Pulsar - October 2003 Skywings by Steve Uzochukwu

The Windtech Pulsar is a new entrant into the DHV 1-2 market that accounts, amongst fierce competition, for most of the gliders sold in Europe. The Pulsar is a replacement Windtech’s the popular Serak, and is also the basis for the tandem Bantoo and the Kinetik, a paramotor-specific wing with special features such as trimmers designed specifically for motorised flight. Information on the complete Windtech range is at www.windtech.co.uk.

The glider is supplied with a rucksack, speed system complete with Brummel hooks, repair patches, manual, compression strap and an inner bag. The rucksack is the same unique design that comes with other gliders in the Windtech range, with no difficulty in getting a harness with a 17cm Bump'Air into it, complete with glider and helmet. The bag is easy to adjust for comfort on long walk-ups and is aesthetically pleasing too. Compression straps help minimise size for greater ease of carrying or the squash into the car boot, and take strain off the zips if need be.

Unfolding the glider reveals a very distinctive, striking or even funky design. I really like it, but a small minority may think it's too strong for their tastes. It's another variation on the ‘W’ for Windtech with two W’s forming a birdlike design. This part of the design is in white, contrasting with the two colours used for the front and rear of the sail. Unusually, the design is identical on top and the bottom surfaces. The sail is made from Porcher Marine Skytex 9092, 45g/m2. The risers are Polyamide 20mm and the lines are 1.1/1.7 mm Kevlar. The cell entries are reinforced with 180 gr. Dacron and the trailing edge has a polyester reinforcing tape along its full length.

The glider supplied for the test was the largest size (100 - 125kg all-up) of four which cover the range from 60 - 125kg. All-up flying weight for the test was 108kg.

The leading edge cell entries have a classic shape - Windtech have not seen the need for either closed cells or different shaping for a glider at this level. Further examination shows a very high standard of finish. It looks as if Windtech have found some improvement on this aspect of their gliders, which was already amongst the best in class. The speed system allows for easy adjustment at the Brummel hook end, and is a two stage item for easy operation. The accelerated speed range of the Pulsar is large and the speed system travel is quite long. To use the full speed range of the glider you will need to set up the speed system carefully, bearing in mind that some older harnesses may have pulleys placed in such a way as to cause artificial limits.

Inflating the glider shows an easy and even inflation. The manual quotes 8kg glider weight (this weight actually includes the complete package: risers, maillons, lines, inner bag and rucksack. Many other manufacturers quote just the weight of the glider, lines and risers, and some quote the very misleading figure of just the glider without the lines or risers - CB) for the large size but the glider doesn’t behave like a heavy one as far as ease of inflation goes, and is very light and easy to handle on the ground. I used the inner A’s for both forward and reverse launches in the absence of any reason not to in the manual. Ground handling is very good and an improvement over the Serak.

A light to medium pull-up is needed on a reverse launch, with some braking as the glider arrives overhead. The only way to spoil things is to pull too hard. Releasing the brakes smoothly as you start to run makes for an easy take-off, with any excess speed available to convert to height once airborne.

The glider is very agile in the air, with the chest strap set to 38cm (all sizes) as per the clear instructions in the manual. I thought this might affect feedback or agility, but was proved wrong. All the right signals come down the risers and even opening up the chest strap to 42cm did not adversely affect handling, but the pilots this glider is targeted at should stay with the placarded chest strap setting. The glider turns quickly into any lift on a whim but also will turn very flatly and efficiently, which is sometimes an Achilles’ heel for the more agile gliders. In fact, despite the superb agility of this glider it does not have any preference for bank angle, remaining where set by the pilot and instantly responding to either roll in or roll out commands on the brakes. It seems to go best with co-ordinating weight shift, but will turn quickly and efficiently on brakes alone. This behaviour seems to be part of the very good climb rate the Pulsar can offer, which offers the pilot the ability to concentrate on thermalling and centring in lift without having to control the glider constantly in pitch or sort out tip tucks.

The speed bar is light in action, and the Pulsar is very stable when it is used. Using it gave a top speed of 49 - 50km/h. Trim speed averaged 38km/h, varying between 37 and 39 despite the fact that I was flying at 108kg, 4.5kg below the middle of the weight range where Windtech quote trim and top speeds. It seems they have been slightly conservative in their figures. The Pulsar behaves exceptionally well in the first half of the bar travel and this encourages its use especially for that return to the site after the thermal gives out over the back. It's also very stable in pitch on the bar. It did not require correction, or leave the overhead position in turbulence.

