Rush 6 MS 75-95

Rush 6 MS 75-95

And here it is…The new Ozone Rush 6 EN-B for 2022-23.  

In my mind, I was thinking that to beat the Rush 5 would be a super difficult job for Ozone. My test conclusion of the Rush 5 was the best EN-B ever made, and it was clear to all the pilots in the world after the two years cycles.

Will Rush 6 beat the Rush 5 in all qualities? … let's see…

The take-off at 93 all up with my X-rated 6 harness seems much better than the Rush 5 which was a bit slow to inflate. The Rush 6 with those small leading-edge openings, inflates much better in little air. Lighter materials enable the gliders to launch better, like the Explorer 2 for example And I think the future Swift 6 will have an even more enhanced launching as the Explorer2. But for a normal B glider, no more complaints about the launching characteristics. Checked!

In the air, the Rush 6 is a bit faster at trim than the Rush 5 and for sure at the second bar which we will talk about later on.

The brake travel at my weight has similar pressure to the Rook 3 but longer a bit for the same turning abilities and same agility in turns. 

Before I continue describing the turn abilities, I have to mention that the overall feel under the Rush 6 is very different from 90 % of the B category gliders. Let me explain:

The Rush 5, Rook3, Mentor 6, Chili4, are still excellent B gliders, but the feel under them is exactly like a moderate aspect ratio B glider with limited abilities for the leading edge to cut through a difficult airmass. And that ability was only reserved for the class above. 

The Rush 6 is different. A different behavior and movements under it. The pilot level is a little step more than the Rush 5, but still in the high B category. 

The leading edge is so tensed that I needed to pull hard in order to collapse it. The reopening is immediate and slightly more dynamic. 

In strong and turbulent air, no small collapses whatsoever. Very taught leading edge. The Rush 6 is a different glider from the older series. 

 But please don’t understand me wrong. The Rush 6 is a relatively comfortable glider in the B category.  I just needed to place it accurately versus the Rush 5.  For example: Easier to fly and much tamer movements than the Carrera Plus. Probably similar to the Maestro 21. So all is good there. To finalize, the Rush 6 is slightly easier to fly than the Delta 4 when conditions are rough. The information is slightly more tamed. 


All that hybrid construction with the C steering like the Delta and Alpina series, and the taught leading-edge, leads to having a leading edge that is cutting through the airmass exactly like a C glider!  The efficiency in moving forward is like the class above. Or should I say to be very accurate, in the “middle-top” of the C class category? 

Now that’s a bold statement…I know. But I as you already know, I won’t write useless marketing talk, anything unless I’m sure about it. And yes, I’m sure. 

The C steering is very easy and comfortable to use in turbulence while on bar. 




Now the question that you might ask is: What about the Delta 4? Does the Rush 6 have the same overall performance as the Delta 4? My answer is simple.

As long as you push the bar on the Rush 6, the difference in glide against the wind and in a moving airmass in XC conditions are very…very…little to say the least. Even at full bar on the Rush 6, the efficiency is outstanding!

The very strange thing is that the glide at trim of the Rush6 seems slightly less than the top C gliders, but as soon as you push the bar, the glide improves a lot on the Rush 6…which is weird…While having the C glider pushing also on bar of course and both match the same speed. 

But I have tried and tried many glides with the same results even at top speed comparing with a very good C glider of the same size and at the same loadings.


Climbing in weak conditions at 93 all up, showed me also a very efficient machine that could float in those tiny thermals despite the stiff and solid structure of a B glider. On a higher-rated glider, flying in weak conditions will give you more feedback as the C, or D gliders inform the pilot in a more subtle and direct way of the air movements. But the mellow Rush 6 was quite efficient in weak. Despite being very good in weak, I think that the Rush 5 would float a tiny better in 0.2 m/s conditions. Encountering a bit of valley breeze, the R6 will have the upper-hand


Some would ask: Is it as nimble with short brake travel as the Chili4 of the same size, R-Light S ?  No, it doesn’t have that short, very linear response, as the mentioned gliders deliver a little more feedback from their brakes, but still, the R6 has more than enough for the B category, with very good agility, and a very good brake authority to place it among the good ones in the handling category.  

Does it turn better than the Rush 5? 

