Launching the Alpina 5 on the MS at 94 and on the S at 85 is straightforward. The light glider inflates rapidly, and there's no hesitation at all. Just a balanced, easy-to-launch two liner EN-C.
IN the air, the difference between the D5 and the A5 is a slightly softer brake pressure and a little more agility in turns. The light cloth gives it a nimble feel.
The Alpina 5 can respond to any thermal core promptly, even in turbulent air, thanks to its short, very responsive brake controls. The Alpina 5 has a more direct handling than a linear one. For example, the Artik 7 P is also direct, but each cm has a feel in the glider response. The A5 just promptly turns.
The brake travel is similar in length to the Artik 7 P, but shorter than the Volt 5 and Vortex.
Comfort in turbulence:
The Alpina 5 is more comfortable than the Photon, of course, and also more relaxed than the Artik 7 P, Vortex, and Volt 5. I will update my C comparison asap. The Alpina 5 has moderate roll movement in the air for a 6:1 aspect-ratio C glider. The pitch is nearly absent in mild air. The overall movements are very balanced, especially for a two-liner. So, it’s a comfortable glider to fly and could be considered one of the easiest to fly if you are new to the C 2 liner category. As the Codex, Vortex, but with a more taught structure than the Vortex. Similar to the Codex, which is slightly more tame than the Vortex.
Performance in glide and climb:
The Alpina 5 has an efficient airfoil that enables it to enter the airmass and move forward more easily than the Vortex, Codex, and Artik 7. The leading edge doesn’t stop in front of a thermal or valley breeze, but continues to move forward slowly. The glide performance is slightly less than the Photon, but the efficiency of not getting ‘pinned’ is available on that design.
Ears are doable with outer A’s and reopen without pilot intervention, and also by the outer B’s, and the reopening is fast. It’s more efficient to use the outer B’s. Pushing the speed bar before pulling them off course.
Conclusion:
After flying the Delta 5 and now the Alpina 5, I felt that we finally have a solid, balanced, interesting performance, an easy-to-fly two liner for the C category glider. The Alpina 5 is a light glider for hiking and flying, traveling, XC, and even some local comps.
A 2026 hybrid 4X4 ;-). If you know what I mean! :-)
I received two gliders from PHI: the Maestro 3 21 and the Maestro 3 light 19. Those gliders are aimed at intermediate pilots for the high B category.
Let's begin with the Maestro 3 21.
After a few flights, I realized that it's better to fly the glider a bit loaded, more than the Maestro 2, which could be flown in overall conditions at 70 % of the normal weight range. Maestro 2 size 21 75-95/ extended to 100, could be flown at 93.
But on the Maestro 3 size 21, I felt that this size is better flown at 97…98. As well as the Maestro 3 light size 19, which goes from 70-85 / extended to 90. I also felt that at 86..87 could be a good choice in overall conditions.
Why?
My personal feeling is that when hitting turbulent, strong thermals, the Maestro 3, with its perfect homogeneity, also has good energy, giving you the feel that you need to load it to keep it—overhead swifter.
Climb:
Loading the M3-21 at 98 gives a more connected feel and still allows a queen in climb. That glider will surely get you on top of any gaggle. But to climb, you first need to enter the rising airmass… Therefore, loading the glider is a better way to get quickly into the thermal, knowing that the load won’t affect the climb at all.
So, in climb mode, whether thermals are weak or strong, the Maestro 3 climbs flawlessly and really efficiently. Again, when I flew the M3-21 at 90 all up, I couldn’t be efficient on some challenging climbs because it was slow to enter that airmass, when other well-loaded reference gliders are higher. Saying that, loading it at 98, I felt I had the edge over many high B's.
Handling:
At 98 all up, on the Maestro 3 21, the brake pressure is on the moderate side, and the authority on the brakes is very present, giving the pilot high pleasure when turning it into cores. I enjoyed coring the tiniest of thermals in very narrow cores.
Gliding:
As always, some glides were made in headwind, difficult air, moving air, etc. Afterward, we all concluded that the Maestro 3 has what it takes to be near the best ones in that category.
Ears are efficient. They do not open on their own and require pilot intervention.
Overall, easier to fly than Maestro 2, nice handling, excellent climb, and glide. It must be loaded to give you the results you expect.
Maestro 3 Light size 19.
The Light version of the Maestro 3 has impeccable launching characteristics. Super easy, smooth, very fast to take off.
The Maestro 3 light size 19 is more alive than the Maestro 3 normal 21. But both are easier to fly than the earlier Maestro 2 regular and light versions.
The Light version, being also a size smaller, felt more alive than the standard version. Even the handling and turning abilities were ‘amazing’! If you only turn your eyes, the M3 Light would turn! What a pleasure to fly high, B!
Again, when I loaded it up to 86-87, everything was more perfect. Even the climb! This small glider has the edge in climb over some good C class 2 liners! We were all amazed by that climb. Weak, strong…turbulent, the M3 light will get you to the top of the gaggle flawlessly.