Big ears are made simpler by the split A-risers; they require a firm pull to get in as the glider is very resistant to collapses of any sort. Even in the lower half of the weight range they come out without any pilot intervention and there is no instability or oscillation when they are in. The same applies when the speed bar is used. B-line stall is very physical in terms of initiation - a strong pull is needed - and has to be maintained to get the glider in to this descent mode. Once in, the stall is easy to maintain. To exit, simply release the last 10cm of B-riser and the glider snaps out of it very sharply with no need for pilot intervention, but with all gliders the pilot should be prepared to damp the dive if necessary.

I executed a number of spiral dives on the Pulsar. Entry from trim speed takes about one 360, then the glider picks up speed quickly, getting into high descent mode without much delay if the brake position is maintained. I found that a much more controllable spiral results if you reduce the brake applied by about a third after the glider has done 180 degrees in the spiral. Releasing the brake smoothly all the way whilst in the spiral results in a slowing down of the spiral first, then an exit without drama.

40 - 50% asymmetrics come out at roughly a quarter of a turn if provoked and need some effort (to initiate – CB), as the inflation pressure of the glider resists quite strongly against the pull in. Despite summer flying in Annecy in some strong conditions I did not experience any deflations and therefore can report the canopy is rock steady. One flight in turbulent conditions with mixing layers did produce rustling and unloading of the canopy, but at all times it remained inflated and gave good indications as to what it was doing, and thus the necessary actions to avoid trouble were taken.

Saving the best until last brings us onto the thermalling behaviour of the Pulsar. In anything from the weak conditions in the UK, needing 15 minutes or more to gain 2,000ft, to the 5 - 6m/s thermals in the Alps, the Pulsar was in its element. It's an outstanding glider to thermal and it has a great climb rate. It requires no special techniques to optimise the climb. Flat, really banked-up and all shades in between are well within its repertoire. The Pulsar always signals which way to turn for the thermal and makes thermal mapping and choice of bank angle very intuitive. Brake pressure builds up nicely as you pull the brakes, but is never high enough to be tiring on long climbs. I find it ideal for me but it is matter of taste.

This is a great wing for anyone from Club Pilot upwards. It is very easy to ground handle and fly, and gives great enjoyment because the ease with which it flies doesn't have a handling or agility penalty. For the more experienced pilot this results in totally stress-free flying, even in the strongest of conditions. The glider is supplied with a very comprehensive manual covering all aspects of flying and caring for it. Workmanship is top-notch, and the only very minor gripes I can raise are the heaviness of the B line stall and the fact that the inner bag for the glider is a very tight fit (Windtech have taken note of this criticism and now all inner bags are much bigger! - CB). The bag size has been changed for the better on later gliders in the production run. Windtech tell me the B-line stall issue is due to their reluctance to compromise the excellent flying characteristics of the glider, and its well-executed speed system, for the sake of an easier B-line stall. In comparison to its predecessor the Serak, the Pulsar is more stable in pitch, better refined in the turn and easier to ground handle. For those of you not familiar with the Serak, the Pulsar is a fantastic introduction to the Windtech range and does them great credit as paraglider manufacturers.

Conclusions:
PROS : Excellent all-rounder with very easy thermalling and accomplished handling. Solid and very reassuring.

CONS : Physical B line stall.

Importer’s comment
When I asked Windtech co-owner, double Spanish Champion Gabriel Canada, why they were replacing the hugely popular Serak, acclaimed by pilots and praised by magazine reviews worldwide, he told me: “The Pulsar is even better, with significant improvements and refinements in many areas - we simply had to bring it out!”

Conceived by Windtech designer Alvaro Valdez using Windtech's own in-house design software, the Pulsar incorporates technology from the Quarx 2, Syncro and experimental prototypes, refined by chief test pilot Jose Ramon Saiz (2001 Spanish Champion and six-time Spanish national team member) and his team. It offers an astonishing combination of precise, responsive handling, excellent feedback, superb performance and sublime thermalling capabilities, with a high level of confidence-inspiring stability even in strong turbulent conditions. I think pilots will agree that it was well worth the upgrade!

