flight test Swing Sensis
Photo: Swing
STEVE UZOCHUKWU REPORTS
Swing’s history goes back to the beginning of the sport in Europe. Originally a Swiss company, the company moved to Germany a while ago under German MD Günther Wörl. In terms of worldwide glider sales Swing has been consistently at the top. They produce a complete range of paragliding and paramotor wings, as well as speed flying and mini wings. There is also a range of harnesses and accessories. The UK importer is Snowdon Gliders run by Brad Nicholas. Swing has always catered very well for new pilots and those progressing through the system. The Sensis fits into a range that has two gliders within the EN A category and three EN Bs. With the Arcus 7 at the lower end of the B category and the Mistral 7 towards the top, the Sensis sits between the two as a mid-range B. Five sizes cover weights from 55 to 125kg. The glider supplied for the test was the M size (90110kg all-up), flown at around about 108 to 109kg. Swing paragliders have a three year/300-hour warranty subject to the servicing requirements being met. The glider is of conventional construction, but like a lot of others has no Mylar in the leading edge. The leading-edge reinforcement is achieved with Nylon wire, assisting with the implementation of ‘shark-nose’ technology. Lines are a mixture of Liros and Edelrid in Technora or Dyneema. All lines are sheathed, an oft-requested item for EN B gliders as more of the top-end ones cut line diameter for performance reasons by eliminating the sheath. Riser webbing is 20mm Güth and Wolf. Risers are colour coded red for A, blue for B. All sailcloth is supplied by Dokdo; top surface is 40g/m2 and the lower surface 35g/m2. The brake handles can be 30
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configured quickly and easily for three levels of stiffness by removing the inserts in the handle, which come out through a small hole. The brakes are secured to the risers with magnetic poppers, ideal in strength for the job. Speed system pulleys are top-quality Harken with ball bearings. Two levels of cascade in the suspension system make for quick and easy checks before inflation. The stabilo line is on the B riser in a different colour to the other lines. Three risers go to three sets of line attachment points, except on the Cs where there is a very short C/D fork near the wing itself. The trailing edge has a gathering system to maintain the correct tension and to present a clean edge to the airflow. The 47-cell glider has a flat aspect ratio of 5.23:1. The Sensis is supplied with a rucksack – in this case the Sherpa XL (200litre) version capable of swallowing any size of harness – and a concertina bag, compression strap, printed manual and Swing cap. There are four standard colour schemes. The glider arrives already folded into the concertina bag as per the instructions in the manual, and this method works best if you want to get an easy fold and pack away. Folding from mushroomed does not seem to work as well as the method Swing outlines. As with any glider with Nylon
wire, avoid dragging the wing across the ground as you pack it. When you are moving around on the ground, ball it up and carry it. Once out of the bag the sheathed lines are very simple to lay out and untangle. The contrasting colours used for the lines make checking a lot easier. The glider inflates in the very lightest of winds, partly due to the slightly lighter (but still mainstream) cloth it is made from. Ground handling is easy and intuitive. Pulling up on the inner As via the riser seems to give consistent and controlled inflation, the only exception being the need to take the inner and outer A on one side if cobra-launching the wing. The glider rises smoothly to the overhead position without accelerating; in strong or gustier winds it might lift you up but it has no inclination to overfly. Killing it on the brakes or the Cs is possible; for me the brake travel isn’t too long to hold the glider on the ground but the Cs are more effective when you feel the wind is beginning to pick up. I tend to take a good take-off run with little or no brake, and as I turn onto the ridge I tend to pull a little more. The Sensis will convert this to height. In the air the glider is responsive to the brakes
Specification Model
XS
S
M
L
XL
No of cells
47
47
47
47
47
Span (projected, m)
9.0
9.5
9.7
10.0
10.4
Area (flat. m2)
23.1
25.7
27.0
28.5
30.8
Aspect ratio
5.23:1
5.23:1
5.23:1
5.23:1
5.23:1
Glider weight (kg)
5.4
5.8
6.0
6.2
6.6
All-up weight range (kg)
55 - 80
70 - 95
80 - 102 90 - 110
100 - 125
EN/LTF certification
B
B
B
B
B
£2,650
£2,650
Guarantee
3 years/300 hours
Price inc. VAT & delivery
£2,650
£2,650
£2,650
Photo: Steve Uzochukwu
stop. A stronger pilot who got beyond that would simply shorten all three risers by the same amount – no further reduction of angle of attack would be possible. A minimal push with one foot is all that’s needed. The speed system seems very effective in the first half – speed piles on but without too much loss of height. At full tilt the top and bottom cell entries flutter very slightly, with a little dimple appearing between the reinforcements, but the wing still feels solid and does not pitch about.