Gliding with a Delta 5 showed us that the glide is very close, to say the least. The D5, being a 2 liner, is trimmed a bit faster, and could be more efficient in XC, but the M3 light is super close. I am not comparing it to a C class 2 line concept, but it's just an idea to tell you that the overall performance is close enough, with an edge for the 2 liner, of course.
Conclusion M3/ M3 light:
I personally enjoyed both Maestro 3s, with a preference for the Light version, as it is more alive and even more pleasurable to fly. Usually, the smaller versions feel like sparrows compared to the larger sizes. The overall performance of both gliders is perfect in climb and glide, and for the high category, it's more than enough. To extract those performances, try loading the gliders to the max in order to get the edge in cutting through the airmass and climbing away.
SUPAIR Savage 2 size MS (73-93). “The mood changer”
Supair released its new EN-C class glider, replacing the first version of the Savage. The Savage 2 is a light and hybrid (2.5) line configuration glider that should play at the same level as the NK Artik 7 P.
At the same time, I was delighted to test flying the Skywalk Poison 4 and the X-Alps 6 in the EN-D class, due to the excellent handling they deliver. Now flying the Supair Savage 2 as an EN-C, I think I was blessed to have even a higher step with the ability to dance with the Savage 2, thanks to its impressive, pleasurable handling. How lucky :-)!
Launching the very light Savage 2 at 91 all up is super easy, as those light gliders deliver an effortless rise. In the case of the Savage 2, I didn’t feel any dynamic surges, but a docile and easy-to-launch glider. In 30 km/h windy take-offs, it has the dynamics of a C class, but is still very well balanced and easy to control.
I flew the Savage 2 with the regular Arrow harness. First turn is ( simply...outstanding)
The brake pressure is on the light side. You need approximately 15 cm to steer the glider, which reacts promptly and swiftly to the pilot's inputs. I liked the Artik 7 P turn, and the Savage 2's turning is just as good, with that butterfly feel under the brakes! So light and responsive! Getting thermals under the Savage 2 is a total delight! What a beautiful glider to fly in thermals! It's like you don’t want to glide away! You want to squeeze that extra turn, and the Savage 2 does corkscrew, any thermal core, relatively narrow if the pilot wishes. Even in turbulent air, the authority on the brakes is excellent, enabling the pilot to place the Savage 2 wherever he wants inside the air mass.
One day, after some mind-numbing workdays, I was flying a two-liner, known for its average handling. Still feeling tired, landed, and took the Savage 2 for a spin. After a few minutes in thermals, the Savage 2 feels and handles so beautifully that my mood shifted, and I enjoyed some good XC! That Savage 2 gave me the pleasure of flying like nothing else.
The overall movements in pitch and roll are moderately present but still on the dampened side; it doesn’t feel like it bumps into thermals. Instead, it's definitely in the 2.5 line category. I could feel what the air is doing as the Savage 2 moves on a low movement axis—just the necessary feedback for a sensible pilot to enjoy and feel what’s going on around you.
Flying for hours won’t make your hands feel tired at all. As I mentioned earlier, the roll movement is there to give you the exact feel in thermals. It's not dampened, nor alive.
On another day, I was test-flying the new Skywalk X-Alps 6 95+ size, which has good handling, and afterward, I gave it to my friend Milo, who flew it next to me on the Savage 2. Of course, I am not comparing those two gliders, which are intended for different pilot profiles, but it's a good way for me to assess the performance and efficiency of the Savage2. I don't have an Artik 7P available at the moment.
Gliding in calm air at trim and also at full bar impressed us both! The Savage 2 demonstrated excellent gliding performance for its class. Even at full bar, the glide is phenomenal! We liked it a lot! The full speed is around 16 km/h over trim! With an excellent glide angle! Hat’s off to Supair for that!
I also did some glides with other two-liners of higher aspect ratio, and I think the Savage 2, with its hybrid configuration and 6.2 aspect ratio, is not easily left behind.
What also surprised us was the climb rate. Flying later with different gliders and some of my references for climb, the Savage 2 proved to be a climbing beast! If there’s no heavy air or headwind, it was climbing better than most two liners! Yes…it climbs superbly well… It seems that every weak lift is grabbed by the Savage 2 and converted to climb. It's efficient in weak lift.
But for sure, when the air is heavy, and in front of a valley breeze, the two liners have the upper hand to surf forward that airmass and climb faster. As for the 2.5 line Savage2, it actually does more than we asked of it!
Gliding also, through a headwind, gave the Savage a perfect rating and could easily glide, or possibly outglide, some entry-level two-liners with an aspect ratio of around 6.
The overall feedback is close to the Artik 7P in pilot demand. Don’t expect it to be dull and tame. The Savage 2 will provide educational communication within the airmass.
There are no excess but fair movements in all axes for a good C pilot.
Ears can be done with outer A’s. They are stable and reopen without pilot intervention. They could also be done with outer C’s; they are very easy to maintain and reopen quickly once released. Both are efficient to get down.
