PARAGLIDING IN SA  |   FLYING SITES  |   REVIEWS  |   AIRLORE  |   STORIES  |   GALLERY |   CARTOONS Gradient ONYX by Greg Hamerton Greg has been flying since 1992 and has flown over 100 wings. He prefers responsive handling and agility but rates passive stability highly as he enjoys taking photographs and snoozing whilst gliding.  Visit www.freeflight.co.za for all your GRADIENT equipment in South Africa Gradient was created in 1998 by the world-class Czech competition pilot Ondrej Dupal. Two years of producing good gliders and they're still going strong. All manufacture is done within Czech republic, allowing Gradient complete control over their product. Lines get thinner toward the tips on all line-sets. Porcher marine fabric gives the Onyx that lovely crinkly feel, and a small, light pack. The glider comes with a simple, sturdy backpack, stuffbag and strap, manual and a small repair kit containing rubber O-rings, repair tape (white + coloured) and some spare line. LAUNCH : Pullups are predictably easy, without any tendancy to drop back. When the glider is overhead, you may need deep brake input to prevent the Onyx from launching and to correct the gusts, because the brake travel is so long. IN THE SKY : The first third of brake travel makes for a direct, but calm turn. More brakes than that doesn't really do anything to the glider, until you reach the very deep stall point. And even there, you have to wait a long time before the wing will succumb to the stall. In short, the brakes are well-designed to prevent a nervous pilot from over-input. Thermalling, the Onyx doesn't roll much, and is stable with just the inside brake applied. I left the outer brake alone most of the time, using weight-shift as well as inner brake to maintain a good turn. The turn radius is average. I had soon topped out high above takeoff, and was ready for a glide out into the valley. Big collapses turn the wing and give a small pitch, which allows the pilot weight to swing through and reinflate the glider completely before 180 degrees. The Onyx is very stable overhead, and doesn't move much in the turbulence, which is reassuring. SPEED : Hands up and the 35km/h trim speed is fairly average for the Standard class. At full speed bar things were beginning to feel a bit critical, with the leading edge being pushed into the throat of the cells by the wind. Though you can push the Onyx to get you around 48km/h, I would prefer to use slightly less than full bar. LANDING : On landing I encountered many small thermals which were all determined to push me away from my chosen spot. The Onyx could be slowed down and maneouvred quickly, without rolling or diving. I ended my day with two footprints on the target. Real easy. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS : Gradient http://www.gradient.cx Many thanks to the Gradient importer for the wing : James Braid - 082 956 5391 www.freeflight.co.za ONYX (Afnor Standard)           28       Number of cells                        42       Projected area (m2)                26.2       Flat Area (m2)                         29.8       Flat Aspect Ratio                     5.2       Max line length (m) B             7.40       In-flight range (kg)              85 - 110       Min / Trim / Max (km/h)     21 / 35 / 48                           Airborne reviewer (kg)           100       Vmin in review (km/h)           21       Vtrim in review (km/h)           35       Vmax in review (km/h)           48                           Altitude of review (m above sea)           700       Air pressure Qnh (in hPa)                    1016       Air temperature (degrees C)                  26       Correction factor* for speeds               101%       * Note : Apply the correction factor if you would like to scale my raw data to a standardised condition of 1000m altitude, 1013.2 hPa Qnh pressure, and 15 deg.C. air. * I use a 15 second average to provide 'highest sustainable speed'. Don't miss out! Get the next paraglider test as soon as it's released, by JOINING OUR MAILING LIST. You might also like to read: Other paraglider reviews on this website.