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by Jérôme Daoust, revised 2022/7/3-a
Online discussion on PG Forum.
Observations
About me: Flying paragliders since 1989 and still enjoying it. I own a paragliding school and teach.
2019/3/18 notes…
I purchased it because I wanted a Low-B wing for the rough air I typically fly in, and this one fits my current body weight and was just released onto the market. If I weighed 5kg (10 lb) more I would have considered/flown an Ion 5 or Epsilon 9 and probably written a similar review to this one.
I got the wing today at 4pm, rushed to Soboba (close to my house) and was launching at 45 minutes later. Climbed out above the mountain and flew for exactly 2 hours, in moderate thermals progressing towards calmer, a few rough spots.
Wing loaded at 76% into its weight range (90.2 kg into the certified 75-95 kg, for this size MS).
Harness: Open leg: Woody Valley / Haska 2.
I can't comment on the ease of inflation because I launched from a small space (800' launch) in partial wind shadow, but no problem.
The first thing that struck me after launching was: It is so relaxing! Only minor movements overhead as it greatly dampens turbulence.
The thermalling behavior felt well balanced and efficient. The brake pull for quick turns is a bit longer than I prefer, but still OK.
After getting high, I went forward to test collapses. Induced collapses were somewhat relaxing:
· 3x 50% asymmetric at trim speed: 90° turn, moderate forward dive, docile reinflation. Feels like a typical Low-B.
· 2x frontals at trim speed: Minimal free-fall and then forward pitch. Both times, at the end it made a loud "snap" from the leading edge center re-tensioning. Feels like a typical Low-B.
· 1x frontal at full speed: Moderate free-fall and then forward pitch. Feels like a typical Low-B.
· 1x 50% asymmetric at full speed: 135° turn with 60° dive (better than typical High-B wing doing 180° turn and 80° dive). Feels like a Low-B.
Unintended collapses:
· None, despite encountering a few rough spots, where I did active flying.
Glide performance seems to be in line with the latest Low-B wings, both at trim (no braking) and full speed bar.
I tried to measure the added speed from the speed bar and my ground speed was not very stable, but it seemed to add about 10 km/h (6 mph).
Did a few sets of wing-overs. All good and fun.
Did big ears. Very slow re-inflation on its own. Lines somewhat snag on the leading edge reinforcements.
Did a 10 m/s (2000 fpm) spiral dive. Easy recovery.
Tried to induce a spin with a sharp brake turn input. No spin.
The gear itself:
· You need to do concertina packing. I'm not a fan, but not a big deal.
· Lots of unsheathed lines, so prepare well before inflating.
· I like that the quick-links connecting risers to lines, just use twisted O-rings to hold the lines in place, better than hard plastic inserts that can break.
2019/3/19 notes…
Flew 3 hour 21 min at Soboba. Conditions started with nice thermals, mid-flight became weird and sinky (most pilots got flushed to the LZ) then became light ridge soaring.
Inflation: After making a wall, I wanted to fluff it one more time, but the wing rose halfway up, so I resumed pulling and the wing got overhead: Easy inflation.
Found a few rough patches while flying, but no collapses yet.
Pictures:
· Inflating, in company of a "super bloom" of yellow poppy flowers. Thanks Steve!
· Launching, in company of a "super bloom" of yellow poppy flowers. Thanks Steve!
· Thermalling, next to Steve on his Alpina 3. Thanks Steve!
Video(s):
· Launching, in company of a "super bloom" of yellow poppy flowers. Thanks Steve!
2019/3/24 notes…
Flew exactly 4 hours. Flight data on Leonardo. Summary on my vario showed peaks of +5.6 m/s (+1100 fpm) and -4.8 m/s (-945 fpm), and thermal edges were very abrupt at times (free falling sensation), resulting in one frontal collapse and one 30% asymmetric, both having benign recoveries. I basically re-did the same flight I had done a month earlier with a PHI Maestro (Flight data on Leonardo), and although I'm sure there must be a performance difference, it did not have a significant effect on reaching my objectives. I climbed in company of good pilots on their Ozone Rush 5 and Swing Nyos RS and this one held its own.
2019/3/28 notes…
Flew 4 hour 36 min. Flight data on Leonardo. Easy clean launch. Smoother air than usual thanks to mostly cloudy skies, which also allowed to touch cloudbase many times. No collapses. Made a low save near mid-flight. There was significant wind and penetrating it was a non-issue. Did a touch-and-go on the launch near the end of the flight. Only negative was cold fingers.
2019/4/1 notes…
Flew 2 hour 33 min and went XC. Flight data on Leonardo. Joining me was 2 others: Kirk Thompson on an Ozone / Rush 5 (High EN B) loaded past max with a pod harness, Franck Techoueyres on a Skyman / CrossAlps (EN C) with a pod harness with rear fairing. Both were surprised that I matched glide a trim speed and thermal climbs. No collapses today but free-fall moments when exiting thermals as well as significant turbulence.
From this point on, I will only report unusual events, not every flight.
2019/9/17 notes… Picture:
· Flying, over Soboba. Thanks David!
2022/6/26 notes… Aging well.
300.4 hours on this wing, done in 118 flights, so 2.55 hour/flight on average. No bad experiences, only good times, with many fun XC flights. I just wish the wing had more glide when accelerated.
Summary (As of 2022/6/26… 118 flights, 300.4 hours):
· Good: Relaxing, with minimal overhead movements. Good thermalling efficiency. Good trim glide performance for its category. Relaxing induced collapse recoveries (typical of Low-B wings) and naturally occurring ones. Good future resale value (typical of Low-B wings). Easy inflation. No vibrations in flight. Ages well (over 300+ hours).
· Neutral: Very thin lines. Unsheathed lines tend to be dimensionally stable (not stretch or shrink) so the high percentage may help keep this wing at desired trim longer than a line set with more sheathed lines. Rucksack has many features, but I prefer lighter and simpler, so I use a PHI (which is fragile). Needs to be concertina packed. Able to kite with very little wind. I wish it had better accelerated glide (typical of Low-B wings).
· Bad: Mostly unsheathed lines require a little extra line untangling care at launch time.
How it makes me feel:
· If it was a vehicle: YouTube video. It absorbs bumps/turbulence well.
· If it was a weapon: YouTube video. You will not impress pilots at your club or online, but it works well for you.
What's next: Time to get a fresh wing, but this one has been good to me.
