U-Turn Lightning S

U-Turn Lightning S

Having had some happy times flying the
Blaklight S and SM size, here is the Lightning in size S ,a light
version of the Blacklight for a test flight.

Of course lighter cloth…It weights around 4 kg risers included.

The risers are very thin and the line attachment point are covered with neoprene and linked with a thick Dyneema line.

Taking off with 88 all up on the S (70-90) is simple.The glider rises
quickly and need just a small brake pressure to keep it overhead.The
launching is fast.

Turning behavior is among the best i have
flew.Like the Blacklight,the lightning is agile with very linear and
crispy handling to keep the pilot in control of every movement inside
the thermal. The Lightning can be steered very precisely in the core for
an outstanding climb !
(The reference) in the B category until now.

The slight pitch back in entering the thermal of the BL has gone and
replaced by a neutral pitch that slows the glider a bit in entering.Much
better than the BL. It seems that the light cloth + the red plastic
long inserts have done this small improvement.

The roll movement
of the Lightning is the same as the one on the BL S.It is a lively
glider ! It jumps in the turbulence to find it’s place ,and needs a good
pilot under it.

The glide seems very good at least the same as BL but in some long lines the less pitch movements gives a better glide angle.

The speed bar can be pushed easily at full with a solid and pressurized
glider. The C riser become a bit light but can be used for preventing
any pitch forward in turbulence. Speed gain over trim seems over +13
km/h at 800 m ASL.

Ears are stable, nice way to descend,as there only two lines on the A’s .

Conclusion :

Light, superb performance, climbs like a devil ! Handles
beautifully…Needs a “skilled approach” in turbulent conditions ! A
floater !
That’s the Lightning.