SKY Atis 4

Sky Atis 4

Two months ago, i received seven B gliders to
test fly, among those was the Atis 4.Unpacking the glider i was surprised to
see four normal risers and sheathed lines from top to bottom.No plastic rods
whatsoever…It was a really classic design..So i left  the Atis 4 until i finished all of those complicated high
tech B design thinking that a simple design like the Atis 4 couldn’t really
keep up to those new breeds….I was totally wrong !

The story :

Jumping from B wing to B wing, with some
having very few lines and only seven per side was my main preoccupation those
last months. Then came the day where i took the Atis 4 for a test flight.

Unfolding the glider on the take off, my
eyebrows were lifted and i was confused by SKY decision to make a high end B
glider with four risers and sheathed lines everywhere.

There were no plastic rods either on the
glider.Pure simple, old fashion look….I told my friend (Blacklight M rider) on
the take off, that he must stay near me all the time to assess the performance
of this machine, as i was curious and puzzled.

After some adjustment on the brake lengths as
they were a bit long to my taste, i took off in a breeze.The Atis 4 is
relatively a light glider and this is shown positively on its light take off.

In the air :

Today we flew in our Cedars spot, west take
off the at 2400 m .

It was quite solid thermal conditions, a bit
turbulent as the east wind was coming from the top at 2600 m making it uncomfortable sometimes.

The Atis 4 is not a dampened glider in the B
category. It is a bit alive in the air.Nothing much for the high end B pilot. A
new comer for the high-end B category will need some time to adapt.

Handling and maneuverability :

Thermalling the Atis 4 took me back in time,
where some artist designers used to let us believe that they could integrate
their souls in a glider .

The Atis 4 turns could be described as
,precise,linear ,middle soft pressure,and on its tip…

Flying the Atis 4 26 at 94.5, just on top,
next to a Blacklight M loaded also at top, for two hours, i can confirm that
the trim speed for both gliders are the same.

Doing some 5 km glides wing tip to wing tip,
showed the same glide at trim and same glide at full bar !…

Knowing that the Blacklight has one of the
best climb rate, i could see that the climb rate of both gliders was nothing
but brilliant !We could never be apart inside any thermal for the whole
time of testing.May be the BL has the edge only in very weak thermals.

Conclusion :

The Atis 4 did really surprised me for the
performances it delivers. The SKY designer did an excellent work creating a
superb B glider with nothing but simple and elegant design, proving that with
normal risers and line configuration excellence can be reached.Hats off !!