The CURE 2 from BGD (Bruce Goldsmith Designs) is a Sports Class wing (rated EN-C) that promises high performance with low stress. “It’s fast on glide with excellent stability in wind and turbulence,” says BGD. Flybubble tested it in the British winter and the South African summer to get a true picture of its character.
I have enjoyed testing the Gin BONANZA 2, which is a modern reinforced Sports Class wing. For the last couple of years I have been flying my Niviuk Artik 4, which I know very well, so this is mainly a comparison between the two, to give a flavour of these two sports class gliders and an idea of how new wings have progressed in the past few years. Over the few weeks I had the Bonanza 2 I managed 25 flights ranging from 2-90 minutes and a total of 10 hours airtime over three different sites. These were in conditions varying from light to strong and thermic to soaring with a couple of short (17km) XCs.
As an experienced hike-and-fly enthusiast, a lightweight C is something I am interested in, so I was excited to receive the Q-LIGHT for testing. Triple Seven say “The Q-light is the ideal tool for long, difficult hike&fly adventures in remote mountain areas. It has a high passive safety level in combination with performance that is way out of its class.”
Miniwings for high wind soaring are one of my personal obsessions and I spare no effort in finding the worlds best. I live in Auckland, New Zealand with large picturesque sea cliff and conditions that are often strong, laminar and superb for high wind soaring/speedflying. This is unusual in the world, so we are lucky and constantly looking for better miniwings to give us more fun in our smooth 20-45km/hr coastal winds.
The Gin BONANZA 2 makes it clear, it’s aiming for Sports Class, and the EN C rating leaves no room for misunderstanding: it’s only suitable for experienced pilots. It looks especially clean, high aspect and racy. Is it too hot? Carlo Borsattino tests the wing in a range of conditions in Tenerife and the UK to analyse the handling and features.
The Nova SECTOR is a mid-level EN-C rated wing (Sports Class) that aims to provide easy handling with stability and good performance. It is a step up from Nova’s popular MENTOR range and is intended for pilots with a few years of flying experience. Carlo flew it extensively in Colombia.
The Ozone DELTA 2 was a very popular wing in the Sports Class (EN C). I thought it was a joy to fly, ideal for exploring, adventuring, and having an absolute blast in the sky. Sensitive, sleek, stable and smooth, it was as Ozone promised – a truly superb wing. Could it be improved upon?
ADVANCE's strapline for the SIGMA 10 is "Epic XC". In terms of pilot demands its predecessor, the SIGMA 9, was a low end 'easy C'. Since then ADVANCE have added a new 'high B' wing to their range, the IOTA. Consequently the SIGMA 10 has moved up to the middle of the C class, with a higher aspect ratio and more cells, sitting nicely between the IOTA 2 and OMEGA XALPS 2. ADVANCE claim that the performance increase is noticeable. But is it really, and what's it like on the ground and to fly?
The TASKA is Supair's first foray into the Sports Class (EN C). Aimed to deliver 'accessible performance' it is a semi-light construction, avoiding the compromises of extreme lightweight product while still being compact and easy to carry at only 4.5kg in the medium size. Carlo and Greg take to the skies to investigate the handling and character of the TASKA.
Dave Southern reports on the hike-and-fly combination of Advance PI 2 and EASINESS 2 (Skywings Magazine, January 2017). "The Pi 2 27 and Easiness 2 ‘security configuration’ are an excellent combination which should pass unnoticed by the most eagle-eyed flight desk attendant and go into the overhead lockers for air travel. All of your kit, including an ultralight reserve, could weigh less than 7kg and you’d still have a glider that is capable of good, safe XCs."
