Shootout!
We fly the DHV2's against each other - July 1998

The essence of paragliding to me is to have loads of fun. So I rounded up a group of test pilots, collected whatever sports class paragliders I could get my hands on, and journeyed to the distant mountains in search of sky.

The objective of the shootout was to gather objective, comparative information about the performance of the gliders currently available to your aspirant cross-country pilot. I specifically limited the group to DHV2 class, and only requested the Medium size gliders to be sent, as most pilots are in this weight range. We wanted to discover what each glider felt like, how did it fly? who would be suited to such a glider? The recovery from instability is tested quite thoroughly by the DHV and AFNOR, so there was no need to repeat the extreme maneouvres. But how easily does the glider go into the extreme maneouvres? And how does the glider feel in the air? Even more importantly, how does she compare to the girl next door?

We were blessed with a weekend sent from heaven. Light thermic conditions in the middle of our winter, flying from a site which was transformed from its usual summer browns into a beautiful green carpet of grass-covered fields. Cape Town had rain, but we had sunshine. We pulled the new wings from their bags and filled them with the cool and gentle air. Each wing was flown by many different pilots. All of the pilots had over 400 flights prior experience, and were selected for their honesty and flying ability. It was extremely difficult to compare the performance of the gliders, because they all performed! You can't really go wrong with one of the new generation sports gliders - you'll have fun on any of them. But each wing has a definite personality which emerged during the weekend.

AIREA Shape DHV 2
Best reassuring glider - CUTE
Easy flight control with a dampened feel to all inputs. The glider is pitch stable, and turns efficiently either flat or banked over. The progressive brake pressure is quite marked, and as you get close to stall point the pressure is heavy. Full speedbar has a reassuring stability to it, with the glider humming along at a competitive top speed. The reinflation pressure during big-ears is high. Weight-shift turns are easy. The glider flies best at speed. Quick asymmetric recovery, nice wingovers, good performance and maintains stability. It does not shake you around in turbulence.
How shall I describe thee? - predictable, stable, smooth, happy, confidence building, sexy, receptive, sensitive, reassuring, energetic.

EDEL Saber DHV 2
Best for scratching in light lift and getting up from low down - SMOOTH
An easy pullup, although in light conditions needs to be guided all the way to the top. The glider is very pitch stable in flight, and turns very flat, tending to rotate on its central axis rather than bank. Reassuring stability on speedbar sees the glider whizzing along at a good speed, although not as fast as the more recent sports models. On heavy brake it can go negative in thermalling turns, because of the way it turns so flat. It is stable in spiral dive, and needs light input to exit. It is a great wing for thermalling and scratching, and is recommended as a second wing for the average pilot wanting to learn cross-country flying. It is very enjoyable to fly.
How shall I describe thee? : harmless, stable, gentle, functional, 'on rails' (ie. very roll stable, like a train), cute, predictable, reassuring, confidence building, happy

FIREBIRD Flame DHV 2
Best pullup in light conditions, and groundhandling - MAGIC
Good, attractive manufacturing but with very light fabric. The groundhandling is close to perfect, it pulls up easily in zero wind and stays overhead in the lightest of conditions. In the air it is sensitive, with clean & solid brake pressure, requiring only light inputs to produce good, carving turns. Tight turns cost you a lot of height though, as she tends to drop her inside wing in a large bank. This makes her difficult to 'scratch' with in light conditions, but in booming, tight thermals she will outclimb the rest with spiralling turns. The wing does not like to be slowed down, and should be flown fast, as she responds well to light inputs and loves weightshift. Very light feel of the glider extends to her ease of collapse. In heavy turbulence she buckles and tucks, but reinflates in the next instant, due to the light fabric. A very good recovery from asymmetric collapse with little tendency to dive, easy to countersteer, no surge or pendulum on recovery more than makes up for the skittishness. Tends to cravatte on big wingover-induced asymmetric collapses, and enters spirals quickly. The wing likes to continue the manoeuvre that you are in. The speedbar races her up to one of the best speeds of the group, but at the cost of a bit of glide angle.
Very enjoyable flying, with lots of feedback and response from the wing. This glider cuts through the air. For the more experienced pilot with 100+ flights.
How shall I describe thee? : energetic, lively, quick, sensitive, smooth, sexy, confidence building, predictable, reassuring, happy, hot

