NOVA Mentor 4 S

NOVA Mentor 4 S

Upon NOVA statement that the Mentor 4 is a step forward in performance compared to the Mentor 3, here’s the M4 in S size flown from 94 to 98 all up.

Launching is straight forward for the B category.

Once in the air the Mentor 4 feels more alive than the ‘3” and less than the ‘2’ version.
The brake response is direct and precise and puts the Mentor 4 in the middle of the M2, and M3 version in terms of responsive character .

It is not like the M2 which was short and super direct, but also not like the M3 which lacked a bit of linear response.
NOVA nailed it with a direct and nicer handling and more performance oriented than the M 3.

Climbing in weak thermals ( 0.5m/s) at 94 all up on the M4 is average… I cannot say that it has the best climb in the B category, but it could be very close to the M3.

In punchier thermals and facing the valley breeze, the Mentor 4 shows it’s potential to wipe out the M2, and M3 off the bench ! The M4 cuts through and climb going forward like a high end performance glider !

This cutting and going through the airmass is the strongest point of the M4 when loaded near the top weight ! Climbing in strong thermals facing the valley breeze is enhanced on board the M4 and could be very competitive with the class above.

The trim speed of the M4 is higher than the one on the M3 similarly loaded.

In turbulent conditions the M4 needs more active piloting than an M3 , and could be slightly less than the M2 or same in terms of pilot control .

Now comes the interesting performance part….

To give you an exact answer about the Mentor 4 glide performance, I did several long glides with some recent B ,C and last an ‘out of the box’ 7.0 ar , 2014 ,very well known ,3 line, D glider !, in calm and in moving conditions.

Of course the climb rate and the floating ability of a 7.0 AR D glider is un-matchable…but it was a very interesting information for me to know how the Mentor 4 glides among today’s B,C and D gliders. And the surprise came…

I can easily confirm now, that the glide angle of the Mentor 4 S loaded at 98 is very ….very…competitive especially facing the valley breeze and surprisingly superb at second bar !, and that would be a big surprise for many after the test movies will be released …

Conclusion:
NOVA has built a super ‘performance’ B glider. The climb in weak is average to good for the category but the Mentor 4 will take you on dream glides at trim…”or should i say” especially at full speed !!
Like it’s predecessors, the hard part is trying to beat this glider in glide !

UPDATE :  6/9/2015 
 Hi,
First i do have to apologize for my test of the Mentor 4 S test concerning the climb rate.I think it's slightly better than i said and expected...
Even for an everyday flyer surprises can happen...But they are hopefully updated if felt otherwise...

Flying the Mentor 4 S at 95 all up does in fact need some 'different' approach and reaction from the pilot to get it in a good climb inside weak thermals unlike all the B gliders i have tested in the past years...
Explanation: When entering a weak thermal it's better to let the Mentor 4 without any brakes at all, then when the pilot must turn inside the little lift, weight shift (Distance between hang points ±47 cm for the S ) and apply ONLY a very slight pressure on the inside brake ( may be 5 cm of travel and less than 1 kg of brake pressure) with no pulling in the outside brakes. (Let the glider float and surf the air ... )
When it's turbulent, block it and release...
Other B gliders can be slowed inside a small very "narrow" and weak thermal, but the M4 doesn't like at all to be slowed for an efficient climb ,(even in the narrow and weak ! ) as it won't be able to embrace this 0.5 m/s weak thermal.
In this method i could get the Mentor 4 S to experience better climb even in weak thermals !
I learned that the Mentor 4 S liked to be left alone to surf the air-mass even in weak lifts... So no braking is required to surf up-ward
After all those years I'm still learning, feeling the gliders and discovering new possibilities everyday !
Sorry for any mishaps...
Cheers,
Ziad.

Windtech BALI, S EN-B

Windtech BALI

Bali is the new 2015 Windtech EN-B glider . The size S (80-100) is the glider I test flew from 93 to 97 all up with different harnesses.

The Bali has a few lines, with 2 thick lines on the A’s per side, with 7 lines /side and it’s a pure 3 line glider.

The construction that appears in transparency above me is well built with lots of work to support the fewer lines.

The brake lines passes through a very small ceramic ring, with very close diameter to the brake line !

Take off is fine, but I can feel the few supported lines by the reaction of the glider when kiting.

First flight at 93 all up with a Woody Valley X-Rated 6 harness (slightly agile) worked fine for me. The turning radius was nice with a moderate to slightly long brake travel, but in this configuration the Bali was slightly more agile than an Iota I was testing at the same time.



The climb rate in weak conditions less than 0.3 m/s was average to good at 93 all up as I was matching the climb of the Iota. The trim speed is around 38 km/h and the top speed is only 8 km/h over trim.

In strong thermals the Bali pitches back a little for a second and climb quickly in the core. It is efficient in the climb as the pilot could slow it a bit and make a stationary turn inside the core.

Gliding next to the latest B’s showed a moderate to good glide to the Bali that needs constant push on the bar to match the trim speed of the latest B concurrence especially at that load.

