GIN Atlas S

GIN Atlas S

On the 23^rd I was on our flying site ‘Mezyara’ flying a Mentor 3 with superb XC conditions…

Our driver and friend came directly from the airport to the take off and I knew that I have to turn back to the take off after some nice XC flying because the Atlas S is waiting!

I landed switched glider and harness to be at 91 all up at the Atlas S and here I am airborne.

Launching is a piece of cake, and immediately generous conditions and first thermal made my smile wide enough to reach my ears ! 

I have test flew 2 years ago the Sprint Evo,and the Atlas was something very different in a much more positive way…

I am a ‘handling’ freak! and turning this jewel is an experience of a life time!

It has been ages since I found that crispy, direct ,linear handling on a B glider!

I think the two recent tested gliders were a blessing, a EN-C just before and now the Atlas S for its ‘unlimited pleasure feel’ overwhelmed me.

I was flying next to my friend on the Chili 3 S at 98 all up, and we did some long XC flights next to each other, and that was a much more realistic test.

I have to write more about handling…The Atlas can make turns inside any new B glider I have already tested! It can turn on itself J Really impressive!

In the air the feeling under the Atlas is joyful. It does give its pilot the exact amount of feedback without too many parasitic movements. It has some pitch and roll movements but still in a very small angles letting the pilot feels that he is on a very precise glider without being pushed around. A inspire confidence feeling .I can describe it as very well balanced, and surely it rests in the middle of the B category.

The Atlas has the tendency to slide into the thermals without being pushed away. It feels like pulling you ‘gently’ inside those cores with a positive vario.

The climb rate versus the best in the B category puts the Atlas really close in efficiency and I could confirm its excellent climb!

Gliding next to a ‘Top’ B glider in Xc conditions, with head wind, and down wind, the Atlas is never left behind as if they are stuck! At first bar the Atlas glide is also in par with the best. My friend and I were inseparable the whole flight.

The accelerator is soft and smooth, and can be pushed all along. The rear risers offer an efficient control in turbulent conditions and by pulling them gently the pilot can keep the Atlas on track.

Big ears are stable and effective. With the bar, a

-      4m/s can be achieved.

Conclusion:

After the appearance of the impressive Boomerang 9, I was curious to see if that will affect the lower rated gliders.

There is surely a leap in technology somewhere and the Atlas has surely inherited it!

The pleasure and performance ratio is very high!

With its high-end performance, its sublime climb rate, its dream handling and its easiness of flight, the Atlas S sits on the middle of the B category, a complete B glider that will mark its path and will be often talked about!

https://plus.google.com/photos/110040226962521480605/albums/5871179181475711457?banner=pwa

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SKYWALK Chili 3 S

SKYWALK Chili 3 S

I never flew a Chili before. My last testing on a SKYWALK was with a Cayenne 4,and now the Chili 3 S arrived . I added some ballast to reach 99 all up on the S (80-100) .

Launching:

I didn’t find any particular behavior rather than easy to launch it in nil wind or in high wind .I have tried to kite it in high winds on a soaring slope by pulling the rear C risers. It works fine knowing that the C attachment point is far away from the brakes attachments. They do break a bit the profile but still manageable.

In The air:

Like the C4 was having long brake travel, the Chili3 has even a longer one!

In homogenous conditions with calm thermals the Chili 3 can be steered with the first 30 cm of length and the wing can be called as agile!

In turbulent conditions and when entering turbulent strong cores, the Chili 3 have a pronounced roll movement and the first 30 cm of travel won’t do any help for controlling the glider. In those turbulent conditions I found that to stop the surges or to replace the Chili 3 above my head, 60 cm of brake travel are needed sometimes! That’s fine as long as the pilot is acquainted with long brake travel.

I think the profile has lots of energy and the placement of the C attachment is far from the leading edge, putting the brakes at a ‘long,forgiving,linear but huge brake travel, that I am not used to yet!

Climb rate:

At 99 all up on a Chili 3 I was finding myself in a  ‘SKYGOD shape’ as I was able to out climb any mosquito! Yes I can confirm largely that the Chili 3 has an outstanding climb rate putting it on the very top of the B category!

Giving the Chili 3 to a gifted friend @ 100 all up that has only 3 years of experience, was a big mistake as he out climbed me on a M3@ 98 all up!... And that was a hard fact!!

So the Sky god thing didn’t happen to me only….

Glide:

The glide at trim speed in calm air showed a same glide angle as the M3 with a slightly less speed at trim. The glide in head wind glides and difficult conditions could favor slightly the M3 if the headwind surpasses 20km/h and in some surges. Less than that, they are almost identical! (Did several 6 km glides in moving conditions and the glider tips were sealed sometimes ;-)   )

The speed system is relatively light and it can be easily used in most conditions.

Big ears are efficient and can have nice descent rates (-4 m/s) when coupled also with the accelerator. They didn’t seem to flap and open by themselves or sometimes a little dab on the brakes.

Conclusion:

With the Chili 3 SKYWALK has created a top B glider in the category.

But it’s a relatively talkative EN-B, if I was to compare it with the others, and it shows its strong character only in turbulent strong cores! It needs a good ‘B’ pilots to fly it happily.

I wished the brake travel were 50% shorter! As I believe that such excellent performances coupled with that energy needs some more direct brake travel to place it immediately with a short travel.

No excuses for any B pilot flying the CHILI 3 for bombing out! Unless all the flying creature are asleep ;-)