Ozone Alpina 3 MS

OZONE Alpina 3  MS size 

After test flying the Delta 3 in MS and ML size, here’s the Alpina 3 MS test flight, loaded from 92 to 94 all up. 

First impression, got when flying it, was as if i was flying the Delta 3 MS. I wrote that hastily, on the forum. 

But flying the Alpina 3 more and more, i saw some slight differences in handling that were felt on longer flights.

The launch ability is slightly enhanced over the D3, due to the light cloth. In the air the brake pressure are also lighter on the Alpina 3 and i could turn the glider quite precisely, with very little pressure with only 2 cm of brake distance ! 

The overall feel (feedback) under the Alpina 3 is very close to the Delta 3 with a bit more, positive comfortable feedback coming from the glider. 

After some flying hours, my hands were not tired on the Alpina 3 as they were on the Delta 3. With little less pressure, the Alpina 3 could be steered with very little effort.

The overall gliding performance in multiple conditions are exactly the same, like the Delta 3 MS. Even the climb rate in weak and strong. 

The difference between the Cayenne 5 XS and the Alpina 3 MS in entering thermals is that the C5 will have some pitch movements before entering while the Alpina 3 just enters without any movements in moderate conditions. It just slips though and climbs quickly. In very weak stuff, the pilot must focus twice more to feel the movements of the glider inside the weak lift. 

The handling and the way the glider talks to the pilot in thermal conditions, are more pronounced on the cayenne 5 while the Alpina 3 is 50 % tamer.

Applying the bar is smooth as the Delta 3 and very efficient, especially into-wind transitions ! 

Loading the MS from 92 to 94…95 seems optimum for this design.  

Ears are stable and with the bar it’s an efficient way to get down without flapping ears ! 

Wing overs could be very high…Lots of pressure inside the glider. 

Holding a 60 % asymmetric without brake counter-steering, the Alpina 3 MS turns gently toward the open side ! Which is quite nice ! 

Conclusion: The Alpina 3 MS design seem to give the pilot a comfortable feedback, with the optimum gliding performance especially at bar. All that with a very nice handling characteristics. 

Ears are stable and very efficient at bar.  The big difference between the Alpina 2 and Alpina 3 is gliding in difficult conditions and headwind where the A3 will be much more efficient especially at bar. 

True performance in active air !

In today’s C class, the Sigma 10, Queen 2, Delta 3 are really very efficient and competitive !  

The Alpina 3 offers also that exact top package with agile character.  Comfortable, easy to fly, top end gliding performance, very good climbing in thermals, good in weak conditions, agile, more precise in steering than the D3 and slightly lighter in pressure.  

The MS size suits my total flying weight of 93 with an 8 kg X-rated 6 harness and no added ballast, so I think I’ll keep it for now as the new reference in glide for the C category. 

ALPINA 3 S size.

Now i test flew the S size 65-85 at 85 all up.  The minimum weight i can get in winter…I flew the Alpina 3 S size with an Ozium 2 M.

Take off is immediate without any hard point or surge…Easy to get airborne. 

First contact on the brakes and quickly super satisfied ! …Swift, super direct, linear handling ! I could place the Alpina 3 S size perfectly inside any core. The pressure on the brakes are moderate to light, but very reactive.  The Alpina 3 S size has one of the most beautiful turning ability !! 

Flying the A3 MS size at 94, which is near the max, and flying the A3 S size at 85 which is at top also , is another experience !

The A3 S size feels more alive in active air, but still very coherent and taught.  

The handling is even more linear and very responsive in small narrow cores.  I really enjoyed the Alpina 3 S size in all thermal conditions. 

For a small glider, It does in fact has  the ability to get most of the lift especially into wind thermals, and would not bounce at any thermal whatsoever ! It just cut through very efficiently and climbs really well ! like the new generation of C gliders. 

 I think that’s a first with small gliders ! Usually they are trimmed a bit weird…to pass the certification. But that’s not the case of the Alpina 3 S size. It seems that the R& D team delivered a super nice and very competitive (into-wind) thermalling and gliding machine. 

The trim speed at max weight is less by 0.5 km/h than an Alpina 3 MS or a Delta 3 MS similarly loaded. 

The glide at trim and accelerated is really good like the MS size with slightly less  around 0.1 in L/D (Reynolds numbers). 

Ears are stable and reopen upon activating the brakes. 

