FLOW XC racer 2 S size

Disclaimer:
Please note again… that tests will always differ with other sizes. At first, if flown with seatless harnesses, or must I say a completely different harness. Also if the same sizes are flown at different loads, lighter loads will get the weakest climb but will be penalized in control in heavy air or pushing through a heavy airmass. Bigger sizes have more gliding performance and also better climb in weak conditions.  In my small tests, I always state the size, the total flying weight, and afterward IMHO, the optimum weight I found in that particular glider. 

FLOW XC racer 2  S 75-95 

The latest 2-liner EN-D from FLOW for 2023-24…arrived to replace the old XC Racer 1. 

I have over here the S size which goes from 80-95 and I flew it from 92 to 94, 95 all up. The optimum weight for all conditions seems at the end of its weight range, 94, 95. 

The construction is pretty nice, with all plastic rods from top to bottom. 

The thing with almost all 2 liners, is when having plastic rods all along the glider, the wind will flip the trailing edge at the takeoff. 

Launching the Xc Racer 2 with all its plastic rods and complex structure, is fairly easy for that class. I think it resembles the Zeno 2 in that matter. No hard point, just a steady pull, and the takeover is immediate.

In the air, I was surprised but the high level of brake authority and agility of that EN-D glider. I think the XC Racer 2 is the most agile of all the tested 2 liners so far.

The brake travel is short with only 10…15 cm to steer the glider in all conditions! and the brake pressure is moderate and with a nice linear feel, it turns really quickly in thermals for a 7 AR glider and I felt that it is more agile even than some new C 2 liners!   A real pleasure to fly it and I am very satisfied by this excellent feel and turning abilities!  

Even if conditions were rough, the authority on the brakes let you re-direct the glider inside a turbulent core! A real pleasure underneath that glider! 

I flew next to my friend on a Zeno 2 MS @ 96 all up, and also with another friend on his Boom 12 size M that needs slightly a re-trim because it seems slightly slow at trim.  We flew together for about 4 hours in difficult air and sometimes turbulent cores.  After a while, I can say that the internal and whole structure of the XC Racer 2 felt very solid, and in those ugly conditions, it retained its homogeneity.  The level of overall comfort is slightly better than the Zeno 2, just because the brakes give the active and keen pilot a much better authority to re-adjust it swiftly over his head and for me, this is a feature that gives the good pilot a higher safety feel.  

 Climbing next to those excellent gliders, the Boom 12 in M size of course had a clear climbing easiness, then came the Zeno 2 which bites more aggressively the rising airmass, especially on windy days.  

The XC Racer 2 has a neutral pitch before hitting a climb, then when inside it, it surges promptly through it, as it shows you where the strongest core is. 

It is slower to enter but still climbs quite well due to the handling capabilities that enable it to place accurately inside a very small core.   

At the end of the day, the climb in very weak thermals that are less than 1 m/s, is moderate for that size flown at 95 all up.  

Gliding with a speed bar smoothens the glider reactions a bit, and the B controls with a moderate pressure and efficient feel, can control the overall movements while keeping your foot locked on the bar. 

The overall movements in nasty air make the XC Racer 2 move a lot from other pilots' perspectives flying next to it. They said that the tips move a lot in those rowdy air, while the Zeno 2 move more as a whole block. But underneath the XC Racer 2, I felt it was quite comfortable to fly.   Flying in those tough conditions, and passing by some Lee side turbulent areas, the B12 suffered from a large asymmetric that my friend handled very well. The XC racer 2 just a few meters away made excessive span movements without any collapse and sensed an overall solid structure under the XC racer 2.

We made lots of glides altogether, and I think at trim, half bar, and full bar, both the XC Racer 2 and the Zeno 2 are very close, even at full speed! I think the XC Racer 2 has a very high top speed which tops near 63 km/h and still with a very competitive glide angle and still a solid leading edge. 

Ears with A’s are stable, they reopen with pilot intervention, ears with outer B’s are efficient, and reopen quickly. A lot of energy is present while doing wingovers! like an acro glider with steroids!  

