The Pro-Design TITAN versus the Gradient ASPEN
A Glider Comparison Review by Darron Guberman
July 2003

Someone famous once said, "the more things change the more they become the same." That person was probably not a paraglider pilot, and had definitely not flown the Gradient Aspen or the Pro-Design Titan. In reviewing these two wings I have discovered how different two DHV 2 wings can be.

The Pro-Design TITAN

Introduction
The Titan was released in the latter part of 2002 by long-established Pro-Design. It replaced the popular Target. The Austrian based company sought to make a new glider that was stable and safe with balanced and easy handling.

Construction
The colour scheme on the Titan is simple, yet classy. A solid red, gold or blue on top is continued on the front half of the under-surface. There is a thin black wave going from tip to tip across the centre, behind that the under-surface is white.

The risers are standard width webbing but in an unusual grey and red pattern. The mallions are tidy with plastic inserts to keep lines and webbing in place. The speed system is configured between the A and B risers. This keeps it out of the way, but is a hassle to reconnect in flight. Speed bar travel is short, only 33 centimetres (distance you have to extend your feet for full speed). Brake toggles are tubular webbing and comfortable.

Porcher Marine Skytex 9092 fabric (45 g/m²) is used on the upper surface and ribs. Lighter weight Skytex 9017 (40 g/m²) is the under-surface material. Skytex is noticeably lighter than Gelvinor, but still strong. Pro-Design warrants their wings for 3 years or 400 hours. The lines are a mix of PST-Dyneema near the canopy and HMA Aramid (Kevlar) near the risers.

Reinforcement tape, double- and triple-stitching, v-ribs and closed cells (1/3 of them) abound. Ram-air pockets are sewn in to stiffen the under-surface of the leading edge. Attention to detail is high. Unfortunately, the weight is also. A medium Titan weighs 7.9 kilograms without the bag.

Launching
In a gentle breeze or stronger the glider inflates to make a "wall" nicely. A tug on the A’s results in the wing starting to come off the ground, but then a very solid and deliberate pull is necessary to continue the launch. In moderate breezes and on steeper slopes I was surprised at the delay but not annoyed. On Table Mountain’s flat cliff launch I found myself swearing as the edge approached faster than the wing came overhead.

It should be noted that just after my test flights a Titan II was certified DHV 2 in all sizes. According to Herbert Hofbauer of Pro-Design, "In order to improve the launch characteristics, the glider has been changed in the sail cut on the trailing edge as well as in the line configuration, the result is remarkable. All general flight behaviours could remain totally same. DHV procedure is completed and from July onwards the new TITAN II is available."

Handling
It was a thermic day at Franschhoek when I first took the Titan for a ride. Figure eights in front of take off were smooth and coordinated. Brake pressure felt good and comfortable. The glider turned very flatly which helped me catch the first real thermal leaving the ridge.

As the thermal hit the wing, I could feel the energy through the risers. The feedback was clear in terms of strength and which side was going up more. I appreciated the amount of information conveyed while the wing stayed directly overhead. Every other wing I have flown that was this docile left you wondering what the air was actually doing.

For the next hour and a half I alternated between coring thermals properly and intentionally going over the falls to see the wing’s reaction. Climbs were smooth and efficient, although it was difficult to centre a tiny core. When I fell out of a thermal or hit some rough air I could feel my seat react. Several times the harness moved enough that I expected a small collapse. But each time the Titan smiled back at me from directly above my head.

Overall, I was impressed with how Pro-Design could make a wing that provides so much feedback with so little pitching and rolling and collapsing. The new construction techniques and/or extra weight must be working.

At the end of this and subsequent flights I checked to see how the Titan liked being upside down, inside out and all the other configurations I so enjoy. It hated it! I cranked and banked and huffed and puffed and only reluctantly did the wing enter a spiral, a SAT or a loop. Maintaining a spiral was fine after some speed had built up, and exiting was easy.

Safety
All three sizes of the Titan are rated DHV 2. I found the wing to be very solid, stable and unlikely to collapse. When it did collapse after pulling on strings with reckless abandon, it reacted like a DHV 2 glider. The amount of rotation and corrective input required was normal – but the speed at which things went wrong was slightly slower.

Big ears were easy to enter but required a good look at the risers to make sure the correct lines were pulled. A "special folding line" is attached part way down the A riser for easy ears instead of splitting the A riser. It’s functional, but looks like a misplaced brake line or speed-system part. The wing tips popped out by themselves.

Asymmetric tucks at trim speed turned the wing less than 180 degrees. On speed bar the turn was not much different. In both cases the deflation and rotation was mellow. Counter steering and weight shift were easy and effective in minimizing the turn. After a small dive to regain airspeed the Titan re-inflated on its own.

Front tucks with or without speed were normal. Resuming forward flight was automatic.

