Author: Ziad Bassil

The King 2 is Triple Seven 2021 EN-D glider with an aspect ratio of 7.0 Very little openings on the shark nose leading edge all across the span.Inflation in nil wind is a challenge! So difficult to get it overhead. I tried to move my hands 20 cm higher, holding the lines. When doing so, pulling upward toward the sky as if you are helping the leading edge to rise is the best option to do. Now it is a little bit better. You need a long take off if there’s no wind! Flying the King 2 MS at different loads showed…

I was lucky to get that Artik 6 quickly that time! As it was impossible to purchase it from Niviuk. I’m surrounded by good positive people worldwide The Artik 6 has a nice construction. Every detail is very well finished. The risers, the sewing, the cloth…everything seems neat and well built. The Artik 6 is slightly lighter than the Delta 4. The glider’s weight sits between the Delta 4 and the Alpina 4. Taking off at 87 all up on the size 23 (70/90) with a GIN light 3 harness is really easy. No hardpoint, no surge, just good-mannered inflation.…

I already test flew the normal version of the Fusion in S and M size. Here’s the Fusion light version ion S size flown at 92 all up. There are loops on the C’s for that serial version, like the normal Fusion. There’s a very neutral pitch feel under the Fusion light S in thermals. It enters the rising air very smoothly. The roll movements are very balanced. Quite comfortable without being too dampened. A slightly more feel than the Delta 4, but surely very comfortable to fly. I can say it felt smoother also. In the same air, where the…

Hi,The Alpina 4 ML at 103 all up.-A smoother feel under the Alpina 4 ML.-The speed system seems to get harder to push at the second bar.-Ears are the same.-Speed is the same.The light fabric resembles the LM6 ones and feels lighter than the one used on the A3.Hi, Flew it today at 98 all up on the ML (85-105) in good conditions on a +100 k run on little endless triangles …(restricted airspace). Surprisingly, the A4 ML at that load was entering effortlessly the airmass and moving forward. The structure was really homogenous at that load. Effortless flying and…

And here it is…A beautiful looking 7.05 aspect ratio, glider with 2 liner technology and an EN-D certification.The Magus construction seems super neat. A mix of Skytex light and heavier materials were used. Launching the Magus in nil wind is a bit difficult to get it overhead. The glider must be laid down in a proper way and better to be centered when pulling the lines. Even in 20 km/h, the raise is slow but manageable for the intended pilots in that category. The Magus doesn’t snake around at all. It comes at a whole, but a little practice and patience are…

After some years of test flying many gliders from practically all categories, I felt that I needed to share with you some important issues. I also knew that a slight tolerance of a few millimeters is permitted within the certification. Today’s gliders are very sophisticated pieces of machinery. Another important issue is that when a brand new glider is released, after certification, and after some 360s and some flying hours, the lines are well placed, and that glider could offer the exact gliding properties that the company intend to deliver and a very specific dynamic behavior through the airmass. The Fusion M size…

ADVANCE Impress 4As usual, I’m always impatient to test fly an ADVANCE harness. Simply because of that extraordinary quality of construction and exquisite finish that was made in their latest designs, and the Impress 4 is the ‘Chef-d’oeuvre’ example of what ADVANCE is offering.For my 1.81 and 73 kg, the Impress 4 M suits perfectly my body shape, and felt well surrounded, and I can comment that I found it slightly bigger than the Genie light M, which I found myself at its max size potential. The Impress4 size M is similar to the Genie race4 M size, the Forza…

SUPAIR Savage EN-CThe Savage is Supair EN-C light glider, with an aspect ratio of 6.5. Thin risers, and very well reduced and unsheathed lines all over. It’s a beautiful looking glider with that mix of white with red and blue stripes! The take-off at 94 is super smooth. Very easy to inflate, and the glider does not overshoot. The brake has a moderate to short travel and also with moderate agility. The brake pressure is on the moderate side. The Savage seems more agile than the Cayenne 6similarly loaded and less agile than the Taska, or Cure 2 M for example for the…

DaVinci Tango let’s dance…DaVinci is a South Korean manufacturer with a complete set of gliders from the A to CCC category.The Tango is their new EN-C glider and my first DaVinci glider!After receiving emails from pilots worldwide, I contacted DaVinci and I was able to purchase the Tango in S size (70-95). https://flydavinci.com/products/paragliders/tango/ To tell you the truth, I was a bit concerned at first about the new company, and I had silly thoughts in my rusty mind about what to expect…Now the glider is in front of me and it is time to fly. The construction looks really good. The Tango has…