The stall point is far and feelable. The XC Racer 2 can be slowed quite well even loaded.

Conclusion:

A real piece of a machine with lots of pleasurable handling! The overall performance is on top of that category. 

The XC Racer 2 is such a beauty and awaits your invitation to take her on long XCs and competitions. 

BGD Lynx 2 M

BGD Lynx 2 M

The new light EN-C glider from BGD is now released to replace the first Lynx which had a 6.75 aspect ratio.  Now BGD reduced that aspect ratio to 6.2 on their new Lynx 2 with a moderately light construction for durability, and the M size weights around 4 kg with a 2.5 line configuration setup.

BGD  stated that a pure 2-line configuration set up needs more supporting rods in the sail, leading to a larger pack volume as the LYNX 2 is easy to pack down and super small for hiking and racing.

The Lynx 2 is made from a mix of the excellent Porcher Skytex, Classic II 27g/m², and 32g/m².  I’ll let you see all the multiple glider details following that link:  https://www.flybgd.com/en/paragliders/lynx-2--paraglider-2021-1953-0.html

Launching: I flew the Lynx 2 from 91 to 95. It flies very well at 90, but if you need more cutting through and faster glider response related to the surrounding airmass, then 94 could be great! 

In nil wind, the light glider rises smoothly and evenly without any hard point whatsoever. In the stronger breeze, it’s is a delight to launch it, as it felt very easy in that matter.  

Once airborne, brake travel offers a high authority for the pilot. It means that I could core the smallest thermal easily. The brake pressure is on the moderate side and resembles in length, and pressure the BGD Tala but with more agility and authority!  If you compare it to the Cure 2 M, The brake travel is close but the Lynx 2 M is more prompt to get a 360 in thermals.  

Comparing it to an Alpina 4 MS, the brakes have similar overall pressure feel, but higher agility on the Lynx 2. 

In weak thermals, flat turns could be made and the Lynx has a very efficient climb. I flew with the Skywalk Mint in multiple conditions and saw that the Lynx 2 was always near in weak and stronger thermals. Of course, my C comparison is updated for the tiny and sometimes ‘useless’ details for many…But at least that’s my personal opinion written on that chart. 

Gliding next to the latest 2-liners C class gliders, we were really surprised by the very good glide of the 2.5-line Lynx 2! You will not miss anything on performance with that setup flying next to an AD VOLT 4, a SOL LT2, and even next to the Mint! If there’s a difference, it is negligible and a good-faired harness will make up for it on long runs.

 

In turbulent conditions, the Lynx 2 has a moderate roll movement but I felt that it stays always above your head, as if it is saying: ‘I’ve got you covered’  That’s the feeling I got under it. A high passive safety feels for the C class. It moves on narrow angles and it isn’t a very dampened or boring glider to fly. You feel every thermal, but at the same time, it gives you that high safety impression by staying above your head all the time without high excessive movements.

The C riser controls the angle of attack while on the bar quite well, for gliders in the 2.5-line setup. Much like the TrangoX. Stepping on the speed bar has a moderate pressure, and gave me around 16 km/h over trim. 

Playing around doing wingovers is fun on the Lynx 2. Ears are stable, they reopen quickly. 

Conclusion:

With its 6.2 aspect ratio, the Lynx 2 is a light, agile, easy to launch, small to pack, pleasurable to fly glider with plenty of performance. IMHO, for that specific wide group of pilots wanting a balanced glider for all-terrain use, it is definitely a good companion for a hike and fly or XC.    

SKYWALK Mint 75-95

SKYWALK Mint 75-95 

The Mint is Skywalk’s new 2-liner C-class glider with an aspect ratio of 6.4. The Mint looks very simple with nice and sturdy risers. There are no complications in the setup, just simple and clear. Skywalk uses the Dominico TX light which has a unique feel, is slippery on the touch, and less noisy when packed.

The Mint launches even in nil wind with easy rise. After 75,  it accelerates a bit as the leading edge takes charge, and the pilot must hold it with the brakes and initiate the takeoff. 