B-line stalls were a little difficult to initiate. Care needs to be taken when grabbing the risers. The speed system next to the B’s is different, but not problematic. The pressure required to crease the wing was high. Descent was stable and release was automatic. I missed the forward surge many wings display after a B-line stall, but the Titan is not prone to deep stalling.

Full stalling the wing required a great deal of effort and patience. Brake pressure was very high and took until your arms were tired before the wing fell backwards. Once stalled, the Titan wiggles impatiently like all gliders wanting to resume flight. The dampening of pitch makes the release of brakes and resumption of flight straightforward. The tendency for the wing to dive out front was noticeably minimized.

The combination of long brake travel and increasing brake pressure made spinning the Titan a challenge. Once the one side had stalled the rotation was slow. I felt unsatisfied after pulling so darn hard! The exits were varied and were typical of a DHV 2 wing.

Spirals and wingovers required some extra effort to enter but were very easy to exit.

Performance
The Titan can get up and go. Trim speed is around 37 kph and top speed is 51 kph according to the DHV reports. My flights confirmed these speeds. Using the entire speed bar was easy. It’s configuration between the A and B risers (instead of in front of the A riser) makes the travel a little shorter – a good thing for short people or those flying a harness which limits speed bar travel. At top speed the glider was solid and had no tendency to front tuck.

The glide ratio felt similar to other gliders in its class. Thermalling was flat and particularly good in turbulent air. I was impressed by this characteristic while flying the Titan next to other wings, and while flying my Proton next to someone else on a Titan.

Energy retention is only moderate. If you decide to throw the wing around the sky you will lose your altitude. Only some of the speed is converted back into height after exiting spirals.

Conclusion
The Titan is a well finished wing with lots of attention to detail. It has the performance of a sports class glider, yet is more docile than most. Many recreational pilots would enjoy this wing at the local site or on big cross-country flights. The Titan’s gentle nature lends itself to an intermediate pilot or a more experienced pilot that wants a safe feeling in the air. In the event of a collapse, the Titan still acts like a DHV 2 wing. And as such is not a beginner or first glider.

The Gradient ASPEN

Introduction

Gradient is a newer company, formed in 1997 in the Czech Republic. The Onyx (DHV 1-2) and Bliss (DHV 2-3) were well received. The Aspen was designed to fit between those two wings as a "next step" for pilots moving up in performance.

Construction

The folks at Gradient didn’t waste any time with fashion. All the wings are a light grey on top and have a splash of colour on the mostly white bottom surface. The fabric is a Porcher Marine Skytex (45 g/m² on top, and 40 g/m² on the bottom).

Upper lines are made of unsheathed Dyneema, middle lines have a sheath, and the bottom lines are Kevlar. The risers are a new material called Techni Sangles. It looked like black webbing to me. The A risers were covered with red cloth; B risers in blue, the rest were all black. The speed system is the fairly standard set up in front of the A riser, although a little longer. Travel was 38 centimetres.

Brake toggles have foam inside and are comfortable to hold. All stitching is tidy and neat. Overall a well finished glider, weighing 5.8 kilograms for the medium size.

Launching
The Aspen launches quickly. Open cells everywhere except the wing tips, combined with a lightweight construction, offer little reason to stay on the ground. The wing rests balanced overhead while kiting. During inflation and launch, a touch of brake is helpful to prevent overshooting. Overall, the wing is fast and easy to launch.

Handling
The winds were strong and a little lumpy on launch while I clipped into the Aspen.
The leading edge gulped down fresh mountain air while the lines pulled on me like a large dog anxious to go for a walk. Concerned about penetration, I waited for a gentle cycle before tugging on the risers.

With a light pull from my index finger on the A’s, the wing sprung to life. It came up quickly and symmetrically. A tap on the brakes prevented overshooting. One turn and a step later had me racing away from launch. While snuggling into my harness I admired my ground speed – more than I had expected.

Gentle turns as I gained height quickly became steeply banked wingovers as I got dialled into a new wing. The roll rate was fast and brake pressure was between light and average. A little weight shift and a touch of brake turned the wing on a dime. Some outside brake pressure kept the tips inflated. The Aspen is a responsive and agile glider that reminded me of the Ozone Octane.

Feeling at ease I ventured over to the nooks and crannies of the big mountain. I felt confident about being able to carve the wing around the terrain. Seeing how responsive the Aspen was to my inputs, I began to wonder how it would react to Mother Nature’s pushes and pulls.

Shortly thereafter, the wind increased and the air became turbulent. Another glider in the sky (a DHV 1-2) and I were getting jostled around. Eager to get out front and with lots of height, I stomped on the speed bar. The travel was long and my harness prevented me from using the last ¼ of the bar. The extra speed I had was smooth and without a huge increase in sink.

Ignoring the turbulence, I ploughed ahead with as much speed as I could. One thump gave me a 25% collapse, which did little more than make some noise. Otherwise the glider was well behaved at speed.

