If I had to buy a wing today - 2023/9/27
© 2000 by Jérôme Daoust ( E-mail )

You can help / Tu peux aider

Definitions:
      "Low B" wing: Rated EN B, but manufacturer says suitable for student or new pilot.
      "High B" wing: Rated EN B, but manufacturer indicates NOT suitable for student or new pilot.

EN
I would get a...
Desirable features
Low B
  1. Nova / Ion 7
    Availability: April 2023.
    Unsheathed line: Upper and mid.
    Special packing: No, any method OK.
    Pros: Relaxing, good performance, high max speed.
    Cons: TBD.
  2. Ozone / Buzz Z7
    Availability: June 2023.
    Unsheathed line: TBD.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina.
    Pros: Relaxing, good performance.
    Cons: TBD.
  3. Skywalk / Tequila 6
    Availability: September 2023.
    Unsheathed line: TBD.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
  4. Gin / Evora
    Availability: January 2023.
    Unsheathed line: TBD.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
  5. Advance / Epsilon DLS
    Availability: December 2022.
    Unsheathed line: TBD.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
  6. Niviuk / Hook 6
    Availability: October 2022.
    Unsheathed line: TBD.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
See also: EN-B comparison by Ziad Bassil. 		Low minimum sink rate, max L/D, accelerated glide.
Good handling for thermalling, ignoring acro-ability.
Good collapse resistance and recovery.
Regular (mostly sheathed) line set.
Avoid need to fold with a specific method to protect leading edge.
Durable fabric (not light weight designed for hiking).
High B
  1. PHI / Maestro 2
    Availability: July 2022.
    Unsheathed line: For each side, all but lower: center 2 A's, center 1 B, brake.
    Special packing: No, any method OK.
    Pros: Smooth leading edge, with 76 cells plus mid-cell ribs.
    Cons: TBD.
  2. Nova / Mentor 7
    Availability: Mid 2022.
    Unsheathed line: Top + Mid lines.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina + folding pillow.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
  3. Gin / Avid
    Availability: June 2022.
    Unsheathed line: All (Top, Mid and Lower) lines.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
  4. Ozone / Rush 6
    Availability: June 2021.
    Unsheathed line: All (Top, Mid and Lower) lines.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina + folding pillow.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
  5. Skywalk / Chili 5
    Availability: June 2021.
    Unsheathed line: Top + Mid lines.
    Special packing: Yes, concertina recommended, but other OK.
    Pros: TBD.
    Cons: TBD.
See also: EN-B comparison by Ziad Bassil. 		Low minimum sink rate, max L/D, accelerated glide.
Good handling for thermalling, ignoring acro-ability.
Good collapse resistance and recovery.
Regular (mostly sheathed) line set.
Avoid need to fold with a specific method to protect leading edge.
Durable fabric (not light weight designed for hiking).

Why do I maintain this table?
Because I am often asked "What would you buy?" and I can simply refer to this page. This should only be considered as a starting point for your own selection process. It corresponds to what I would buy for myself, without considering the purchase price. I may choose to gamble on a wing I have not yet flown. My selection process is not influenced by the advertisers or people making donations. I reserve the right to change my mind at any time (men can do that too). Unsheathed line versions are not represented for a fair comparison of base models.

What should a new pilot get?
EN
Consideration...
EN
A <--No     Learned to reverse kite (10+ seconds) in 8 hours?     Yes-->
<--No     75% success rate at forward launches?     Yes-->
<--No     65% success rate at reverse launches?     Yes-->
<--No     Will fly 4+ times a month (stay current)?     Yes-->
<--No     Will avoid rough part of the day by 30+ minutes?     Yes-->
<--No     Flying site is often windy and LZ not close?     Yes-->
<--No     You do your "own thing", not eager to "show off"?     Yes--> 		Low B
Notes:
1) An EN A wing will not compensate for poor judgement (assessment of risk) and make you safe.
2) You can do most things with an EN A wing, only occasionally get frustrated with reduced penetration (and glide) into a headwind, needed if it gets windy and your LZ is far.
3) If you do choose to get an EN A wing, then forget about getting "the best", just get the least expensive one, because nobody will care about its performance when you re-sell it.
4) There is a bigger financial profit on an EN-A wing for the person selling it to you, hopefully that is not motivating their recommendation.
5) If you are buying your first wing, make an effort to buy it from your instructor (unless you don't like him), instead of having an unrelated sales person profit.

Get a Low or High B? Here are the advantages to both...
Low B
High B
Cost: About $300 less at purchase, $500 more value at resale because more pilots can fly it.
Significantly more relaxing: Less wing movements in rough air, much less dramatic full speed collapse recoveries.
Slightly easier to untangle lines for launching, since more will be sheathed. 		10-15% performance gain, mostly when gliding with speed bar.
Bragging rights.
Notes:
1) Advice: Unless you want to compete or push local XC records, get a Low B. You can still enjoy XC flights, all while being relaxed.