The brakes have a 10 cm gap, before there’s an action on the trailing edge, which is the normal gap for paragliders to be able to reach the top speed without braking, then only 5 cm are needed to steer that glider in moderate conditions! But the brake pressure is a bit hard comparing it to the Photon, Artik-R, and Volt. The authority on the brakes is imminent!  The turn is quickly induced by the brakes. I would say there’s no linear feel, but a direct one for sure. The pressure after the first neutral 10 cm becomes a bit hard or firm for some pilots who require that feel of solidity on the brakes. The feel is steady for the first 5 cm. The feel is direct rather than linear, but the brake authority is quite high.

Flying the Mint, I could put it in very narrow cores with imminent brake input, and there’s no way you could miss a thermal with that brake authority and glider obedience. The good thing is that there’s no pitch back at all, and also not any pitch forward. I think for moderate conditions, the Mint has a very neutral pitch behavior, but it felt quite efficient going into the valley breeze or into wind conditions. It felt that it goes forward quite nicely.  In difficult conditions when you need to get through the airmass, I think there’s a nice efficiency for the Mint to get through without bumping into it. But I think if flown at 95 all up at its max weight range, you will feel its good slipping through when you are low facing a valley breeze. You can fly it at 90 all up, but it wouldn’t be as efficient to slip through the heavy airmass as loaded at the top in those specific conditions. At max load, the mint still does climb very well even in weak. 

The first speed bar enhances even that glide into the wind, as it felt more solid, and also has better float ability. The controls on the B’s are really efficient and nice, much like the ones on the Artik-R.  The pressure is moderate, and it felt while on the bar, in turbulence when pulling on the B risers, the glider supports it well still very homogenous, and without too much loss of internal pressure. Overall a nice complete setup.

In turbulence, I think the Mint is very close to the Bonanza 3 overall comfort. +5 % more than B3. The Artik-R moves a bit more in turbulence and needs around 10 % more pilot control than the Mint. I think I gave you a good idea about its accessibility, but for sure, my (regularly updated) C comparison will give you a wider idea for pilots looking



for tiny details.  

It doesn’t have a pronounced roll feel but a moderate one.  

Climbing in weak thermals, showed me a very nice efficiency for the Mint even at 94 all up, and could be very close to the best climbing ones in the C category. The turning radius could be very tight, and to prevent the dive it is best to control the turn with the outside brake and keep the inside one locked. 

In climbing mode, it is difficult to miss a thermal. if the pilot learns well to keep it from diving into turns, by applying a balance of less brake pressure and weight shift, as much as possible to get quick but flat turns.  

Doing some glides next to a Volt 4, Artik-R, and Photon, at trim and at top speed, showed me that the overall gliding performance is very good for that category, and will update my C comparison for smaller details if needed…

The top speed of the mint is also similar to the Volt 4 top speed which is really good, and fast and still with a solid leading edge. 

Conclusion:

If you are a Cayenne 4 pilot, you will feel much better sail cohesion and much shorter brake travel under the Mint. If you are a Cayenne 5 pilot, you will get a more comfortable glider with very good agility in turns. If you have a Cayenne 6…Hurry and get the Mint, as it is a completely different glider in all aspects! It turns sharper, quicker, better overall gliding performance, and better climb in weak and strong. 

Compared to the already flown 2-liner C gliders, I found that it has a strong package for C pilots flying in strong conditions where you need a fast, agile, but comfortable glider to fly XC without getting tired under turbulence. 

2-liner Mix video (episode two)

This is the second 2 liner Mix video. It is a long video, from many days of flying, with multiple EN-C 2-liner gliders. Mainly it's a video for fun with some little footage to see them in the air and won't show much of their efficiency. when the conditions throw at you some kind of punishment for all those new 2 liners, with wind-tricky thermals, and heavy air, the most 'efficient' one will show its potential. And from my personal view, this is the most important feature to look for in a glider if you want o compete. You can see it in my 2 liner C comparison table. (Regulary updated) Happy flights.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/ziad.bassil/viz/2LinerCgliderscomparison/Dashboard1

Little Cloud Urubu King size M, 75-95

Little Cloud introduction sentence:  (It all started in 2008… with Tom’s vision of being able to enjoy flying as much as possible, all year long, and with maximum pleasure, LittleCloud was born).