Pulsar Review - Cross Country Magazine February 2004

'Pulsar’ is the name given to any cluster of small, energetic stars that rotate fast and emit energy. Translated into paraglider design, this could be well be the recipe for a pocket rocket. Jaco Wolmarans checks out Windtech’s new DHV 1-2 Serak replacement to see if the name fits.

THE BRIEF
Windtech has recently sprung to the foreground with a spate of headline-grabbing records made on their latest wings. Factory pilot Josh Cohn recently broke the declared goal world record with a flight of 307 km on his DHV 2 Quarx and also flew a declared goal flight of 177 miles on the Nitro competition wing.

This is the lineage of the new Pulsar, and before it, of the Serak, which Windtech's Matt Taggart described in 2001 as "a DHV 1-2 with the performance of the Quarx or Bagheera". The Serak indeed turned out to be a hugely successful wing, and has long been regarded as one of the higher performers in this class. But the time has come for a change.

Windtech designer and co-owner, Alvaro Valdés, thus had a hard act to follow with the Pulsar, especially if he was to attain what Matt reckoned was about to become the focus of designers world-wide - optimising the wing for glide and stability at speed. Alvaro says the Pulsar is based on the experience he's gained from all his previous models: parasitic drag has been reduced to a minimum, with internal V-ribs of varying size allowing for economical placement of the suspension lines. The result is more speed while the wing maintains its structural integrity and stability in turbulence - perfect for a DHV 1-2 glider. "The technical details and specifications are similar to the earlier gliders but optimised in progressive stages at all levels," he says. My first flight was enough to convince me that the Pulsar has indeed been "cleaned up": it showed both good speed and good glide at speed.

CONSTRUCTION
The Pulsar comes in an attractive 3-colour livery and is made from lightweight and crinkly Nylon - specifically, Porcher Marine Skytex (45 g/m2). It sports 1.1 and 1.7mm Kevlar lines and nice, thick, chunky risers at the harness end. In a word, the construction is faultless, with beautifully regular stitching throughout. Alvaro says the profile thickness, cell width and chord line of the Pulsar are unique throughout the span, starting at the centre of the wing and graduating to the wing tips with varying sizes and lengths. By using their proprietary design software and clever construction to avoid external stitching Windtech have produced an aerodynamically clean wing. All this fits into an attractive bag of a somewhat unusual design: the top section is a separate bag that folds over the body of the bag. Note that you're unlikely to fit your harness and glider into the bag unless you pack the harness upside down.

LAUNCHING
In gentle conditions, the lightweight Skytex fabric makes for ridiculously easy launches. Forward launches are a breeze: simply leaning forward and using your weight is enough to bring the glider overhead. It doesn't hang back just short of top dead centre in lighter conditions either, which makes it easy to launch under paramotor power as well. Like the Ozone Vibe, the wing tends to be rather over-enthusiastic in strong conditions and shoots up quite fast, but a quick check on the brakes will stop it dead overhead. Still, in "normal" flying conditions of 10-15km/h winds, the Pulsar is perfectly predictable. So much so that I managed an effortless reverse pull-up with no hands on the risers, and the brakes clipped in - just by leaning back. Even in this configuration, and without it being checked overhead, the Pulsar stopped above me by itself, allowing me to turn and run down the hill while reaching up to unclip the brakes. This is on par with the beautiful launch characteristics I experienced on the new Firebird Grid. Ground-handling is very direct. The wing responds well to input and quickly corrects itself assisted by a little bit of sideways footwork.

PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING
The Pulsar's directness during ground-handling is a precursor of its airborne characteristics: direct, solid, and very responsive. Initially I was convinced I was flying a higher-rated wing than a DHV1-2, such was the feedback but almost 20 flights later in sometimes dubious conditions, I had yet to experience a single collapse. The Pulsar stalls at 21-22km/h, cruises at around 36km/h and musters a top speed of around 48km/h. I must confess, that at this speed, I ran out of leg length and still had 2cm speedbar travel left, which would account for Windtech's claim of 50km and a speed range of +14 km/h when you hit the go fast button.

Go fast it certainly does. I tested it on trim against the very quick ProDesign Effect I and an Ozone Octane and watched both recede in the rear view mirror. On full bar, it even smoked a DHV2 on glide at speed. Alvaro says the Pulsar gets its speed from a combination of the internal construction and reduced total line length. It is rock-solid on both half and full bar. Glide at speed is not shabby either - a long glide out from Cape Town's Lion's Head in coastal air gave me a mean sink rate of 2m/s at 48km/h.

