Zephyr Review2

Windtech «ZEPHYR»

Astur Jewel

It does replaces the Kali and offer performances and characteristics to be placed among the high 1-2 class performance wise and among the low 1-2 class safety wise.

The vault is short and the canopy is closer to the pilot with the wing tips coming in closing the ellipsis. It has a good handling and great stability making turns easy and being solid in turbulent air. There are very few lines (only three main lines) the C is divided in a C and D distribution. The A risers has a big ears risers. The wing has thin risers and a strong speed system. The top lines are unsheathed lines and as the Tecno, in the intermediate class, this one has a great handling and a good safety both characteristics easy to administrate with the brake travel. There will be a light version in 27gr Skytex with unsheathed lines and dyneema risers with a total weight of 3.5kg.

3 risers in a 1-2 class gliders with unsheathed line in the top floor (lines made out of the new aramide with UV protection and dynema pre-stretch of the latest generation) The lines are rigged in two floors and the attachment point are placed everfy 2 or 3 cells, therefore the number of total lines are few and the line consumption does not arrive to 300m in total.

To make possible 3 risers (A,B and C) all the central attachment group are divided in 3 floors around the C row. This is one placed backwards as it is usual. Using this design option there are not creases in the rear of the wing and it reduces in a great manner the parasite aerodynamic drag, therefore glide angle is increased.

The A risers is divided wiht a big ear small A'. The risers are thin and they are reinforced with aramide and the the maillon is covered with a plastic (simple and strong). The speed system has 2 metal pulleys and dynema rope. The brake handles are rigid without swivel an magnet connector. The internal wing structure has trapezoidal V-ribs sewn at 2/3 of the profiles and there are transversal webbing stripes to make the line cascades stiffer. This one is made of the thick (45gr) Skytexs in the top pannels but can choose a lighter version made out of 27gr Skytex, it has unsheathed lines an risers made out of dynema cord. this one only weight 3.5kg. There will be a light harness with a reversible backpack and a light rescue system. Windtech also offers light equipment with an all round use (mountain, vivac flying, cross country and so on for the pilots looking for light equipment for walking and flying).

Simplicity

First thing, the leading edge openings are classic, no special sockets or intermediate reinforcements. There are very few lines and they do not tangled each other. The short vault make possible to prepare the wing in short spaces and it is a great advantage when launching. The wing comes up in one piece. It is easy to control the canopy when is up. The brake travel is long and it is heavier as we pull making it lineal and easy to anticipate its reactions.

Airborne has quick responses when using the brake. The more we use the outside brake in turns the more stable the glider is. When we do not apply any brake to the external side and we only use the brake of the inside wing we will the glider will get a turn with lot of speed and if we continue we will get a spin. Therefore instructions are simple: if you want a direct and quick turn use only the inside brake, the wing will react without doubts. If you wan a turn with the best performances in sink rate you have to pull down both brakes and keep a small asymmetry to do the full turn

The trim speed is very fast (39-40km/h for the large size) Therefore to get the best out of it in sink rate and in the lift you have to brake 30cm and the brake pressure is noticeable when you use more of 50% of the brake travel.

The stall is at the end of the normal brake travel (no brake line around the hands). First the wingtips fly backwards and the the full wing stall. This happens at 20km/h. The best sink rate is at 32km/h so there is enough brake travel distance between the stall point and the normal flying speed, but you can find the limits with the brakes.

In turbulent air, the wingtips and the rest of the canopy maintain a high pressure, even when flying at full speed. The opening do not come in and they keep their shape.

Since is is so stable sometimes the wing is hitting us trying to get us out of a the turn but we can correct the turn by using weight shift or some more brake input. It does obey very well.

Big ears are not big and they slow down the glider. They come out by themselves but if you wan to reopen them quicker you have to pump with the brakes or swing yourself in the harness.

B stall are soft and effective but in the way out the wing to surges forward fast. Maybe this is due to the fact of having the C row toward the rear.

The pilot is closer to the canopy. The vault is bigger compared to the Kali and only 3 risers. The result is a simpler take off, more performances (specially more speed) and a direct handling.

Performance

Zephyr best characteristics is the speed: 40Km/h trim speed and 50 with the accelerator system. It has a high glide angle for a 1/2, placing it among the best ones and confirming a new born generation of basic intermediate wings with highly developed performance.

¿Which pilots can fly it?

Any experienced pilot should look again these new 1/2 or B gliders. They are great for thermic flying and cross country. They have a great second hand resell value and the simplicity of use make launchs very easy. It has a accelerator system that you can use without fear and has a top pasive security level when flying in turbulence.

It is also aimed for the learning pilot coming from a training course. He will be amazed with the handling and the performances.

Technical Specification	Marks out of 3
Take off, compact, easy and light	• • •
Turn initiation, good handling, inmediate	• • •
Turn reversal, fast, direct	• • •
Slow turn, it gets heavier and more stable	• • •

Stability	Marks out of 3
Slow flight, firm at the end	• •
Normal flight, fast amd solid	• • •
Fast flight, safe. Efficient speed system	• • •
Pitch, balanced	• •
Roll, progresive, neutral with external brake	• • •
Turn, neutral by using both brakes	• •
Stall, first wingtips	• • •
Pressure, very solid in all situations	• • •

Equipment

Profile: 16%. Brake every 2 cells, Trapezoidal-shaped diagonal ribs

Firm magnetic brake handle attachments

Cells: 42 open and 12 closed, Cleaning velcro

Speed system (2 pulleys) travel: 11 cm

Speed-bar travel: 29 cm

Line set up: 3 risers, 2 and 3 floors, lines every 2-3 cells

Mylar webbing-tape reinforcement along the leading and trailing edge

Dacrom reinforcements at leading edge

Inox maillo with plastic cover

Cell-opening: from 27x12 to 18x4 cm

Materials
Top:	Skytex 9017-E77A and E38 - 45 grs/m2
Bottom:	Skytex 9017-E38A soft - 40 grs/m2
Ribs:	Skytex 9017-E29A hard - 40 grs/m2
Lines:	Aramida Edelrid - 1.1/1.7 mm ø and Dyneema Liros - 0,8 mm ø

Performance (Zephyr L)

Speed
Min speed	20 km/h
Speed 50% brake	32 km/h
Trim speed	40 km/h
Max speed (100% accelerator)	50 km/h
Min sink rate	1.1 m/s to 32 Km/h
Best glide	8.9 / 9.2 at 40 Km/h
Wing loading	115 Kg (3.76 Kg/m2)

*Measures at 750m QNH and 12°C (Skywatch Pro y Compeo)

Manufacturer Windtech (Gijón, Spain) Designer Álvaro Valdés
Production Gijón (Spain) and Sri Lanka