Dust Of The Universe

Air Design VOLT 3 SM With 6.5 aspect ratio, Air design is introducing their 2018/2019 C glider. The construction is really well made. All lines are unsheathed with 2 lines on the A’s on each side.   The Volt 3 comes up really well, and inflates quite easy for this aspect ratio. The take off is immediate. The brake travel were set slightly short, but i made then 3 cm longer.   I flew the Volt 3 SM from 90 to 95 all up. It’s quite nice at 90 all up in all conditions, but i found it best at 93.   The brake pressure are slightly less than the Artik 5 i had tested earlier and slightly more than an Alpina 3 MS.   The information of the air   in moderate conditions is filtered and moderately sensed by the pilot. A little more informative than the Artik 5 which is sometimes too dampened, and not too informative like the Sector S, but rather toward a Delta 3 comfortable feel with more roll movements and a slight riser feedback which is very good !   10 cm are only n...

Skywalk Tequila 5   It was obvious when test flying the Tequila (Four) two years ago, i wrote that that low B had some super fine qualities and incredible handling. Many pilots around the world had sent me email’s about their happy experience underneath that glider. Also many reported that for a low B it was a bit handful in strong air especially for fresh pilots coming from an A glider. For sure the Tequila 4 has some incredible flying qualities enabling it to surf quite well in tricky air without loosing on glides.   Then came the Chili 4, which inherited a nice handling (not really as agile as the T4 ! but really nice ) And the overall performance of the Chili 4 is still on the top high B category. So i think SKYWALK philosophy was to introduce a glider that was more accessible for the low mass pilots. The Tequila 5 has an excellent construction with sheathed lines on the lower part and unsheathed on the top part next to the sail. The lines ressembles the Chili 4 ones. Only...

Niviuk Artik 5 size 24 In the C category, Niviuk is introducing it’s Artik 5 for 2018 with an aspect ratio of 6.3. A friend gave me his wing for testing. The construction details are really nice, with Nitinol rods on the leading edge and a shark nose. All lines are unsheathed with a balanced thickness that goes toward longevity and probably to avoid getting out of trim. I flew the Artik 5 24 from 90 to 95 . Launching the Artik 5 24 in nil wind require a steady pull. In a more stronger breeze, this characteristic enables the Artik 5 to be well controlled and launches in a gentle manner. Inner A’s are best in strong wind, All the A’s are best in Nil wind. Flew this glider in multiple conditions, from weak to slightly strong, and sometimes turbulent with some sharp 7m/s thermals. To understand this glider better i was alternating on the same day, landing and flying the Alpina 3 MS and the Sector XS. In turbulent air the Artik 5 gave me the impression over my head of a solid , compact, com...