This wing just loves to turn, brake response is instant, but, as is often the case with intermediates, height loss in steep turns can be substantial, especially in light conditions. The Pulsar digs in and dives on command - so much so that being heavy-handed on the brakes will quickly make you catch your breath. Spirals are the same - immediate and deep. That's why the wing is not aimed at the entry-level pilot. In light conditions, going gently on both brakes and using some subtle weight-shifting did result in a respectable sink rate in turns. You just have to be delicate and keep a little brake on the outside as well.

Thermalling is where the Pulsar really comes into its own - that beautiful turning ability allows you to lock into the core so hard it sometimes feels like you're spinning backwards. It shows little or no tendency to flatten off, or get rolled out of the core by strong lift. Because of its sensitivity, you feel every little nuance of the thermal. Initially this was quite disconcerting (for a DHV1/2) and felt rather like my FreeX Oxygen. However, concern soon turned into joyous abandon once I realised the Pulsar could remain absolutely rock-solid throughout the steeper turns and exits from thermals. During wing-overs, I noticed the same rigidity across the span of the wing. The glider failed to unload even during steep wingovers. This imparts a wonderful feeling of safety, especially so in turbulent air. Alvaro says this is a product of several different factors: "The profile and the shape of the planform enable a better relationship between angle of incidence, aerodynamics and distribution of the pilot's weight, and therefore it does not fold."

I played a little game of chicken with the Pulsar to test its resistance to symmetric collapses. Allowing the wing to surge forward from point of stall without checking its dive brought it seemingly close to front tucking. Every time, the Pulsar stayed nice and solid. I tried ignoring the surge to see if it would tuck, but must admit I repeatedly chickened out before the glider did and hit the brakes to damp the surge. The reaction again was immediate. Asymmetrics are simply a joke. Pull the A-riser and the wing barely folds. Pull harder and ... the wing barely folds. Put on a bit of speed bar, jerk hard and ... hardly a crease. All very reassuring. It's extremely hard to deflate the leading edge, and when you do succeed, the wing turns very little. Hats off to Windtech for high-end stability.

Comparing it to other wings in this class I've flown recently, it feels more responsive than the Gin Oasis, but has a similar stability, while in lightness in handling it compares with the Vibe. On top speed it compares favourably with the Airwave Sport, and glide at speed probably exceeds the expectations of its class.

Although the Pulsar is not intended as a paramotor wing, a final flight before dispatching it back to Spain confirmed it to be ideally suited to the task with easy launching in light conditions, no discernable roll or yaw under climb, and heaps of speed. Windtech in fact have used the Pulsar as the platform to develop their dedicated paramotor wing, the Kinetic. They say that the Pulsar is suitable for motor flight too if you can live without the special trimmers used on the Kinetic.

Summary:
Throw the Pulsar into a couple of energetic wingovers and you'll quickly throttle back on your brake input with a new respect for its enthusiasm. Rather like the Ozone Octane in this respect, it needs to be "under-steered" and demands a sensitive pilot. In fact, I would hazard a guess that it will make an extremely good acro wing, but Alvaro assures me he has even more agile wings in his current arsenal.

The Pulsar is a wing for the discerning pilot who will appreciate its fine-tuned abilities. It is suitable as a step-up glider, not an entry-level wing, and will make an ideal double-up motor and free-flying wing. And, should you ever enter a competition on it, you can forget using the wing as an excuse for a poor result.

Windtech Kinetik Paramotor Wing Test Flight by Paul Haxby, AXB Sports; Printed in Paraglider Magazine Vol 2 No 4

After five years of flying a range of different paragliders comp while paramotoring I have had the chance to experience any 1: the strengths and weaknesses of the different gliders very available. I am always looking at other wings to see how wing. paraglider design is improving and whether I can offer my and d customers a faster and more stable wing with a better glide. I was the w eager to try the new Windtech Kinetik because I have heard very it WOI positive comments from Windtech pilots and because it was their levell first wing that had been altered for use with powered flight.

