PARAGLIDING IN SA  |   FLYING SITES  |   REVIEWS  |   AIRLORE  |   STORIES  |   GALLERY |   CARTOONS SOL KANGAROO 2 vs. SWING MISTRAL TWIN by Darron Guberman Darron is a natural pilot with acro tendencies. He has been flying since 2000. Read his profile.  You might also like to read: Other paraglider reviews on this website. Sol riser set Swing riser set Don't miss out! Get the next paraglider test as soon as it's released, by JOINING OUR MAILING LIST. After jumping through hoops to get a tandem rating, begging friends to borrow their wing and cajoling my wife to be a passenger for the millionth time, I wanted to pick a new glider to call my own. I had flown more than a handful of tandems and narrowed the list down to the Swing Mistral Twin and the Sol Kangaroo 2. Both are new generation tandems and both were available to fly and buy before my next holiday. In this review I will compare many aspects of the two wings, so you the reader can have an easier time than I did picking your new glider - even if your flying style is different from mine. THE BRIEFS Kangaroo2 : a glider made for pleasure. The three-times XC World Record holder paraglider offers performance and handling for recreational pilots, professional pilots or for those who want to fly for records. Mistral Twin : a high-performance tandem glider with good-natured flight characteristics, which combines direct and energy-saving handling with simple launch and flight behaviour. Tape-reinforced cell openings CONSTRUCTION Kangaroo2 : * * * * Mistral Twin : * * * * Both gliders are very well made, and both come with a 3 year / 300 hour warranty. The Kangaroo2 is made in one size only, for a weight-range of 140kg-210kg. The Gelvenor fabric ensures a long life under the sun, but the brake toggles were simple and not very comfortable. The Mistral Twin is made in two sizes, for weight ranges of 125-195kg or 130-230kg. I flew the smaller one with an all up weight of 180kg. Porcher fabric is used for both the upper and lower surfaces and saves a little weight when compared with the Kangaroo. The brake toggles have comfortable rubber grips. The Mistral also has a second toggle on the B-risers to assist with B-line stalls. It's useful when you need it, but a little in the way when launching. LAUNCHING Kangaroo2 : * * * * * Mistral Twin : * * * * The Kangaroo2 is one of the nicest launching gliders I have flown; solo or tandem. This is the wing's strongest selling-point and was appreciated while cliff-launching. The Mistral Twin also launches well. It comes up easily, although I noticed a slight tendency to overshoot in strong winds. Simple construction with big cell openings HANDLING Kangaroo 2 : * * * * Mistral Twin : * * * * The Kangaroo2 is a more agile wing, but requires much heavier brake input. Pitch feedback and control are great. Roll and yaw, however, were more than expected and more than my passenger wanted. We flew in rough 6m/s thermals and my passenger refused to let go of the spreader bars to take pictures. The Mistral Twin is noticeably lighter on the toggles than the Kangaroo2. In fact, it seems to be the lightest of all the tandems I've flown. Feedback from the wing is good and the turns were easy and quick for a tandem. Excessive pitch, roll and yaw all seem to be dampened out, yet there is enough life in the wing to have fun. SAFETY Kangaroo2 : * * * Mistral Twin : * * * * I am reluctant to coment on the safety of either wing since I did not put them through many maneuvers. It's tough to talk a passenger into a full stall or a spin! I am giving the Mistral one more star because it had a more solid feel and safer DHV rating. Kangaroo2 brake attachments on the trailing edge PERFORMANCE Kangaroo2 : * * * * Mistral Twin : * * * The speed and sink for both gliders was noticeably better than some of the tandems I've flown in the past. If you have stronger arms and don't mind the extra feedback, you could probably squeeze more mileage out of the Kangaroo2. I set a site record on my first flight and went twice as far as some other good pilots. If I were chasing records or normally flying in smooth air, I would lean towards the Kangaroo2. The performance on the Mistral felt good, but not quite as good as the Kangaroo2. This is completely unscientific, but we all know how tough these comparisons are. The softer handling made the Mistral Twin more fun and easier to thermal. CONCLUSION Kangaroo 2 : * * * Mistral Twin : * * * * Both wings are well made and will make a lot of pilots happy. The Kangaroo2 is more suited for those pilots with strong arms, wanting an active wing they can use for record chasing. Its excellent feedback will reward those looking for light lift in small places. The higher performance should make those records just a little bit easier to reach. The Mistral Twin is a well balanced, all purpose wing. Its light brake pressure is a welcomed relief. The solid feel is comforting in rough air or with queasy passengers. The feedback is good, making thermalling easy. Unwanted bumps have been dampened out, yet the Mistral Twin still retains its playfullness for those pilots and passengers who want to see what a paraglider can do. After six hours on each wing in conditions varying from ridge soaring to 6m/s thermals, I decided to buy the Mistral Twin. Mistral Twin attachments are slightly inwards Technical specs : SWING MISTRAL TWIN 34 / SOL KANGAROO 2 SWING SOL Projected area (m2) 34.8 35.5 Aspect ratio 5.1 5.4 Wing weight (kg) 8.8 9.4 Weight range (kg all up) 125-195 140-210 Manufacturer's speed max 45 48 DHV certification 1-2 2 Reviewed at (kg) 180 180 More information Try the SWING or SOL websites. For a test flight in South African get hold of SOL - Jaco Wolmarans www.aerogear.co.za SWING - Barry Pedersen www.birdmen.co.za Para2000 for more detailed specs. Thanks to: Jaco Wolmarans, Barry Pedersen, and all the tandem instructors, tandem pilots and unsuspecting passengers who helped me get my rating.