UP waited two years to release their first EN-C 2 liner above the excellent Trango X. Here is the Torre.
A two-line concept intended for experienced C-class pilots. https://www.up-paragliders.com/paragliders/torre
When new and out of the box, the Torre plastic rods look like snakes in the glider. After 3-4 flying hours, all the rods sit in perfectly, and all those deformations disappear for a clean-looking glider, and even the overall feel of the glider changes to a nicer final-version feel! So you need to fly it for 3 hours, a little wingover, and some mild 360s to get the glider into perfect trim.
Pulling on the A risers, even in nil wind, the Torre rises evenly while keeping the pressure on the As. There’s no hanging back; it needs just a steady pull to reach overhead. In a little breeze, it's very straightforward. In a stronger breeze, I found it very easy to handle the C-class launch.
I flew the Torre, SM (75-95) from 90 to 94 all up.
In the air, the brake travel is very short. After those 3-4 hours, there was only a 3-cm gap between the pulleys. So the first centimeters get pressure on the trailing edge at 94 all up. At 90, it is also similar.
On the next flight, I lengthened my brakes by 3 cm, and now they were perfect. All the gliders have settled in, and now I can start my test.
The brake pressure is described as ‘moderate to firm’ for 12-15 cm of travel. And that’s all you need to control the glider in overall conditions. I can describe the handling as precise and direct, with great authority for the pilot.
You can steer the glider swiftly in 5-10-12 cm! The first Meru had hard brake pressure. The Torre is a bit less, but still firm. The Skywalk Mint has a harder brake pressure. The Torre has lower pressure than the Mint. I could only sense that stiff feeling after 30 minutes of flying in nasty, turbulent air, where I needed to be constantly active on my brakes. Not complaining at all about it, because that firm feel is actually a blessing after flying a Photon, for example.
Under the Torre, every cm is related to a glider repositioning, and higher control ‘even’ in turbulent air, whereas under the Photon MS, the brakes were longer and sometimes lost their authority of control for a brief moment in time. Talking about the Volt 5 handling versus the Torre, I can say that the brake connectivity and linear feel for the pilot are higher and firmer on the Torre with less travel. Another comparison with the GTO 3's handling, which is really nice: I can say that under the Torre, even in nasty air, the pilot has higher control with the Torre's current brake system.
Overall, the pilot has a high degree of control under the Torre with good agility. When the conditions are strong but smooth, the pilot is the master of the sky in turns. When those strong conditions become turbulent, agility becomes moderate with a high connectivity for the pilot. A bit similar to the Cure 3's turning behavior, with perhaps slightly less brake pressure.
Level of pilot:
When flying in moderate air, the Torre doesn’t need a special approach for the C category. In strong and turbulent air, the Torre stays solid, but shows you that the pilot's level of the pilot is above the Trango X, as UP stated. For a 2-liner C its a relatively easy 2-liner, easier to fly than the Photon and GTO 3. Requires slightly more pilot control than a Cure 3.
It doesn’t resemble the VOLT 5, Cure 3, Sage, Zoom X2C, or Verve.
I flew the Torre in strong air, and it felt very solid, with a homogeneous structure and a taut feel. Actually, I felt more in control due to the brake authority and feel.
Flying feel:
Under the Torre, the pilot feels like having a ‘drilling tool’ for the moving airmass lift areas. The Torre just pulls forward gently and climbs, and that feature shows clearly the intention and the potential of that glider. It indeed plays in the Photon/GTO 3 playground; by the way, it converts the glide into positive lift. That’s definitely above the Trango X's capabilities when surfing the airmass.
I think even when I flew it at 92, which could be the optimum weight for climb and glide, the digging feel and forward motion were always available in lifty glides.
The Torre feels like a one-piece machine. Very homogenous and taut, without any snaking around, or funny moves. The structure is very solid. This solidity comes with a comfortable feel of movement in pitch and roll.
Speed and speed travel:
When pushing fully on the speed bar, the B risers get a bit softer, and perhaps a little more roll through the glider in turbulent air. After a while, I got used to it and stayed balanced in my harness. The Torre stays well-pressurized even at 100% travel speed, with a very rewarding glide. The B steering is efficient, but you don’t really need much, as the Torre at full bar felt rock solid!
The speed over trim is around 14 km/h, taken at 1900 ASL.
Performance and climb:
Because the Torre has a slightly fast trim speed and it is not very easy to get a low stall speed, I found that it is best to stay near 80% of the weight range (~91-92) to benefit from very weak thermals. The climb is there and very rewarding at 91 all up.
The gliding performance in a moving airmass is very good. I still need to make some long racing lines with a Photon to get the C comparison updated, but it seems that there’s high potential in that glider. More to come in that area soon.
Difference with the Trango-X:
The Trango X has smoother, swifter handling, and the Torre has a more solid connection while still maintaining good agility. The Trango X is more agile, but the Torre is more efficient. In the same airmass, the Trango X would bump into a wall in some areas, whereas the Torre would cut through and move higher.
If you want cool handling and a fun feel, stay with the Trango X. If you want a tough, solid, racing tool, get the Torre.
It is when conditions get more challenging, with a heavy airmass to get through… the Torre will prevail easily over the Trango X, even without touching the speed bar. When pulling the speed bar, you get more advantage.
Ears are doable with ourer A’s and outer B’s. They are efficient enough to get down.
Conclusion:
UP has created a racing tool for the mid-level category C pilots. It is not as hot as some 2-liners, but it still delivers a nice feel and good overall performance, with very good thermal handling.
The higher point is the strong connection with the pilot through the brakes. Finally, after a few hours, the Torre will inspire confidence to use its full potential.