If you look in the Little Cloud range, you will see four mini wings and five regular gliders including a tandem! 

The Urubu King   I am test flying is targeted for the C class pilots and it is not bonded by a certification label that sometimes restricts the feel and homogeneity and especially the soul of a glider.  It means that Tom Bourdeau (Owner/designer) tuned it to satisfy his personal philosophy while delivering a safe Little Cloud product for the C-class pilots. 

The Urubu King is a 6.45 Aspect ratio 3 liner with unsheathed lines all over. Dominico  10 D is used on the glider's top and bottom. It is a light glider that can be packed very small.  The size when packed is ‘around’ half the size of an Alpina 4 for example. 

I let you see all the details of the glider here: https://www.littlecloud.fr/en/urubu-king-en/ 

The take-off in nil wind is super easy, as the glider inflates well. I tried to fly also in winds over 30km’h, and to my surprise, the inflation is quite easy while moving toward the glider to smoothen the rise. (Tom’s suggestion in winds over 35 km) 

Actually, it flies very well in windy conditions and moves forward without the feeling of being pinned by the wind! This feature on the Little Cloud Urubu King is quite impressive. 

I was able to fly in some really strong guts of wind! while pushing forward. 

I flew the size M 75-95  at 88 all up and later at 92 all up. Even at 88 all up, the glider felt quite fast and homogenous in the air. 

First turn and ….I think this is the fastest glider to get in quickly in a flat corkscrew turn! This is quite an agile and playful glider!  The brake pressure is moderate to slightly hard after 20 cm.  The linear feel and progressive agility are really good! The roll movements are present on the Urubu King, as a good pilot for that category will feel the air movements. Some C pilots commented that flying an Alpina or an Eden 5 is really smooth and filtered, and they wanted a glider with more character. So The Urubu is guaranteed to satisfy their needs.

The pitch movements are very moderate and balanced for an agile glider. There’s no bumping through the airmass, but a good surfing capability.

In weak thermals, the Urubu loaded at mid-weight, will float nicely and will catch even the tiniest thermal. The agility while having flat turns is very good even in weak thermals.    

I did some glides with some very good 3-liner C’s and the glide is very close. While the trim speed of the Urubu is slightly faster, I felt that the Urubu excelled when conditions are raw. It means that the efficiency of surfing a turbulent airmass is good. 

In strong thermals, the Urubu needs good pilot control for the C class but will deliver nicely homogenous turns and great climbing capabilities.   

Pushing on the speed bar gives you around 12 km/h over the already fast trim speed.  

Ears are stable and very efficient. 

Conclusion:

This was a nice experience for me under the Urubu King! It has a different feel compared to other C-class gliders but in a good way! 

The speed while efficiently surfing the air, the pleasure of every turn, the movements of the airmass around you.  

I will describe that glider as driving a genuine priceless muscle car…Type (Eleanor) from Gone in the 60-second movie :-) 

If you are that hard-line, uncompromising pilot looking for a light, highly pleasurable feel, very performance glider, then you ‘MUST’ try the Urubu King! 

UP Summit X S/M 75-100

UP Summit X   size S/M  75-100

The Summit X is the new high EN-B from UP.   A mix of Skytex and Dominico is used on this glider, with edelrid lines. 

The overall construction looks excellent.  

The shape of the nose is similar to its bigger sister the Trango-X as are the openings, risers, etc. It looks exactly like the Trango-X but with a lower aspect ratio.

Launching the Summit -X even in nil wind is easy, without any hard points.  In windy take-offs, The Summit X behaves quite calmly, no surging forward, and without any issues for the high B pilot.  Overall smooth to inflate.

I flew the Summit X with different loadings, to find that at 94..95 is optimum for that size. It flies well also at 92. No need to fly it near the max. The same goes for the Trango-X. 