Launching
Forward launching in nil wind conditions is effortless with no tendency to drift to one side or fall back, as long as you keepi moving forward. I completed a forward launch with the trimmers recov full off and despite having to run like a hang glider pilot, I found the launch was very positive. Reverse launching requires a windof at least 5mph to successfully inflate the wing confidently-but with the easy forward launch characteristics of this wing I would always go for the forward launch if the winds were nil or very light. The Kinetik comes up quickly and has no tendency to overshoot or drift as long as you make sure you position yourself in the center of the wing. Ground handling is easier than most wings because the cell pressure feels uniform across the whole wing area (most wings that feel this solid usually are heavier on launch).

In Flight
On the first flight with the Kinetik I was impressed by its rate of climb and same positive and stable pressure across the wing. When I reached 2000ft and completed a ten-mile out and return flight, I started to test the wing's handling and stability to see how it would recover from adverse maneuvers and weather a bit of conditions.

Inducing a 50% collapse while under full power wasn't a problem at all, apart from the strain on my left shoulder because of the amount of effort required to pull against the high cell pressure! Self-inducing a 50% collapse without power was easier to initiate, with a slight tendency to turn towards the collapsed side at a slow rate that would cause very little concern.

The Kinetik seemed very tuck resistant, and always seemed to recover from asymmetric and frontal collapses quickly and without pilot input. Power on full with plenty of brake followed by power and brakes completely off didn't cause any problems and proved the very good pitch stability of the wing. Roll stability is excellent and despite my efforts to make the wing roll while using power it would always revert back to level flight when I released the controls. I only managed to get the wing to spin once by aggressively pulling hard on the brake controls, but the wing recovered quickly when the brakes were released.

Big Ears cleat facility
The Kinetik has a useful attachment on the risers that allow the 'big ears'to be kept in allowing you to use the brake handles with the tips tucked in. I noticed that Windtech had made both cleats facing towards the left hand on the glider, which the UK importer, Carlo Borsattino, explained to me was so that the pilot can induce big-ears with the non-throttle hand. I personally would prefer both big ears cleats to face to the outside because I have never had a problem with the throttle getting in the way things-but it shows the designers have been thinking carefully.

The trimmers and speed system
The trimmers on the Kinetik have a special 2:1 pulley system, designed to prevent the problem of slippage that normal trimmer systems seem to have (again showing some forethought) and they give a good amount of speed increase to an already fast paraglider. During the last two years I have been flying a paraglider with Silex power risers and the problem of the trimmers slipping has been overcome by having Velcro fastenings. Although, at first, I found the trimmers a bit fiddly to release compared to the Silex power risers, after a couple of flights with the wing I was getting used to the trimmers and realized it was only a minor complaint.

If you want to go faster, there is also a speed bar with short travel and which gives only a slightly higher top speed and makes indents on the leading edge of the paraglider apparent. Windtech tells me that the speed system is not so much meant to augment the top end speed of the Kinetik, but more to allow more efficient and safer gliding flight in turbulent conditions, as one can easily monitor the pitch of the glider as you glide along, keeping the glider more stable and efficient.

Handling
Tight turns, wingovers and spiral dives with the Kinetic give the feeling that there is some kind of aluminium structure within the wing that gives it its rigid feeling. The second flight was a thermalling/height gain exercise to prove the wing wasn't a slouch in active air, and I was quickly up to 4,SOOft feeling confident enough to take my hands off the controls and admire the view in 300fpm thermals.

The final test was a SO-mile flight to the coast on an overcast day. I completed the distance with at least a litre left over from the eight litres I set off with, despite having to complete some of the flight on a crosswind track. My flying companion used at least two litres more than myself during this flight.

Conclusion
The Windtech Kinetic offers an excellent combination of stability and performance for powered flight. It is the best powered wing I have had the chance to fly so far. I would be happy to encourage people to fly such a good wing because they would achieve far more with their powered flying. This is not your average DHV1/2 paraglider however, and you will need to practice launching and flying the wing in calm conditions if you are used to a more idiot- proof wing.

If it is quality, exceptional performance and handling you are looking for, the hundreds of miles and hours spent will surely warrant the debit from your account. I managed a total of 60 miles and a 9,000ft height gain in just three flights using the Rad MXL paramotor so this would definitely be a more enjoyable option than garden decking!

