Construction: The glider is made like all new generation
gliders, with light cloth and plastic red bendable rods on the leading edge
like the ones used on the new NOVA wings.
Flying the M size 90-110 at 100 all up.
Launching the glider in every condition is very natural and
easy ,without any hanging back or shooting forward. As easy as it gets !
Just after take off, the glider showed a spicy but polite
roll behavior.
First thermal and turning this glider is quite nice for the
EN-A category.
Its agile handling surprised me!
It can be steered easily even at the mid weight, and climbs
are average to good. The accelerator is smooth and can be pushed easily, but
its travel is short and limited to pass the EN-A cat.
Big ears are easy and non-event.
Conclusion: I found the HONEY to be targeted for talented beginners
who wants to get nice handling and feedback, with an EN-A safety !
One of my favorite gliders at the time was the Artic 2,which I flew for a
year .I appreciated its efficiency in the air and it’s beautiful
handling. I was waiting for the Artic 3 to see what the designer has
been cooking. And finally it arrived!
The glider has no Mylar like on the Artic 2. Instead light panels with
plastic reinforcements on the edge of the cell like all the new
generation gliders.
Take off is easy, as it rises smoothly above your head.
Immediately after take off, the Artic 3 shows a high trim speed, around 40 km/h, with a certain sense of security.
After some glide tests with some modern EN-C’s I can put the Artic 3 at
the “TOP” of the EN-C gliders I have tested until this day, no question
about it, especially at first bar.
The Artic 3 is a fast glider at second bar with a very competitive glide! And it seems to have also the fastest top speed.
Precise, linear, short, medium to hard brake pressure, reacts on weight
shift and exceptionally beautiful, is what I can describe the handling
of the Artic 3.
It has the tendency to turn flat and efficient. Lowering the brakes for a
quick turn, the Artic 3 responds beautifully and when released, the
glider quickly leveled to stay flat.
Even loaded at max on the 25, the Artic 3 will help you make low saves
without loosing that weak thermal, by its ability to search forward
without excessive pitch and roll, and that quality enable the Artic 3 to
float better.
Big ears are made with the B3 lines, and they look funny, and applying the bar can achieve -3.5 m/s.
Conclusion: NIVIUK made an excellent job by creating a superb, very
performing and balanced glider in the EN-C category .I think I am going
to keep that one…
Unpacking the black and green glider on the take off is a
scene to watch.
Magnificent work is done on the canopy with
strings,ribs,cells,openings …a complicated work looking like an inside of a Swiss
watch !
A true workmanship…
I thought I was going to the moon inside the NASA space
shuttle ;-)
Regular lines are installed on the lower part and unsheathed
on top.
Taking off with no wind would imply a steady pull with no
releasing until it’s overhead, like its older brother the U-sport.
First thermal, and a medium brake pressure much like the
NOVA Factor 2, which I thought i would never find a more agile glider, because
it wouldn’t be usable! But I did.
The U-Cross has even more agility than the Factor 2 !!
Flying the U-Cross “efficiently” in thermals would require a
refined skill in touching the brakes, as it is important to keep the powerful
glider overhead for better coring!
The designer made such a superb work inside the canopy leading
to a very pressurized and powerful
glider. And this will undoubtedly ensure that you won’t get
a blow out easily if the glider stays over your head.
I could describe the U-Cross inside the EN-C Cat, where the
OZONE Delta feels like a happy long haired cool dude with his pants lower than
usual, with bent knees, hang loose mode in a “Rasta man” way ;-) !
The U-Cross feels more like an energetic 20 year old with
big muscles, just popping out the gym, nose up, with a Red Bull drink in his hand,
looking right and left in a fraction of a second and walking with his feet
nearly touching the ground, just like a spring no matter if there’s no one to
watch ;-) !
Going on a series of 360’s on the U-Cross has to be done
surely before eating ;-)
And after some steep turns, it is ok to open your mouth in a
rectangular shape and shout to your “Mamma” :-)
The Guys who love that feeling will surely exchange their
bed pillow with the U-Cross ;-)
Loaded at 95 on the S size, the climb rate in weak
conditions is average.
The performance is inside the EN-C Cat much like the UP XC2
or the GIN tribe M ,or the DELTA M, with a faster trim speed.