Both are best flown 5-6 kg less than the top weight for overall performance and feel. 

At 94 all up, I felt that the Summit X was well loaded with a very high compact and homogenous feel! Despite the Aspect ratio of 5.87, the Summit X felt comfortable to fly!

 In the air the overall movements are moderate and quite nice under that Summit X. It felt just slightly more comfortable than the Maestro 2 in turbulence and needed slightly more pilot control than a Swift 6 for example. 

The brake pressure is moderate on the first 10-15 cm after the 10 cm gap, and I could steer the glider immediately in any thermal with a very nice linear feel, and excellent agility! 

The feedback comes from both risers and brakes in a dream blend! I think UP found the perfect handling recipe. The Summit X shares the very nice brake authority of its bigger sister the Trango-X. 

When encountering thermals, the Summit X gently pulls you inside a thermal! What a precious feel especially under a high B glider.  Flying through a moving airmass is a delight as the Summit X feels like wanting to catch the surrounding lifts!  The brakes give you a high authority of control with a glider that responds well to every pulled centimeter. A real delight to fly! 

I flew the Summit X next a totally brand new and loaded Swift 6 in thermals, transitions, and glide at speed, and for sure will update my B comparison for the needed details. Climbing in very weak air next to the reference  Swift 6 in that matter showed us that the Summit X will stay very competitive all the time. When thermals are slightly more powerful, the Summit X climbs impressively well matching the best ones in that category.  This climbing efficiency coupled with that beautiful behaving character of sliding through thermals enables the Summit X to be very competitive. 

Later we did lots of glides at trim and top speed.  The Summit X hands up, at 94 all up, has around 2 km faster trim speed than the loaded Swift 6!  The top speed is also 2 km/h over the Swift 6.   

I’m convinced that the glide at trim and at full speed resembles the new 3-liner C-class gliders!  It has indeed a very efficient glide at trim and at max speed. 

The C riser bar controls well the angle of the glider while on the bar with moderate pressure. 

Ears are stable, efficient, and a good way to lose altitude.  They reopen quickly. 

Conclusion:

UP was cooking a secret recipe underground without no one noticing their intentions!  :-) 

Their new creations have been released! The Trango X and now the Summit X. Both are born with the same genes, and targeted for the intended group of pilots.

I think, the overall feel and educational feedback for a high B,  are such a delight under Summit X. 

This overall package of performance, the pleasure of handling, climbing, and glide is impressive! 

So, in my personal view, I think Summit X joins the elite club of super high B’s!  

A must to test fly if you are looking into that class, and best flown at their optimum weight range. 

Update

2 liners C comparison updated.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/ziad.bassil/viz/2LinerCgliderscomparison/Dashboard1

It will be updated constantly over this year flying in summer conditions.

..