Yes, “with more positive power into the turn” is the best description for it. It goes forward without stopping while turning. (Of course for a B glider) 


The feedback comes from the risers, not the brakes. The turning abilities to core any turbulent thermal with a narrow radius are very possible if the inside brake is pulled to a certain degree. Overall, a very good handling and brake authority. 


 A pilot upgrading from the Buzz Z5 or Z6 needs at least two full seasons in strong air to fully understand the Rush 6 excellent potential. Coming from a Mojo is not recommended…I think.


Big ears are stable and reopen with pilot control as the tips tend to stick a bit. A little break pump would be great.

Conclusion:  If you are that good high B pilot that searches to get an XC record on a B while pushing often on the bar, then you have reached your destination.  

If pilots want to use the R6 only at trim, then they will miss its real potential. 

The Rush 6 is a higher step-in feel and in performance for the B category. It feels like the R6 is pushing into the airmass like very rare high B gliders, but with a high-performance package.

A Rush 5 pilot needs a few hours to dial in and to understand the new concept. Afterward unleash the beast! :-)

Mac Para Elan 3 24

MacPara Elan 3  24. (75-95)

The new C for 2021 from MacPara has arrived. Having flown both earlier versions, I was excited to test fly their latest release. 

Shark nose, The Elan 3 is manufactured using the excellent lightweight materials from Porcher Sport. Skytex 38, Skytex 32 and Skytex 27.  

The lines are made from Edelrid, Aramid Kevlar for the upper lines, PPSL lines for the lower lines.

The construction and details are superb. The risers have a connection between the B and the C for efficient C steering. 

Launching the Elan 3 at 93 all up is smooth and easy. The Elan 3 rises effortlessly without any hard point even in nil wind. If the Delta 4 is sometimes slow to launch, the Elan 3 like the Allegro is easier to inflate. 

Flying with my X-rated 6 at 93,94 all up, the Elan 3 seems fast at trim. Similar to a Bonanza 2 in trim speed and 1-2 km/h faster at top speed. 

I flew the Elan 3 in different conditions, from a strong day in the Cedars spot at 3000 ASL to the lower spots with warm air and inversions at 800 ASL. In all conditions, the Elan 3 felt homogenous without any parasital movements whatsoever. The Elan 3 is very different from the Elan 1 and the Elan 2 in terms of overall feel. While being comfortable to fly for a C, and a very successful DHV rating, with one C, the Elan 3 DNA flies and feels different. The feel under it is like a super easy and comfortable baby Magus. 

The pitch when entering thermals is incredibly efficient without any pitch back at all. A slight pitch forward that pulls you efficiently into the core. The Elan 3 needs a slightly more active pilot control than the Elan 2, Delta 4, but still easy to manage for a C, while giving the pilot an educated but comfortable feedback of the class above without the demanding piloting control a D glider gives.

To explain more, I could say that for pilots who find that flying a Delta 4 or Elan 2 is too dampened in overall feel, the Elan 3 will offer the little extra spice that an educated pilot will cherish for the same comfort, or possibly a 10% more pilot control. 

In turbulent and strong air, the structure felt very solid and very homogenous.

The brake pressure is on the moderate side. I could control the Elan 3 in a moderate 15 - 25 cm of brakes after the first 10 cm of a gap.  It resembles the Alpina 4 brake length with slightly more pressure. 

The agility of the Elan 3 is very slightly less than the Elan 2, but I was very satisfied with its efficiency. 

The Elan 3 has precise brake travel, and I could say that it has more direct control than a Supair Savage, with slightly more agile. Not as agile as an Alpina 4 for example that could core the thermals really tight, but the Elan 3 is not that far, with a much more performance-oriented turning ability.  

Flying the Elan 3, I was able to core every thermal without missing any. The turns are flat without a dive. 

Flying the Elan 3 in moving air showed me the bigger difference, as the Elan 3 has the ability to surf efficiently the moving air mass, and to convert every moving air into the lift. That’s why I wrote above that the feel under it is very different. The Elan 3 was surfing the lift lines and moving forward and upward like the class above! 

Doing some glides in calm air showed me the Elan 3 shares the best glide for today's C, at trim, and at full bar. It is in moving air that the Elan 3 will be more efficient through the airmass. 