Meeting the EN-C certification puts the U-Cross in a short
speed travel that will enable it when fully deployed to increase at ±10 km/h,
with a fairly good glide.
My main harness for the past 2 years was the Impress 2+,
which was very comfortable for my taste. Then came the Impress 3 M .
1.81 m and 73 kg inside the M size.
The construction of the harness and details are
‘impeccable”. It is very rare to find between harnesses such a jewel in terms
of “finessing” ;-) !
The harness impresses you to the level of handling it with
respect. Swiss precision! ;-)
In the air:
In order to feel better the harness, I did make a flight in
the Impress 2 + and the Sigma 8 25 @ 93,and then landed at the take off in the
same conditions and switched to the Impress 3 M @ 90 all up.
Immediately after take I felt more roll movements than the
Imp 2+ has. May be I am a bit skinny inside the M size.
Conditions of the day were like small 3m/s bullet thermals
with 10 m “radius”. “Frequent on our sites”.
It was an exceptional day for trying to put the glider in
its path using the harness.
My flying was long adapted to a seat board, and used to have a support
point inside the Imp 2 when weight shifting, and that, wasn’t available in the
Impress 3 as it doesn’t have one.
I think that time is needed to adapt to that feeling that I
didn’t get used to it yet after 5 hours. It could be my stubborn head to adapt
…
But I felt that “it rolls a bit quicker than I could weight
shift to counter steer”.
Nothing out of the ordinary for that level of race harnesses,
but just a bit more roll than the Impress 2 +.
The strong points of this harness are its superb comfort in
the air by supporting the back and the hips + the light feel of carrying it on
the take off.
The pluses:
A comfortable feeling, with nice back and hips support.
Lighter than Impress 2 by -3 kg.
A superb product with excellence in details and
construction.
The minuses:
Has more roll in the thermals than the Impress 2. (I am
1.81m and 73 kg) May be a bit skinny inside the M that does explain the roll.
Doesn't have a "support point" when you weight
shift (no seat board edge) like the Impress 2, but it needs time to adapt to
its weight shift characteristics.
Flying inside the harness i thought I'd make a small modification for skinny people, to limit the "slack" roll i was feeling.
After receiving some e-mails of pilots that found a similar feeling in
roll movement,here's a photo of the modification that i don't recommend
to make before contacting the pros at ADVANCE to be on the safe side.
But it worked fine for me.
A small strap on each side about ± 16 cm (see pic) would suffice but i
did install the trims to see at what point it will erase the roll
excess.
I found that just a bit of pressure would be enough. No need to pull them hard. Just a slight pressure.
Launching this glider is very easy, in strong or in weak
wind.
In the air the glider has very close handling as the Mentor
2 S, very nice to steer ,and i could place it easily wherever I want inside the
core.
I felt that the factor 2 S has a tiny less trim speed than
the Mentor 2 S. When the conditions were smooth and consistent I found that the
factor 2 S at 95 has a very nice climb, a bit better than the Mentor 2 S at 95.
Flying the glider in relatively turbulent conditions, mixed
with head wind and light to medium thermal activity <2m/s, I was hoping to
get much better biting into wind versus the Mentor 2 S and that would enable
the glider to climb headwind.
In those particular not homogenous thermals and conditions, my
friend with the Mentor 2 M, loaded at 103 was able to climb away several times.
It could be that I am not yet familiarized with the new wing, but it did
happened many times that day.
When the thermals got stronger but “smoother” the Factor 2
will keep its path in the thermal and have a good climb.
On glides in smooth conditions I found a ± 0.3 L/D better
than the Mentor S.
The glides did get better “in smooth conditions” at bar.
The factor 2 S could have a very good glide at bar, but it
stays in the “top” EN-C category only.
Flying with a Mantra 4 M, in head wind glides with some
thermal activity showed a better glide for the M4 which is of course, still the
best in the EN-D category.
Big ears are relatively stable, sometimes one side will
flap.
The Factor 2 S has a very flat polar, and landing in narrow
places require a bit of training.
The pluses:
Handling (superb)
Ease of use
Glide
What I was hoping:
Better climb rate in turbulent conditions
Bigger step in efficiency in difficult conditions over the mentor 2 S, which still is
a revelation…