Getting on a heavier Exoceat harness with 97 all up wasn’t really a good idea in weak conditions, as the Bali doesn’t really like to be heavily loaded. And the very stable Exoceat harness for higher aspect ratio glider, was limiting the roll movements and swift weight shifts . I wasn’t able to turn the Bali as it was on the agile WV harness. Some gliders needs good weight shift and more alive harnesses.

The top speed, I got flying it at 97 was +9 km/h over trim.

Big ears with the outer A lines are big, stable and are efficient with the bar .They reopen smoothly.

Only in punchy and strong conditions, the Bali moves a bit and needs a good B pilot to control it, much like some other high-end B gliders with fewer attachment points.

Conclusion: Today’s B class is the fiercest class of all! It's the main artery on which manufacturers feed ! Competition here is really strong !

In that particular period, i was test flying four new B’s. So every time i swapped gliders, the feeling under was immediately noticeable.


The Bali has a fairly good overall performance to fit inside the high B category. It’s better to fly it at 60% of the weight range and with a good weight shift harness to get the pleasure pack with it.

Bigger brake rings would be slightly better for lesser friction, and more top speed would be welcomed.

But gliding at full speed is still very good ,and many pilots may be won’t need to use more.



 

Air Design Rise 2 Superlight

AD Rise 2 70-90 superlight.

The first Rise 2 test was made on the M size regular version . Here is the S size super light version flown at 90 all up .
The lines on the Superlight are all unsheathed . The risers however are very close to the normal version with very solid construction. The Rise 2 Superlight is very well made to the last detail.Looking closely at the glider showed a very good and neat construction that gives you the feeling of a lasting one.

The take off is straight froward and easy.
In the air the immediate feeling of comfort is present ,like the normal version. May be in turbulent and strong conditions the wing is 5 % more sharp, but it stays very comfortable inside the high-end B category.

The turning ability is also very similar to the normal version and the Small size loaded at top gave me a good handling .The brake travel and pressure are moderate and the wing responds nicely to brake inputs.

It’s a delight to steer with the C risers with efficient control in moderate conditions.

The glide is similar to the Rise 2 i tested before and the accelerator requires a moderate push and still efficient .
Conclusion: AD has built a light and easy B glider with very good performance and high accessibility. A glider that packs small and can enable a regular B pilot to fly comfortably, in every thermal around the world.

ADVANCE Lightness 2

ADVANCE Lightness 2

The 2015 Lightness 2 is ADVANCE new light harness and the replacement of the old Lightness 1.

As usual, ADVANCE products are a pleasure to un-box, for their superb quality and the excellent workmanship.
The materials, the sewing, and the design of the Lightness 2 couldn’t be compared to any recent light harness. It is a class of it’s own by the purity of a high-end, very well engineered piece of equipment.

Comfort in the air :
Having flown many pod harnesses, ADVANCE seat-less board Lightness 1 and, Impress 3 were the most comfortable ones for the flying position as they deliver un-matched body support in the air.
The Lightness 2 with it’s 3 kg, inherited this incredible comfort of a superb back support !

The roll movements of the Lightness 2 are slightly more than the ones on a WV GTO or a Genie light but less than the lightness 1 , as there’s an option of adjusting the chest strap.
It is also slightly more roll stable than an Impress 3 who had some un-necessary 2 cm ‘roll slack’ on each side.
The lightness 2 pilot will feel a more compact roll movement as if he is a part of the harness.

On the lightness 2, i could just let my feet rest on the front part of the pod without a single effort to keep my feet leveled ! With all the harnesses i flew, except the Impress 3, i had to sustain a slight effort to keep my feet horizontally inside the pod.
Inside the Lightness 2, the feet are supported in some ingenious way, that they just rest straight as if you were on a bed ! Very relaxing on long flights.

The weight shift on the seat-less Lightness 2 are more efficient than on the Impress 3 .
A seat-less harness doesn’t have a pressure point on your thighs ,like the edge of a seat board does provide for an efficient feeling in turns, but the lightness 2 new geometry is close to this efficient and precise turning feel !

The light materials used for a warm pod are excellent. I was flying for an hour in +3 C to +5 C inside this pod and i was perfectly warm and feeling great !

One small detail: The storage under the seat should bear a strap in order to support a +3 kg water ballast. Without this strap a small ball shape of the ballast is shown from the outside under the pilot. It’s very easy for anyone to sew or add one if needed…

I’m waiting curiously for the Impress 4 as a regular XC and comp harness with a more heavy duty use. Especially at this level of comfort !
But would also wish for even an adjustable roll movement control…

Conclusion:
From all the harnesses i flew especially among the light ones, the Lightness 2 stands as the most comfortable, for a superb back and hip support.
With a light glider, and the ADVANCE compact rucksack, All equipment will be under 10 kg.
The simplicity and magic of flying will keep you even more enchanted.

Cheers,
Ziad.