Conclusion:
Supair didn’t introduce a 2liner yet—instead, a delightful to fly 2.5 line hybrid construction glider. The climb, glide, and speed are excellent. The fun factor it delivers is the optimum gift.
He who designed and fine-tuned the handling on that Savage two must be a sensible and skilled pilot to deliver that beautiful glider responsiveness!
If you are the pilot who doesn’t want to get into those two-liners, the Savage 2, with a 3.5 kg payload and a compact packing volume, is a friendly user machine for any expedition, hike, or flight adventure with loads of performance.
If you are sensitive to handling and brake responsiveness, which makes you feel the glider is an extension of your arms, the Savage 2 is the strongest key. And be sure that whatever flight you take, a big smile is surely guaranteed.
The Poison 4 is SKYWALK's new two liner EN-D glider for 2026 and beyond. It has a 6.9 aspect ratio, and it is created as their ultimate weapon for cross-country.
https://skywalk.info/project/poison4/
The glider has, in my view, impeccable construction features! It is built with Skytex Porcher 27 and 40 hrs. Well-placed rods in the structure don’t feel their weight or shape on the ground. Some gliders look so stiff that you ask yourself how to pack them…The Poison 4 appears easier and lighter in that regard, weighing around 5.6 kg!
Launching the Poison 4 as a regular XC glider in nil wind requires a steady pull to fill those tiny openings, but it still inflates slowly and evenly. In 10 km/h wind, it is very easy to launch with a solid, undeformed structure that already tells you “cool down, mate, I’m here for you!
It resembles the Zeno 2 launch, but with a slightly better rising time.
I flew the Poison 4 with two harnesses. The Flow VisstaXC and the Arrow. Both harnesses deliver practically the same feedback… I flew that glider during some intense and turbulent days in our Cedars range, as well as on some cool days later. I have been flying it for over +20 hours now, and I can easily describe its behavior.
At 94 all up, and on my first turn, I was already smiling! The Poison 4 features short, responsive, and direct brake control, offering precise and intuitive control. For the D class category, and with a seven aspect ratio glider, the Poison has the best handling I have experienced in that D class. It's between a Zeolite 2 GT and a Klimber 3P in terms of brake authority.
The overall movements inside a thermal resemble vaguely the Zeno 2. Still, I could sense a slight more homogeneity in turns, probably because I had a higher authority on the brakes, with also a more coherent structure.
The Roll is delivered less than the Zeno 2, and the pitch is neutral. In a more turbulent and strong air, there’s a logical workout intended for D-level pilots, which is rational for that category. However, the brake authority still gives the pilot confidence in control. It moves in a whole structure and in a heavy air mass; it surges forward, but again, the brake authority for a seven aspect ratio glider is flawless.
Gliding through a difficult air mass is the Poison 4 playground. It has a fast trim speed and enters the airmass efficiently (dolphin style), moves forward, and searches for better thermals! Like flying a Zeno 2, Peak 6, the Poison 4 has the edge over the Zeolite 2 GT, XAlps 6, and other light high aspect ratio gliders. It is from the higher category and resembles the Zeno 2 in that matter.
I did some glides alongside a brand new Peak 6, same size, and I think both are very close in glide.
Climb rate in weak lift is efficient, as I could get the most out of the weak day. As efficient as the Peak 6, also in that matter, if both are loaded at the top. Again, regardless of the thermal shape, I could easily re-adjust the glider turn with the brakes precisely inside the lift. In stronger air, it moves upward like the top EN-Ds out there. In good thermals, there’s always that pull through the turns, as if the Poison 4 wants to find the best core. It also feels that when I ease up a bit on the brakes, the Poison 4 leading edge stays pitch neutral with that very nice pull through the air. ( Like that famous stepping up a ladder) feel.
I personally liked the behaviour of that glider in thermals, turbulence, glides, but mainly, turns.
Applying the Speed system in a moving headwind air mass gives much efficiency over the top Cs. The pressure on the feet is moderate, allowing me to easily maintain 90% of the travel with good stability on both the Arrow and the Viista XC. I also think it goes well with Forza 2.
B steering, while on a half bar, has moderate pressure and can control most movements efficiently. Flying the D-class Poison 4 at half bar is quite rewarding in XC in terms of glide efficiency.
Ears can be made with outer B’s. They are stable, efficient with the speed bar, of course, and they reopen quickly.
Conclusion: The Poison 4 has enough gliding performance to stay along with the Peak 6, and other top D's of the moment. The climb is also similar and very good. The handling and brake authority are superb. The overall homogeneity, compactness, and the feel you get under it are the highest successes that Skywalk has achieved for the Pioson 4. Easier and more compact to fly than the Zeno 2, similar to the Peak 6 in flying demands without the pitch back upon thermal entry.. It remains a D-class glider to respect, but also to cherish for its complete package.
Every person has their personal preferences when it comes to activities like flying gliders, driving cars, etc. In my personal opinion, Skywalk has released my preferred EN-D glider to date.