Climbing in weak and strong conditions seems also efficient. The Elan 3 has an amazing ability to convert any movement to lift, and that’s exactly its strong point. Even in sudden and strong cores, I could turn precisely the Elan 3 into the stronger core.

  

Ears are stable, reopen faster with little help. Induced asymmetries kept the Elan 3 on the path and very easy to recover.

Conclusion:

That kind of feel and handling suits my personal flying style a lot. It reminded me of the Trango X-race handling, but slightly mellower in turns and of course tamer in turbulence.

Mac Para has lifted the Elan series to a new dimension and feel. If you have never flown a Mac Para, now is the time to taste that special feel under the Elan 3 !  It is so different from the too dampened older series, but still quite comfortable with that specially added spice.  The difference between the old and the new one is that the Elan 3 will cut through the airmass more efficiently and resembles the upper ratings in that matter! 

The C steering is a bit hard to pull but efficient to keep the Elan 3 overhead in turbulence.

The Elan 3 movements and overall comfort in turbulence target exactly the C category pilots. I think a pilot downgrading from a higher-rated glider won’t lose that special feel under the D gliders while getting the passive safety of the C category. 

A good B pilot with two full seasons in strong conditions will find the Elan 3 as one of the best logical evolution for the solid C category. 

XC Pen

XC Pen

Flying XC or even local, for a long period of time i always had some issues when I needed to get in touch with my smartphone. On my Samsung Note, I needed to get the pen out and stick it with a cord in order to be able to touch the Samsung screen for usage. That was really a hassle as the phone always sends a note if the pen is attached, and beside the long pen would not sit properly in the front cockpit and require a hole to stabilize it. And it was slippery with the gloves. I never thought about an optional idea until I received Mathias's email!
Mathias Weil
mathias@weilthing.com
www.xc-pen.com

Like many pilots in the world, Mathias needed a tool to reach his smart tablets in the air, and the idea came to create the XC pen!  A small device that is made especially for flying. The XC pen is small, has its own sleeve, that it’s attached to the cockpit by velcro, and …it worked like a charm on every tablet, and smartphone.
Besides using the XC pen for managing XC courses, and as I’m practically airborne every flyable day, I sometimes needed to reach my phone for family and urgent matters.  I could also put on some music if I wanted, answer my phone, or send a message to my family if needed.
The XC pen works also in all smart tablets in an easy way in order to control your settings and maximize your XC potential which is why the XC pen was created in the first place.
Conclusion: Small, easy to reach, efficient to use. I like it! :-)  A little tool to make things much easier. 

Gliders and...

After some time, and talking to friends and exchanging wings, in the C category, 

I would humbly like to share my personal feel and opinion from all my tested C gliders, here is my choice for the most complete ones in 2020,2021, until 1st July is:

1- Delta 4, Alpina 4, 

2- Sigma 11, size 24 , 

3-Fusion Light, S, and M.  

Why?  Just because they offer the most relaxed flying with top-end performance without going out of trim in the first 30 hours. 

4-Cure 2, which offers excellent performance but needs a little workload than the others. 

5- Q-Light S ( needs active control) 

All those gliders didn't get out of trim before 30...35 hours. (Data from 12 other pilots) but will eventually go out of trim later.

IN the B category, 

1- BGD Base 2, GIN Explorer 2 (superb performance with a very conservative line width) Rush 6 (performance of the C category) 

2-Rook 3, R-Light 3  ( But I don’t like the take-off in nil wind ) 

, Rush 5, Swift 5, Mentor 6 Light XS! Love that one! , Maestro 21.

There are more good gliders that don't go quickly out of trim OF COURSE,

But they will eventually after 30, 35 hours but the above is my personal choice for overall behavior. 

Important notice that I would like to share>

I have already written that testing a new B, C, or especially D, won’t give accurate results since many gliders go out of trim before reaching 30 hours! even some B’s! more often C’s and D’s. ( Dyneema line shrinkage problem, mainly..) 

So it is very important to trim back those gliders to regain their correct flying properties.

 Some manufacturers are more serious than others…

Happy flights,

Ziad. 

The NEW  Elan 3 is not yet evaluated. And will need time to see ...