Author: Ziad Bassil

Here are some questions to the designer of SKY-COUNTRY , Alexey Rakov.1- (Dust of the universe) The Evo X 24 is a comp glider. Why did you certify it?(Alexey Rakov) Because we felt, that it’s possible after making our own tests(in Turkey in Oludeniz) and after first competitions. And we found that it is very interesting to try to certify such glider 2- (DOTU)Now it is the first 7.3 aspect ratio with certification, with even one EN-D on frontal accelerated. How did you manage that? (AR)We didn’t make anything special for this, we just wanted to make not very…

The test:Laying the glider on the ground shows an excellent finish never seen before. The risers are very clean . It has the plastic wires on, it but it is not a “copy paste” thing. The plastic wires contain more rubber into them with a bigger diameter. The leading edge tells you immediately that is a NOVA glider .It doesn’t have any Mylar’s reinforcement on the vertical panels.Lines are rather thin, unsheathed in the upper part and sheathed on the lower ones. But you feel when holding them that there is very little on the hand.We all heard the story…

The NIVIUK PEAK 1 was a revelation in 2007,by its climb capacity and its glide at speed was unbeatable at the time.But i didn’t like its handling,and it was slow at trim.It was lacking of character and felt that the glider passed the EN-D tests being too “tied up”…But having flown the ARTIC 2 ,and liked it a lot !!! i knew that the designer OLIVIER NEF is full of surprises…So i waited a long time for the birth of the PEAK 2.Trailing edge RigifoilQuality: It is very fruitful and great that a company listens to the pilots !! The attachment…

As usual unfolding an ADVANCE glider has been for me a revelation.May be because they are more expensive than others 😉 ,but for sure the quality and the neat details are a step above the competition still.Test:OMEGA 8 +Impress 2 harness.Total weight 93 kgLaunching:That ‘s one strong point of the Omega 8.It launches perfectly,showing a very good behavior when kiting the glider.Even in low wind the glider rises perfectly without any strange movements.Turning &Handling :For an aspect of 6.8 the OMEGA 8 has a moderate brake pressure,and a very good turning behavior ,if helped by the pilot in keeping the…

MYTH or REALTY …!! THE TESTTo be direct …If you want a glider that can be the best in all conditions get a comp glider like the R-10 or similar…If you want the best “labeled” glider get the best EN-D glider from a 2 years cycle.I am convinced that most manufacturers are really competitive and have an excellent R&D team. That’s why every year there will be a breach in designing gliders.Everyone will not forget the 1995 Xenon,the 2007 Mentor from NOVA (Papesh), the 2006 Peak from NIVIUK (Nef) ,the first boomerangs from GIN, the 1996 Xmx from AIRWAVE (Goldsmith) and…

Evaluating a new glider sometimes is difficult and that ‘s the case with the Boom GTO.For this test i would like if i may ,to divide pilots in two categories.(A)The performance oriented.(B)The artists.Construction:Plastic inserts on the leading edge,three liner ,thin three risers ,low sheathed lines and upper unsheathed(Not really thin).Laying the glider on the ground feels simple and very neat.Launching:The glider launches easily in no wind. In high wind also it felt that it stays above your head without pitching.Kiting the glider on the ground gave me a strange feeling of a glider that is relatively easy to stay above…

THE LITTLE BUDDHA I always wait impatiently for a new NIVIUK product.The designer OLIVIER NEF,is full of surprises. In 2006 the PEAK 1 was a revelation among gliders of its level.Still is. The NIVIUK ARTIC 2 is also one of the best EN_C gliders available for the package of security/performance/efficiency it delivers. I was waiting to see how the HOOK 2 will be and what will be the philosophy of NIVIUK in releasing such a glider in the fierce competition of the EN-B category. Laying the glider on the ground feels small for the 80-100 all up size.The plastic inserts…

When the BBHPP came first into the worlds, every pilot was dreaming of flying something like that. It was a clever move for the OZONE team to introduce to the market the R-10 series based on the BBHPP. Some pilots wanted this glider to win comps, and some for the taste of flying one of the best performance glider available in 2010 with the latest technologies and optimum drag reduction. The Mantra R-10 came with a different glider box. One that is rectangular, for the plastic inserts to fit inside without being torn.Opening the glider and spreading it on the…

I had the opportunity to fly the ION Large 90-110,for an hour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tX9eTiTLgE After some flights in thermal conditions, loaded at 95 kg all up ,with an impress harness, here is what I found. Construction and quality are very good ,to the last detail in simplicity and GRADIENT style .It inspire confidence just by looking. Regular risers and lines , excluding the thin lines on top. Launching the glider is easy, in all conditions. Nothing special on that. In the air, at my wing loading I found the brakes long as the Aspen 3,but the wing is agile in smooth conditions. When it is turbulent and bumpy, I need to insist keeping…