Conclusion: A really powerful, very efficient, XC machine. The Alpina 3 S size will surely be appreciated for pilots who are looking for a sharp, agile, beautiful handling glider ! 

Triple Seven Queen 2 SM

Triple Seven Queen 2 SM 

Finally the long awaited Queen replacement arrived. Triple Seven offers the Queen 2 with an aspect ratio of 6.3 combined with very reduced line diameter and a very pointed shark nose. The cell openings are rather small. The attachement points on the A’s seems further back, and the certification is into the C box.

Launching the Queen 2 in size SM in nil wind need a steady input as it inflates moderately overhead. The rise is moderate and fairly ok for a C certified glider. 

I flew the Queen 2 from 96 to 99 ,to find out that the best weight is around 98-99 on the SM in moderate conditions.  The brake travel is short, linear and precise. The pressure on the brakes are moderate to ‘slightly’ hard. The glider feels connected to the pilots commands, if the load at top weight is respected. The Queen 2 SM is slightly sensible to load.  I mean it’s better to fly it from 97 minimum to 99..100, and you will notice immediately the difference with 2 kilos added. 

Thermal radius: 

The Queen 2 SM loaded can be turned very narrow turns inside the thermals. It’s like you are flying a low aspect ratio glider. In well built thermals, it’s feels like a spinning ’top’ sometimes !  This narrow thermal ability is efficient to get the most out of any thermal !

There are no banking from the glider if the brakes are applied moderately and swiftly, but a flat quick, and efficient turning radius.

 Climbing ability: 

In turbulent and punchy cores, the Queen 2 climbs really fast! The brake authority are slightly reduced in turbulent cores, but still present and very good for a 6.3 AR, C glider.  It ressembles the best ones in the C class in climbing ability even loaded at top.  This is definitely a very fast climbing machine in well built thermals. For sure, any C glider will climb also, but not as fast. 

In weak conditions, the Queen 2 SM at 99 is efficient in catching small weak thermals. Actually the Queen 2 SM size feels big, and a weight of 99 all up is doesn’t seem to be really over loaded.  In weak conditions at max load, i found it quite efficient in climb.  

Speed ,trim, and top:  

The trim speed is faster than the Delta 3 SM by approximatively one km, and also faster by 1 km at top speed if both are fully loaded.  Also, the Queen 2 SM at 99 all up has 0.5km/h  less trim speed of a Cayenne 5 S (85-105) flown at max weight, and it’s faster at top by approximatively 2 km/h than the cayenne 5 S size.  (Both fully loaded) 

Glide:  

I found that the Queen 2 in SM size has its best glide angle at trim speed, and it’s among the best C’s of the moment !  

Doing lots of glides in calm and turbulent air with some headwind glides, i found out that the Sigma 10 and the Delta 3 has that very slight edge at bar, especially at 4km/h over trim speed ! 

The Delta 3 SM has slightly lesser top speed than the Queen 2 SM but if the Queen 2 SM matches the Delta 3 SM top speed, the glide at that top speed is almost identical !   

The fast trim speed and the immediate climb rate while going forward, could give an edge to the Queen 2 in ridge gliding.  

Easiness of flight:  

For a 6.3 aspect ratio glider with those top performance, i found out the the Queen 2 is easier to handle in rough air, than the Cayenne 5 XS i have kept for reference. The feeling under the Queen 2 can be described as : solid, comfortable, homogenous, tough structure, absorbs the turbulence. It resembles the Delta 3 feel but with a little spice. It fits exactly between the Cayenne 5 XS and the Delta 3 in pilot demand. 

Saying that i also feel that the Queen 2 has quite some hidden energy in it. It feels very dynamic in wing overs that could be quickly very high. And also, in some strong thermals, the glider quiet character wakes up slightly to a sharper glider that bites the thermals going forward slightly which is quite common for any high end C glider. There are no pitch back whatsoever ! which is nice :-)  

Big ears have moderate stability, they usually flap, shake a bit sometimes, but reopen quickly. 

Conclusion: 

Today’s paragliding designs and progress seems really demanding. Manufacturers are working super hard for getting the bar slightly higher ! 

I felt that in XC mode, the new top 3, C’s can be very close.  

The Queen 2 loaded at top, is relatively a moderate C glider, that could be flown quite efficiently in XC competitions and will satisfy almost any performance and speed seeker in the C class especially for its high (overall package) of climb, glide and top speed.