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by Jérôme Daoust, revised 2019/2/25-j
Online discussion on PG Forum.
Registration of your new wing. Difficult to find on manufacturer's website.
Observations
About me: Flying paragliders since 1989 and still enjoying it. I have a paragliding school.
2019/2/19 notes…
I got the wing today. I purchased it, hoping it will be another success from long-time designer Hannes Papesh and team.
Rucksack size M (122 l, 480 g) easily fit wing, Haska 2 harness, full face helmet. It is simple (only 2 shoulder straps, no cinch straps to adjust volume, or waist strap) and with thin fabric to keep it lightweight, but also fragile as I found an edge of my harness cut through my previous one (Tenor wing) when sliding on a vehicle roof rack.
Wing loaded at 66% into its weight range (88.2 kg into the recommended 75-95 kg, but certified up to 100 kg) for this size M 21.
The right-side risers and lines were significantly tangled, but left side clear. Since both risers were tied together with a rubber band, this tangle happened at the factory. Probably a built-in test so that only pilots capable of untangling are worthy to fly this wing.
You only have 2 bottom A lines on each side, and they are not the same diameter (inner is thicker).
I like that there is no need for concertina packing.
Pictures:
· 2019/2/19. Leading edge: Inside + Outside. Manufacturer claims 60/120 cells, where 60 are along the full chord, and 120 at the leading edge. But this is misleading, because at the leading edge there is no connection between top and bottom surfaces in-between the full-chord walls. Although the upper surface seems better-shaped thanks to the additional flexible reinforcements and shaped fabric webs, it would be best to ignore the 120-cell claim, and just appreciate the improved in-between-wall shaping of the upper leading edge for what it is.
· 2019/2/19. Risers. Arrangement is simple (good thing). No connection between rear riser and one before. Brake lines have swivels at the toggle, and extra sheathing where they connect to the swivel. Nice flexible (unbreakable) rubber quick-link inserts to keep lines in place. Strong non-slip magnetic brake toggle holders. Single A line leaving each split A riser, and inner one is thicker.
· 2019/2/19. Lines: Bottom + At Trailing Edge. Overall the lines have a thin diameter, making for a surprisingly small bundle when held. The only 2 sheathed red lines are the lower A lines, and are of different diameter (inner is thicker). Lines arriving at the training edge almost look (white) and feel (thin) like dental floss. Overall tension is generated in the trailing edge thanks to contraction line rings.
2019/2/25 notes…
Single flight of 4 hour 15 min. Statistics on Leonardo.
Harness: Open leg: Woody Valley / Haska 2.
Easy to inflate (much better than Ozone Rush 5) and launch. Video of the launch, thanks to Dusty! The fabric feels light, possibly difficult to stabilize (as any other light wing) on a windy day.
Conditions: Rough air for the most of the flight, as to be expected when under an inversion and full sun. I saw other experienced pilots get collapses and they reported similar experiences (Bo thinks his Swing Nyos RS is more relaxing but see my response), with one landing on purpose after 45 min as he "did not like the air". I chose to fly aggressively towards all the strong/punchy locations, instead of staying lower and further away from terrain for a smoother flight.
The wing reacted to the rough air with proportional movements overhead and roll transmitted to the harness, similar or at least as much as a PHI/Tenor (mid-B).
Brakes: Only about 10 cm (4") of free play, so I foresee nobody wanting to shorten them. Tension increases progressively with pull amount, appropriate turn response.
During extended glides I noticed there were no vibrations at trim speed. Only minor fluttering of leading edge at full speed.
Thermalling next to other experienced pilots (in pod harnessed) on Swing Nyos RS and Nova Mentor 4: Similar climbs.
Glide: No direct comparison, but it felt good at trim and on speed bar (smooth activation). My typical transitions seemed easier than with recent wings I owned (Nova Ion 4, PHI Tenor). The designer believes it is as good or better than the most popular C wing (reference) and I have no reason to disagree.
Induced collapses:
· 2x frontals at trim speed: Slow reinflation (not a bad thing), moderate forward pitch. Feels like a typical B.
· 2x 50% asymmetric at trim speed: 90° turn, moderate forward dive, slow reinflation (not a bad thing). Feels like a typical B.
· 1x frontal at full speed, done later in flight for calmer air: Significant freefall feeling time, slow reinflation (not a bad thing) with center first then tips. Feels like a high B, similarly demanding as same category wings.
· 1x 50% asymmetric at full speed, done later in flight for calmer air: 180° turn with big facing-down dive. Feels like a high B, similarly demanding as same category wings.
Unintended collapses (good, given the rough locations I chose to spend time in):
· Frontal at "Cloud" (known peak) in a thermal close to terrain. Reaction was similar to the one I induced.
· Mini frontal at "Pine" (known peak) in a thermal close to terrain.
· 30% asymmetric at "Billboard" (known ridge end).
Summary (4.25 hour airtime in mostly rough air):
· Good: Pack it anyway you want. Leading edge upper surface in-between-wall shaping. Glide performance, most likely matching any EN C wing. Easy inflation.
· Neutral: Very thin and few lines. It does not have 120 cells at the leading edge, just additional in-between-wall flexible rods and fabric webs attached to the top surface. Rucksack is lightweight but fragile. Full speed bar collapses (frontal and 50% asymmetric) generate reactions matching a high-B rating, so keep good terrain clearance in accelerated flight.
· Bad: A little extra line untangling care at launch time.
What's next: I am not keeping the wing because:
· I prefer something more relaxing (mostly the accelerated collapse recovery) in the rough air (dry + high pressure + inverted = sticky air.) I typically fly in.
· I like to replace my wing every year so I don't worry about lines getting out of trim, and a low-B is easy to sell (anybody can fly it).
I see no other high-B being better, so I will get a low-B and live a simple happy life.
