Author: Ziad Bassil

PHI Allegro X-Alps 20 The glider comes up easily even in nil wind. In inflating the glider I already sensed a different feel of the structure.In the air, the X-alps version moves in itself a bit more than the normal one. The normal version felt much more compact. That’s why when flying it later at 95, it enhanced that feel for a more compact structure.Climbing next to reference C gliders, showed me that the X-alps version resembles the original one with a little more breathing when surfing the airmass. At 90 all upon the 20, it climbs like the original version. …

NOVA Ion 6 XS 70-90 The construction and finishing details are excellent! Lots of stuff coming with the glider as seen in the picture. It is easy to launch the Ion 6 in 10 km wind, without touching the A risers! Smooth rise with no surge or delay. Usually, I find some low B gliders to be boring by the very restricted and dull feel under them. But not under the Ion 6, which gave me the pleasure I needed to fly it with a relaxed smile. The speed over trim is around 11…

The light cloth, risers, and overall construction is well made. Nice work on the inner construction, to minimize the use of rods for compact packing. In the air, the brakes travel are moderate to long, with a very nice coordinated and soft to quite a good responsive turning behavior. The climb rate seems really good in soft conditions. The comfort rate is high as all low B’s and offers more quality time in thermals, as it is intended for pilots to enjoy flying as a priority. I’m not going to speak about gliding performance for any low B…as all those…

This is my first Little cloud glider. I flew one time an MK2 from a friend, and I appreciated the handling and the swift response. As the Puffin came out and lIttle cloud specifically made it for high wind soaring and playing on the dunes, I was excited to get one. The Puffin has a shark-nosed three risers with trims. My first encounter with the Puffin 16 happened on a day with a wind over 40 km/h. Over the years, it happens that when exchanging wings so quickly for testing, I developed an ability to quickly assimilate the newcomer. But the Puffin…

Details:Launching: When flying next to the Swift 5 S I used my Delight 3 harness as the Swift pilot did also. When flying next to the Base 2 M I used the Genie light 3.Let’s talk about the Genie light 3 / R-Light S. The Genie light 3 harness gives a nice weight shift authority with any used glider. With the R-Light S, it was indeed a pleasure to fly! In strong air, the R-Light S with both harnesses showed me a relatively comfortable ride for a High B. Some will prefer more dampening like the Swift 5 or the…

Finally my first Nearbirds harness! I flew the L size, with an M pod. My height is 1.81cm and 73 kg. It fits perfectly. Lots of adjustments on the Vibe! Immense adjustments I would say! 5 straps from each side to ensure that your body fits perfectly. Everything was thought of on this harness. It feels like the designer is really out of this world or should I say into the harness world! This harness looks and feels like no other harness. The design and love of perfection were deeply incarnated into that harness. From the easy reach, side zipper for…

The workmanship on that glider looks very neat. The light cloth seems the same used on the first version. There are some stainless steel small anchors in the leading edge to prevent the glider is sliding on snowy take-offs. There are 2 A’s, 2 B’s, and 2 C’s! Flying the size 24 at 93 felt very good in overall conditions. The Cross Alps despite its aspect ratio has a nice authority on the brakes! In this test, I will compare it with the Alpina 4 and mainly the Savage because of the same aspect ratio of 6.5. And will talk also about…

I received two Sigma 11 in sizes 22 and 24. At first, let’s talk about the size 24.While the S10 had a little spice, the S11, 24 is calmer in moderate conditions. The brake authority is high on the S11, 24 as the pilot can swiftly carve the glider in the air, and it is difficult to miss a thermal core. Gliding next to a Delta 4 MS at 93 all up, I could confirm that the S11 24 at 93 has the around 95 % the same gliding power at trim and even at the S11, 24 top speed with overlapping pulleys. …

BGD Base 2 MAfter the Cure 2 EN-C here is the new Base 2 from BGD. The new generation BGD gliders seems to be developed with very good software, a new designer ‘Tom Lolies’ and it seems that they are quite different from the past creations.My friend lends me his new glider, and I flew it from 92 to 96 all up. Launching the Base 2 in nil wind requires a steady pull. It slows a bit at 45 degrees, and a little more pull to get overhead. The inflation in more than 5 km/h is easy and the take-off…

I flew both sizes, the S at 85 and the MS at 93 all up. The difference between the A4 and the Delta 4 MS for example is a better launching behavior, mainly due to the lighter materials. The A4 rises better than the Delta 4. The maneuverability and agility are the same, but probably the Alpina 4 has a slightly smoother feel, and the brake’s authority seems lighter and felt a bit more linear.