Several no-wind flights from Table Mountain gave me a chance to check out the Aspen in mellow conditions. Launching was good and safety details are below.

Safety
All three sizes of the Aspen are DHV 2 certified. I found the wing provides good warning before doing anything strange. The pitching, rolling and increase in brake pressure provide an active pilot with the information needed to fly safely. In general, when things went wrong it was quick but no more severe than other DHV 2 wings.

Finding the A-riser for big ears is easy as it is marked with red cloth. But since the riser is not split, care should be taken to only grab the outer A-lines. The ears popped out easily with a tap on the brakes.

Even in trashy air the Aspen was resistant to collapsing. When manually induced, asymmetric tucks were fast but did not turn any further than usual – about 90 to 180 degrees. Counter steering and weight shift were very effective in continuing straight flight. It should be noted though, that the correct input needs to be applied immediately or a turn will have already occurred.

Front tucks were also quick, but recovered normally and automatically. I saw no tendency to horseshoe or go parachutal.

B-line stalls are easy to initiate with the blue marked riser. The pull required was not too hard and the recovery was automatic. The Aspen surges forward when exiting, confirming that you have resumed normal flight and not gone parachutal.

The brake pressure on the Aspen increases from lighter than average to "are you sure you want to pull that hard?" before stalling. While it is not difficult or time consuming to stall the Aspen, it would be very difficult to do accidentally. Recovery is straightforward. As with all gliders, care should be taken to dampen the surge as the glider resumes flight.

The responsiveness of the Aspen means quick turns when you bury a brake. If you hold the pressure it bites into a spiral dive easily. If you hammer the brake harder still the spin will get your attention. The glider rotates and oscillates faster than average. This is a trade-off one makes for the added agility.

Wingovers, steep turns and spirals all carve through the air gracefully. Wingovers are coordinated and fun when outside brake is used to keep a tip from folding. Steep turns are a snap with the fast roll rate. Spirals lock in easily and accelerate fast. The energy generated from all the cranking and banking is fortunately retained. Climbing out from a spiral dive can easily send you through your own wake. This is a good sign of efficiency, is common on higher performance wings, but will take a less experienced pilot by surprise.

Performance
The Aspen is a fast glider, especially for its class. Trim speed is 37 kph and the top end is 52 kph according to the folks at the DHV. I was unable to use the last bit of the speed system on my harness to verify. The ¾ speed I did use was smooth and solid. The glide ratio is good and the polar curve felt flat based on my unscientific tests (i.e. I didn’t sink like a stone when I stomped on the bar).

The Aspen’s agility makes coring tiny thermals easy. Feeling where the little bumps came from is no problem. Keeping the glider overhead in strong thermic conditions could require some pretty active piloting. I would love to fly the Aspen again in something stronger than 3 m/s lift to find out.

Conclusion
The Aspen is an agile wing that carves through the sky beautifully. It has the feel of a high performance glider, but is a little more forgiving if things go wrong. An experienced pilot would immediately appreciate the handling of the Aspen. An intermediate pilot would learn to like the responsiveness quickly. Gradient has made a well behaved "fill in the gap" glider with a lot of spunk.

TITAN vs ASPEN : ‘Ja-well-no-fine’, which glider is best for me?

Both gliders are well made and excel in certain aspects, so picking a universal best can’t be done. The technical information below will keep you busy until the rain stops, but the real determining factor is individual taste.

The Pro-Design Titan is a solid, stable wing all through its speed range. When flying in gust fronts, hail storms and small tornadoes – that’s the wing I want to be on! When things go wrong they seem to happen slower on the Titan. This makes the glider far more forgiving than most DHV 2 wings. Feedback through the risers is good and keeps you informed of the air around you. Thermalling is flat and efficient. This is a reliable wing for cross-country flights, and would not be a big jump for anyone’s second glider. Paramotor pilots should look into the Titan. My lawn mower is electric, so I can’t elaborate more on powered flight.

The Gradient Aspen is a fast and nimble carving machine. Everything happens quickly and precisely. Energy retention is high and the handling is a pleasure. Experienced pilots wanting to increase the safety margin without losing that exciting feel will like the Aspen. Talented intermediate pilots, and those looking to do some aerobatics, will also enjoy the responsiveness of the Aspen.

Thank you to Jo Chananie of Aviotec / Skyguide Paragliding for the use of his Titan L. Contact aviotec@iafrica.com 

Thank you to Brad Kruger for the use of his Aspen 26, and to James Braid for all of my other questions. Pilots interested in the Gradient wings should contact James at Freeflight. More information about Gradient gliders can be found at Gradient

My flying weight for both wings was around 108 kg. This was within the weight range for the large Titan, and over the top for the Aspen 26. A comparison of two large gliders would have been better. I have incorporated the weight discrepancy into the review. Other pilots should experience flying characteristics similar to what I have described. I flew the Titan L, but list the Titan M below for easy comparison to the Aspen 26.

Technical Specifications