OZONE Photon MS

OZONE Photon MS 93…94 all up. Finally, the Photon MS size arrived, and quickly airborne at 93 all up. When I flew the ML size at 102 I felt it was big and slow in the turning ability for my taste being used to smaller gliders, that logically should feel more dynamic. Now I fly the Photon in my size. The MS size has a moderate launching behavior, not quick and fast to rise and fill like the light Mantra 7, but still ok for the category of pilots they are using it. The rise is steady, average to fill, and a bit similar to the Alpina 4 which is quite ok IMHO. In the air the overall movements under the Photon MS are surely more pronounced than its bigger sister, but not that big difference. It is just the dynamics of smaller gliders versus the bigger ones which is logical. In 2 hours in some moderate turbulent air, the overall movements are quite acceptable for the C category. For sure it moves but the overall movements in some daily average turbulence, don’t go too far, even if lightly braked. I could feel that sometimes it moves but also it stabilizes by itself…Felt like I’m on an auto-pilot sometimes… That’s why when I flew the bigger ML-size glider the movements were slower and I really felt on auto-pilot, just because I had more time to react on the brakes. But the main issue is the brake authority that I need to discuss a bit. I think this is the ‘primary issue’ to understanding the Photon's abilities. I never experienced such a different handling feel among other gliders before. When it is turbulent and the glider goes from one side to another, it is logical to counter steer with weight shift and brakes. On the Photon, while the brakes are activated after the first 10 cm gap, as the trailing edge has a kind of pressure, the Photon brake authority doesn’t give you a perception of feel, so lowering to get that usual feel. In the glider movement process the brake authority doesn't correct the smaller surges, that's why the glider moves a bit more, and longer inputs are needed. In fact in moderate air, while coring a thermal, I only needed 10 cm after the first 10 cm to get a nice turn. It is only in surges and dynamic movements that the brake reactions won’t give the pilot that ‘desired ‘brake authority to control those roll and pitch movements. Also when you need to make quick sharp turns, the Photon brake authority needs time to allow such a dynamic turn. It is obvious that it is trimmed to make only flat turns at an average speed... My personal weak point is the handling, and honestly, I would have hoped for a better feel... as I surely know that OZONE created lots of wonderful gliders, that I cherished, like my favorite LM7 and the latest 7 aspect ratio Zeno 2 very direct and sharp brake travel! Hello !!! ?? The brake geometry on the Photon acts first on the middle part then very slightly goes to the tips. In the old times, there was a glider that had the same brake geometry (B4), and later Flight Design retrimmed it and we changed only the brake geometry, with probably another certification…But the same glider handling was more than 50% enhanced! I ‘really wish’ that Ozone could make a small upgrade. But probably there are more complicated things in designing that I don’t know… If possible what a complete very strong package you will have !!! Saying that, the performance into wind and climbing abilities are really on top of that category. While low on a strong valley breeze, the Photon showed me some really efficient searching forward for thermals. This efficiency is rarely seen even on some higher-rated gliders. But the Photon search and digging through that difficult airmass, of course, is slower than the Zeno2, but still goes forward! No bumping through that heavy airmass! Eventually getting the lift !! While on bar, the B steering is an efficient and easy-to-use tool every time! the glide at speed is what the C 2-liner pilot is longing for! Ears are stable and efficient on the outer B's. They reopen fast without any intervention. Test of the PHOTON ML further down the blog posts.  U P D A T E On the Photon MS Hi, As you all noticed in my Photon test, there was something a bit odd about the brake feel, and lots of pilots commented about it. For me, it seemed a bit strange that Ozone delivered that kind of handling. So I was writing to Luc (Ozone designer) about it, and we measured all the lines of my new Photon MS. One small issue was found on the BR3 line. This is the first outer line that you pull to induce ears. Luc recommended that I released that loop on the BR3 to get a better connection for the brakes and to get more control on the tips. I tried it today, and I needed to report it asap! The Photon brake connection was enhanced by 30 % and the control is really nicer! At trim, the roll is slightly more present, but really guys, this is definitely a smooth glider. Once you push the speed bar, the roll calms down even in turbulence! I always use a wrap on all gliders in order to keep my hands high, as the wrist muscles are less powerful than the forearm or the shoulders muscles but much more accurate in thermals! The Photon had a longer travel, now it seems slightly shorter but with a slightly more wrist feel! I wish that they could also improve it even more! In turbulence, the tips are still very well pressurized. The top speed is 18 km/h over trim with a solid leading edge. Nothing changed! but the little more brake connectivity and turning ability. Cheers, Ziad

NIVIUK PEAK 6 22

NIVIUK PEAK 6 22 

Having flown practically all Peaks! 1-2-3-4-5, and Icepeak 6, here’s the 6th version with 7 aspect ratio.

The leading edge holds a moderate shark nose, and as usual, the construction, to the smallest details is excellent on this Peak 6.

I flew the Peak 6 at 94 and 97. I think around 95..96 is an optimum weight in all conditions for glider reactions through the airmass. If you want a more faster glider through the air, 98…99 could be great. 

Launching the Peak 6 is very straightforward, without any delay. The rise is homogenous, and moderate without any hard points. No shooting forward with little brake control, and even with windy take off the pilot has the authority of control. Overall very easy launch for that 7 aspect ratio 2 liner D. 

