Dust Of The Universe

NOVA Mentor 6   XS And here is the new Mentor 6 in XS size flown at 88 all up. The launching is simple, easy and very forgiving due mainly to the light materials used on this glider. It’s not completely a light glider, but NOVA used some light cloth on some parts on it. Immediately after taking off and touching the brakes, I looked high up to see if it’s really a NOVA Mentor?   Yes, it was…I was completely shocked to see that big switch from the older series! Finally, something new concerning the handling and agility to talk about!   :-) The brake pressure is toward the light side and moderates after 15 cm. The authority on the brakes and precision made me smile from ear to ear! ( It’s the first NOVA wing after the Mentor 2 that has a relatively short, precise, linear, and direct brake response worthy of delivering pure pleasure for the handling seeker! Finally, a Mentor that has a very nice, super quick and short turning radius. I could really core the tiniest thermal av...

Ozone Mantra 7 SM  75-95 After more than 5 years over the efficient M6, Ozone has finally released the Mantra 7 with an aspect ratio of 6.5 flat. I flew this glider from 92 to 95 all up. I found that its best to fly it at top weight 94,95 in overall conditions. it is super efficient at that load even in weak thermals. And it needs to be loaded when conditions are strong in order to have better authority under it. Launching the M7 is very easy without any delays and with a strong breeze, a dab on the brakes is needed to stop the surge. The take off is immediate. I flew in different air from turbulent and punchy thermals to soft and tricky ones.  The brake travel on the M7 is slightly longer than the M6 for the same load, but the authority on the brakes and the turning ability are much better on the M7 with better thermal coring.   The feel under the M7 is more tamed than the M6 in all aspects. There are no yaw movements at all. The roll is present but really tame for ...

FLOW Freedom The Freedom is Flow new B glider. The cloth used on this glider is relatively light. It has small semi-circular openings and all the lines are unsheathed. There are lots of lines on this Freedom and some are a bit thick. This configuration seems to last forever without going out of trim.   The Freedom M size like to be loaded right on top. I flew the size M at 100 all up, and it felt quite big but ok for that weight. The launching is easy. The brake pressure is on the light side. They are a bit long and I could describe the Freedom handling and agility to be on the moderate side. It turns well into the core and has a nice climbing behavior.   The pitch is nearly absent on that machine. The roll is also dampened. Overall it's quite easy to fly. The trim speed is slightly less than a Mentor 6 for example.   After some glide comparisons, the Freedom could be placed in the middle part of this (low-mid-high) B category. Big ears are stable and efficient.  It ...