NOVA Axon DHV2
Best all rounder for everyone - SECURE
Simple manufacture, easy groundhandling, and a measured launch and landing behaviour make the Axon a very functional sports glider. The glider is responsive and talks to the pilot in the air, allowing you to work punchy, errratic lift. The turns feel really beautiful and smooth, although she rolls and loses altitude when turned tight in light conditions. The glider is very forgiving on the brakes, and lets you get away with heavy over-input without biting back. Nice and easy, a fun and comfortable ride with no surprises. Recommended for anyone over 80 flights who wants to extend their flying.
How shall I describe thee? : stable, sensitive, predictable, reassuring, confidence building, energetic, inspiring, secure, forgiving.

FREEX Spear DHV2
Best manufacture, speed and feel - SEXY
Precise manufacture, combined with long lines means this glider has speed as it arcs overhead in the pullup. The secret is to be gentle. "Groundhandling? There was no time for groundhandling, I was flying!" remarked one test pilot. The wing is highly responsive. Kinetic energy! Pitch, yaw and roll sensitivity makes the glider move all over the show if you overreact. The key is to respect the wing. If you treat her confidently and with consideration, she'll be yours for life, smooth as silk. On glide she feels very fast and competitive, on speedbar she sneaks ahead of the pack. The Spear cores thermals well, tightly, with only light brake inputs needed as she prefers to fly fast. The response is deep and akin to power-steering.
How shall I describe thee? : Pilots had a different reaction depending on their level of flying. Comments ranged from predictable, smooth, sensitive, confidence building and lively to energetic, hot, sexy, inspiring, stunning, exhilirating, exciting and radical. A quick turn with heavy brake resulted in a surprise two turns for one test pilot. Spirals are stable and fast, with impressive height loss. A light touch on the outer brake is needed to exit. Recommended for pilots with natural ability and a good feel, with a minimum of 100 flights. It is a fantastic wing when you can handle it, being very comfortable, responsive and inspiring.

SWING Astral DHV2
Fun and enjoyable - COOL
Neatly manufactured, with simple groundhandling and a solid feel to the wing. In the air it moves freely in the pitch axis, allowing lively, active flying in thermals. The turns are rounded and dampened, making flat and tight turning for thermalling and scratching a pleasure for all. It feels smooth and fast at trim speed. Reasonable stability on speedbar combines with competitive speed to skud along marginally slower than the hotter sports gliders. The glide was almost identical to that of the Axon, although it has earned the reputation of having the best glide in the Stubai Cup 1998. Reinflation from asymmetric collapses is rapid - you definitely know that the wing has reinflated, as the wing cracks open above and surges forwards. It performs wing-overs easily, although there is a limit to the aerobatics which keeps the wing within moderate angles of bank, a reassuring feature. Really nice spirals, with an easy exit complete the cool appeal of this fun wing.
How shall I describe thee? : smooth, happy, sensitive, energetic, lively, perky, sharp

Sunset on the shootout
Who is the average pilot? What are the average flying conditions? And what is the best glider? These are unanswerable questions that are as ethereal as the sky itself. All I can say is that we were a band of eager pilots, flying in beautiful conditions, flying wonderful wings. My congratulations to all the designers, manufacturers and distributors who took part in delivering superb aircraft to us, the pilots. Our spirits soared, we are all infused with a refreshed passion for the sport because of that weekend of fresh sky, safe gliders, and the close friendship that comes from a few shared hours of fun, gentle thermalling. We offer in this article the personality of each wing that we shared. So finally, the sun set a pale yellow through the dark, scattered clouds, and we glided down to earth.