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ADVANCE EPSILON 8

Ziad Bassil24

ADVANCE Epsilon 8

As always, opening an ADVANCE wing is a nice experience since the quality of construction and materials are really nice .

The Epsilon 8 is ADVANCE low B glider. All lines are sheathed with strong line construction ! 

I’ve seen many gliders and that low B seems having an indestructible construction. It is obvious that ADVANCE wanted a glider that will last for a long time without even thinking going out of trim ! It’s a surely well built glider !

Launching the Epsilon 8 is super easy and a non event …No shooting forward for sure, no hang back…It just wait above the pilots head.

I flew the Epsilon 8 from 90 to 95. This handling on this glider is fine tuned for a wide variety of tastes ! You can turn it pulling 5 cm and it turns smoothly and you can turn it with 30 cm pull with the same smooth dynamism ! Excellent ! 

The pressure on the brakes are moderate, much like the Ion 4 ones. The overall agility for a low B is nice and well balanced !

Low B pilots can easily fly it, and a more advanced pilot can place it with little input in thermals. It has a surprisingly precise brake response. 

The overall movements in roll and pitch in strong turbulent cores (+7m/s) are super smooth and easy to understand with a glider that is smiling at you like a nice polite butler ! The Epsilon 8 doesn’t have a pitch back or forward before entering thermals .It has a very well balanced behavior. Newbies will adore !

The climb rate in weak conditions is efficient. The information is very smoothly given by the brakes and slightly by the risers. 

Going on a glide on the Epsilon 8 at trim and at full bar puts it among the top 5 of the low B gliders. Very easy to keep the bar fully accelerated.

Ears are super stable, easy, and reopen quickly. Landing the Epsilon 8 is a non event with a good flair. 

Conclusion: The Epsilon 8 has everything a low B pilot wishes. From a nice handling to a comfortable ride in turbulence and a good glide angle to begin cross country safely. It’s strong construction will ensure a long use.

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15 Comments

  5. Joe on

    Hi Ziad, I fly since 3 years E7 with full satisfaction! The only difficulty, sometimes, is to advance against the wind. Do you think that with E8 the glide rate is better and this “problem” is solve? Simply in short, it is worth to change E7 to E8, the you feel several differences. Thank you and congratulations for the blog! Joe

    Reply
    • Ziad Bassil on

      Hi,
      Yes I think the E8 has a much better profile to go through against the wind.its for sure a better glide than the E7
      Cheers
      Ziad

      Reply
    • Unknown on

      I had the 'Epsilon 7, now I l' 8, paragliding is very good, but after 70 hours I already broken a brake line. This is due because they replaced the pulleys with the rings, which internally creates burrs that spoil the lines.
      Dino

      Reply
    • vindolin on

      @Dino I had the same problem with my Alpha6, seems like a grain of sand or something similar stuck to the line and made a little scratch on the inside of the ceramic ring, which over time makes the line break.

      I replaced the line and twisted the ring so the scratch is now on the opposite side, no problems since then.

      Reply
    • Unknown on

      No, are the rings that have problems. The line ruin it, probably because the material is not good.Several drivers have this problem.

      Reply
  6. Marius Wigge on

    Hi,
    please compare the Epsilon 8 with the Ion 4. I really don't know which glider I should choose. However, I am a flatland pilot and I think that the Ion 4 will be the better choice because of the higher topspeed and better glide ratio. What do you think? 🙂
    Thank you

    Reply
  7. Unknown on

    Hi,
    When you will Update the B comparison with the E8? I think from the fun factor and handling Site, the E8 is the better Choice than Ion 4 and Buzz Z5?
    Cheers Andi

    Reply
  8. Unknown on

    Have had mine for a few weeks and found it amazing in turbulence little tendency to shoot forward even when dropping out of 10mtr plus thermals , glide is better than my old high end B but a very comfortable and reassuring ride. I am not normally an XC pilot but have now done several short XC flights and now done a PB of 80klm's out and return in strong summer conditions and am very keen to try for further as I am now enjoying the flight in all conditions.

    Reply
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