Quarx2 - May 2003 Skywings by Steve Uzochukwu

Two years ago the name Windtech would have required a long introduction. Now almost none is needed. In that time the paragliding and kitesurf manufacturing company from northern Spain has been doing a lot. They have a full portfolio of solo gliders from DHV1 up to AFNOR Competition, plus tandem and paramotor wings (all made in Europe) and a range of emergency parachutes and accessories. A worldwide network of importers is now in place, and here Windtech and Waves UK, importer for both kites and paragliders, is carefully building up a dealer network.

The Quarx 2 is the successor to the Quarx. Launched in 1999, it (the Quarx - CB) gained a reputation for agility, high trim speed and being very good in small or broken lift. Since then Windtech designer Alvaro Valdez has come up with some interesting new ideas to improve the glider. The resulting design is completely new, not just a re-trim or development of the previous design. The four-glider range covers all-up weights from 60kg - 120kg.

Construction
There are myriad differences between the original Quarx and its successor, of which the most obvious are the new cell entries, quite similar to those seen on the Syncro. A combination of open and semi-closed cells increases the rigidity of the leading edge, with the top edge of the cell entry on the semi-closed cells joining the lower edge at certain points.

Line consumption has been reduced compared to the Quarx, with most of the lines in the centre area of the wing having only one stage of bifurcation. The wing tips have been completed redesigned and the wing has a new aerofoil section. Construction details include Kevlar lines, 20mm polyamide risers, Porcher Skytex 9092 upper surface and 9017 lower (both with E77A water repellent coating), and a trailing edge reinforced with polyester tape. The ribs are 9017 with the E29A coating - the ‘firm’ version of the fabric with less flexibility and more stretch resistance.

Features shared with other Windtech gliders include a V-rib design that avoids the need for the ribs to run the full length of the aerofoil, saving weight, and the V-rib design changing across the span to maintain optimum shape and rigidity. All stitching on the top surface is internal.

The glider has a four-riser system (no split-As), with the speed system pulling A and B risers first, then after 1cm engaging the C-riser, pulling it by half as much. Risers have plastic insert line tidies inside the maillons. The brakes are parked by plastic covered magnets; these are totally smooth to prevent any lines getting caught on them. The speed system cord ends in high quality Austria Alpin Brummel hooks for easy disconnection.

The glider is supplied with a manual, repair patches for both fabric colours and a two-stage Windtech speed bar. The bag is simpler than previous Windtech bags but much improved, with no difficulty in getting a harness and 17cm Bump'Air, glider and helmet in it. Despite fewer straps the bag is easier to adjust for comfort on long walk-ups and is aesthetically pleasing too. Compression straps help minimise size for the squash into the car boot and take strain off the zips.

On the ground
Ground handling is straightforward and very easy; the Quarx 2 is better damped than its predecessor and comes up slightly more slowly. No special techniques are needed and the tips are quite firm. The glider is tolerant of being allowed to over-fly the pilot slightly. Unloading is progressive with plenty of warning, and this makes the glider easier to control in pitch via feedback through the harness. Asymmetric inflations work very well and any unevenness in the pull-up can be corrected whilst the glider is coming up. In the ground-handling stakes this glider can best some 1-2s for ease. Forward launching requires a horseshoe layout as detailed in the manual - check the inner two A-lines go tight before the outer one as you walk forward. The canopy will then come up cleanly making for an easy alpine launch.

Letting the brakes off and accelerating the glider for take-off shows that it picks up speed very easily and will convert it to height very well when the brakes are pulled. Energy retention is excellent without excessive pitchiness, often the price paid for this quality. Brake pressure goes from quite light at the beginning through middling, becoming very firm just before the stall point, and very clearly signalling the same. The glider mushes very well - I didn't try this from any great height but it worked very well at 12 - 15ft.

In the air
In the air comportment is very good and the glider is refined and easy to fly. The glider enters the turn very smartly without the need to carefully co-ordinate the outside brake like the original Quarx. Once in thermals the angle of bank remained set without the need for further brake movement. In turns in thermals, feedback from the harness tells you whether to tighten or flatten the turn, or which way to turn on entry to a thermal, and gives just the right amount of feedback. I wasn’t bumped about or made to feel like a passenger. The Quarx 2 has all the qualities Windtech pilots have come to expect but is just more polished and refined in the way that it delivers them. The ability to turn on a sixpence, retain energy through the turn and signal which way to turn into lift are honed to a T.