In the air, the biggest difference between the Peak 5 and the Peak 6 is the shorter, more responsive brake travel even in turbulent air. The Peak 6 has a moderate to slightly hard brake pressure than the Peak 5 and the Artik-R. The authority on the brakes in turbulent conditions is very good under the Peak6 giving the pilot complete control.  Smooth turns can be made with good agility for that class. It could be as quick to turn as the Artik-R if you open the chest strap to 50 cm on the Arrow harness. This authority of the brakes gives the pilot swift control for any movements under the Peak 6. 

Immediately after taking off, I could feel the high comfort under the Peak 6! This glider has perhaps the double comfort found on the Peak 5!  And more comfortable to fly than the Zeno1-2, Magus XC, Peak 3, Peak5, and Icepeak 6. I think the Peak 6 has the DNA of the Peak 4 and matches its comfort with an even more solid, homogenous structure. When flying it in strong air I felt that this whole structure didn’t lose its homogeneity and was kept as a block above my head. Even if the Artik-R stretches a bit and wobbles in heavy air, the Peak 6 felt more coherent! Of course, the pilot level is another step from the Artik-R but just to precise that solid feel.

The roll movements are also much more dampened than the Peak 5, Zeno2, and resembles surprisingly the Peak 4 ones. I found out that flying it with the Arrow enhanced the turning ability, and the roll is very controllable. 

The Peak 6 pitch behavior is also neutral. It doesn’t shoot forward in moderate thermals. Just perhaps it slows and sometimes bumps a bit before entry, but still enters slowly the climb and moves upward. I found that the best way to dig through is at first to load it at the top (98) and to trust it, by releasing the brakes as much as it would be possible.  That will help a faster entry. I also noticed that flying it at the very top end 98 will help reduce the bump feel. Overall, the Peak 6 is a really comfortable glider to fly for a 7 aspect ratio 2 liner in the D class. 

Loading it at 98 will get this structure to be even more indestructible, and it could be a nice tool for achieving local competitions or getting the most in your strong XC days. 

In weak conditions, even at 96 all up, I felt that the Peak 6 climb well, and I could squeeze it in a very narrow small core. Opening the chest strap at 50 cm on the Arrow harness helped a lot by making it very agile in turns. 

The glide at trim and accelerated is excellent, for the category, with a very taught leading edge even at full bar.  I could get 18-19 km/h over trim.  The B controls are quite a big step in usability over the Peak 5! I could control the glider with a moderate pull, while on bar. The pressure on the B steering is moderate and very usable. Forget about the Peak 5 controls and feel…The Peak 6 is a completely changed glider. 

I flew next to a Zeno 2 the same size and loaded in windy and strong turbulent air.  While the racing genes of the Zeno 2 felt more dynamic and surged through the air more aggressively going forward, especially on windy days,  the Peak 6 while having a very close glide, and climb, is aimed more toward a calmer efficient cross-country use. It surfs the air calmly and moves forward with slower reactions. 

In normal conditions, without too much wind, the Peak 6 feels and handles like a slightly lower-rated glider, but with D-class performance.  For pilots aiming for 100 % cross-country use, the Peak 6 will deliver with less energy management. 

Stepping on the bar on long, lift lines while B steering felt easy and controllable with a very good glide angle. The pressure on the B controls are moderate with swift input. Ears with outer A’s are stable and reopen with pilot assistance. Ears with Outer B’s are also doable, easy, stable, and reopen quickly. Getting wing over on the Peak 6 lets you feel that energy! After two turns they became really high. The exit is easy as the 360 ones. The Peak 6 felt very homogenous.

Conclusion: 

 After test flying the Peak 6, I think NIVIUK wanted to revive the Peak 4 success by creating a comfortable, easy, confidence-inspiring, EN-D 2 liner. I think pilots upgrading from the Artik 6 with 2 full seasons in strong air, could be a logical move toward an easy, but much more performant EN-D glider.