SKYWALK Cayenne 5 XS

SKYWALK Cayenne 5 XS (80-95)

The Cayenne 5 with an aspect ratio of 6.4 is the new replacement of the Cayenne 4 that SKYWALK decided to inserted into the C category.

Having flown the past SKYWALK range of gliders including the Cayenne 4, i will describe in the following their differences.

Launching the Cayenne 5 XS at 91 all up is straightforward and a control on the brakes is needed in strong winds to keep the glider overhead.

Feel and maneuverability :
In the air the Cayenne 5 feels much more coherent and solid in structure than the C4 and the pilot authority on the brakes is very well improved over the C4 giving the pilot a short ,precise steering ability to give an agile feel even in choppy conditions.
Flying the Cayenne 5 in thermals is a delight as the wing carves the air with every pulled centimeter on the brake travel giving the impression that the Cayenne 5 feels like an extension of the pilot hand movements and weight shift.

Comfort:
In strong cores and turbulence the Cayenne 5 is a step over the C4 in terms of piloting, but the brake responsiveness of the C5 will let the same good pilot control it much better.

To place exactly the Cayenne 5 for it’s future pilots in the C box which is actually stretched a bit, with high aspect ratio wings, I will consider giving the highest score to the most demanding ones i felt in this C box :
I’ll give the Trango XC 3 = 95 %, the Triton 2 S = 85 %, The Delta 2, Alpina 2 = 60%, and the Sigma 9 = 45 %. Here I’ll give the Cayenne 5 XS at 91 all up = 70 % .

The Cayenne 5 moves as a whole and feels very solid.It’s only in strong dynamic cores that the pilot underneath will have to be active and keen. But it’s slightly more tamed than a Triton 2 S or much more than a Trango XC 3 SM with same loading .

Performance:
After some long glides and especially head wind glides at trim and at full bar, i can confirm that the overall performance and efficiency of the Cayenne 5 XS i am testing is clearly close to the top contenders.

The Cayenne 5 XS shows it’s efficiency when cutting through the air-mass and moving forward, and it’s very efficient in racing, lift lines on ridges.

Small example of trim speed and glide :
Flying the cayenne 5 XS (80-95) at 91 all up next to an Alpina 2 SM (80-95) at 95 all up, showed a slightly faster trim speed (0.5 km/h) for the C5 still ! and a slightly better glide angle at trim !

Applying half bar reduces the turbulence and the C 5 cuts through without the feel of loosing height with a moderate pressure in the speed system. The top speed at full bar is 54 km/h at 91 all up and 900 ASL and the glide angle at top speed is still competitive for the C category.

The Cayenne 5 can be also described as an efficient climber, in weak and especially in difficult conditions where the pilot need to cut through those little difficult cores, the cayenne 5 will help by it’s ability to surge and search upward efficiently.

Small ears are stable even with bar. Bigger ears are slightly unstable even with bar. The tips are very well pressurized and tends to open energetically.

Conclusion:
For an experienced pilot wanting to choose a C glider, I found that the Cayenne 5 has a very interesting ratio of performance/ comfort /efficiency/ and pleasurable handling. The Cayenne 5 is a well balanced C glider with excellent performance and great usability, intended for the experienced pilot looking inside the C category. 

Cheers,
Ziad