The sink rate is also very good despite the apparent small size of the wing. Turning in small and broken lift, the glider could be really cranked up without the sink rate suffering. After a two hour dialling-in period I started to seriously enjoy the Quarx 2 and to dread the day I’d have to give it back. In really strong air the glider took on a new and even better character, with an excellent and very rarely-seen mix of agility and solidity. In off-the-clock lift and sink I had just one small tip tuck when I failed to take appropriate weight shift action. In the very roughest air I encountered - a wind shear - the glider suffered two frontal tucks. A small one made very little difference to the flight path; a larger one recovered itself with only a minor surge. Only one other glider reached my altitude that day, most other pilots landing due to the rough conditions. The Quarx 2 inspires exceptional confidence in the worst of air.

Trim speed of the 29 model was around 37 - 39km/h at my all-up weight of 106 - 109kg. The speed bar was easy to use and the new leading edge doesn't seem to have any flutter in it even on full bar. Top speed, measured with a trailing probe, was around 50 - 53km/h with the pulleys just about to touch. Windtech's claims for trim and top speed are accurate or even slightly conservative, but like the original Quarx the Q2 has a very good speed range between trim and stall.

The high trim speed does not mean a high landing speed, and slowing it down for slope landings or just before the final flare is easy. Even flying the 27 model (85 - 105kg) at 104kg with a borrowed harness and landing in nil wind presented no problems - the speed range on the brakes is excellent. Polar figures will be on Jerome Daoust's ‘Expanding Knowledge’ website, but there is so much more to this glider than just very good performance figures.

The B-line stall is very physical. The glider does not immediately drop in but tends to sag in over a period of a second or so. Once established the stall is stable after a couple of seconds, and the exit is snappy with nothing more than a minor surge. Attempting asymmetric deflations results in a turn but with the riser pulling very strongly at your hand in a forceful bid to re-inflate. When pulled, big ears had to be kept in or they gradually cleared themselves, requiring only the last 5 to 10% to be pumped out.

The Quarx 2 is certificated at AFNOR / CEN Standard in all sizes except the 29 model which is DHV2. The DHV test report on the 29 reveals '2' grades for everything except the B-line stall, but this doesn't quite tell the full story. Incomplete AFNOR Standard certification on this model means it self-recovers from all manoeuvres in under four seconds.

Windtech have produced an excellent glider in the Quarx 2, with the core values of the original Quarx but easier to fly. The extra solidity in the tips and the refinement of the handling will make it accessible to a wider range of pilots. Pilot workload and required skill level are close to those of a low- to mid-range DHV2. The Quarx 2 is a ‘must test fly’ for any pilot in the mid- to top-end DHV2 market, and that test flight must include thermalling and working broken or small pieces of lift. The Quarx 2 is a superb glider and an exceptionally accomplished all-rounder.

Conclusions:
PROS : The combination of agility and solidity. Easiness in the air and on the ground. Quality of finish.

CONS : Nothing… except the day it had to go back!!

Importer's comment
Windtech's new made-in-Europe 'advanced intermediate' sports glider is designed for weekend recreational pilots, XC enthusiasts and competition pilots alike. I’ve just spent a month flying it in Brazil alongside many other wings, and I’m sure no other glider has the Quarx 2's combination of responsive and direct handling, balanced level of feedback, advantageous performance and security. No one area has been over-stretched at the expense of another; the handling, safety and performance are in perfect balance. With the Quarx 2 you can make the most out of every thermal, and even in heavy turbulence it behaves impeccably. Contact Dixon's airPlay for a test flight.

Bantoo - Parapente Magazine December 2003/January 2004

This Spanish tandem is a evolution of the Tucan's planform . It has an amazing look, the risers are very complete since they are equipped with a kit to make the B's stall.

The preinflation and inflation are excellent, light and easy. In the air it is a gift! A real solo wing. It is not physical and the handling is very precise. It has a 10 cm trim, more classic than those of the Beta 3, they are a nice design and they are used like an additional control. The ears comes in easily.

The kit for the B's stall does not say much to me and I believe that the wing preparation on the ground is more complicated. On the other hand is perfect to practice a comfortable quick descent and the wing does not surge forward too much in the exit.

The Bantoo performace is comparable to a Beta 3. And when the ground approaches, the Bantoo flares very well, even without wind.