back is not felt.
Argos brakes has a moderate to light feel, and little more pressure than the Atis 4.
The Argos smoothly follow with a moderate to agile behavior.
In narrower cores the Argos needs slightly wider circle than the Atis 4, as the glider keeps surfing the air.
The Argos has a more pronounced roll response than the Atis 4. In strong thermals the pitch stability is very good without any shooting forward.
Sometime it slightly pitches back with a quick return and efficient cutting through.
The Argos feels like it is always surfing the air and the authority on the brakes doesn't quickly slow the glider inside the core, for very tight turning, so in weak conditions the pilot must be keen to prevent it from slipping out of the thermal.
Overall it is a good climber !
Now the part that impressed me the most with the Argos classical construction is the glide angle !
After many glides in difficult head wind conditions, i can confirm that the Argos with its 4 lines, no rods, no shark-nose ...stand surprisingly very close to the best ones in it’s category !
With the Argos, any C pilot would make the same flight as the more complicated or lesser lines full unsheathed new C machines.
The performance is there.
The Argos is not a dampened C glider as it require good skill for a C pilot, nor a very lively one, but exactly in the middle of it’s category in terms of comfort and until that moment among the top three in terms of glide performance.
Ears are stable and re-open by themselves.
The speed system has a moderate to light pressure in the first part and a bit harder on the second part.
Conclusion :
Some things in life makes you wonder…
Once again, the SKY designer has proven by taking a unique path, far from the trend and fashion of today's often followed concepts, that, simple and genius creations can be reached !