but in a very smooth way. Feedback is well balanced; lift and turbulence are signalled well enough for active flying but you won’t get tossed about. Like a lot of the more fun B class gliders these days, most manoeuvring is done in the top third or half of the brake travel. The brakes get very hard just before stall, and a committed push is needed for a full stall that empties the glider of air on landing. The brakes are precise enough for flying in very light lift, making it straightforward to make small changes in direction without over-correcting, but in big air the authority to turn into the core is always there without getting anywhere near the tip curling back or a spin. The speed bar is light and easy to use thanks to decent-quality pulleys, and has a clever way of preventing the pilot going beyond the end stop by having the system engage the C riser to provide a positive
The Sensis shows its real strength when the time comes to work lift. The glider is very easy to place, it responds to commands precisely, and the word obedient comes to mind. For this reason it climbs exceptionally well. In ridge lift its sink rate is good for the class, even at the top end of the weight range, but that is not why it climbs so well. The secret of its superb climb rate is the feedback in lift. In the weakest or the strongest bits of lift the glider will always tell you where the lift is and which way to turn, but without shouting at you, bumping you around or making you feel uncomfortable – with the caveat, of course, that you are not flying in dangerous conditions or beyond your ability.
Photo: Steve Uzochukwu
Photo: Swing
UK importer: Snowdon Gliders, Yr Ynys, Mynydd Llandegai, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 4BZ, tel: 07818 418780/01248 600330, e-mail: sales@snowdongliders.com, website: www.snowdongliders.com.
Mapping thermals and making the most of them is therefore something that gets you up even on the more challenging days. There is always a reserve of brake to tighten the turn, and the brakes provide feedback that let you know that you’re biting into the core as you roll into the turn. Weigh shift helps in turns but is not needed; on stronger days I used it to give me even more brake travel in reserve. In gnarly lift and small bubbles and bullets on high-pressure days the glider stays together, feeling cohesive and indicating the inputs needed. On small sites the glider is agile enough to make the most of smaller into-wind faces and work the smallest bits of lift. www.skywingsmag.com SEPTEMBER 2015 31
flight test: SWING SENSIS Photo: Swing
Big ears are slightly sticky, but do not stay in, and once they have started to unfold they then do so with ever-increasing speed. Weight shift is effective for directional control and it’s possible to slide your hand further up the outer As to increase the size of the ears. There’s a marked initial resistance when pulling them in, but this is also the resistance that the Sensis displays to tip collapses. In that respect it’s comforting and it’s not a big pull anyway. The marked stabilo line will also clear tip cravats encountered on the ground in switching winds or when inflating from mushroomed in stronger winds. I didn’t get to B line it but this is well documented in the EN/LTF tests. Spiral entry and exit was well behaved, but the opportunity to spiral long or hard did not present itself. Spiral dives are more a matter of pilot currency, and the grades for the three tests relating to spirals or steep turns are all A. The B line stall is also graded A at both ends of the weight range on the size I flew, but check the reports for the size you are interested in. Landing is straightforward. The combination of a wide speed range and brakes that go hard just before parachutal stall makes timing a sharp flare in light winds easy; in strong winds a firm pull empties the glider of air as it touches the ground. The lighter cloth’s potential for reinflation means that a swift dash off to the side and bundling up promptly is recommended, but the glider has no surprises for anyone here. It can be held down with wraps or C risers if needed in very strong winds.
From the three levels of brake stiffness through to the riser bag that is part of the concertina bag, and the levels of finish in stitching and lines, everything on this glider is well-rounded or well-finished. None of this is surprising when you consider the experience of the main designers, Michael Hartmann and Michael Nesler. A lot of pilots might do better on this glider than going for the very top of the class, as it is easy to stay current on and very confidence-inspiring. If some pilots would not consider a test flight on a mid-range B, this one would be an omission on their part. The Sensis is very pleasant to fly even for the more experienced pilot, and would suit someone who finds other commitments mean that they don’t get out as often as they like. The overall impression with the Sensis is of flying pleasure, and this is the quality I will miss most. This is a glider accessible to a huge section of the paragliding population, and for that Swing are to be highly commended. 32
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Excellent ground handling, especially on the pull-up Easy piloting Excellent climb rate First-rate flying pleasure
Nothing!
Photo: Swing
The Sensis is, with maybe an exception for the pilot with previous aviation experience, a second glider. By making a mid-range B, Swing have made the step up from your first glider smaller in terms of the level of active flying needed, but with no discernible penalty as far as flying pleasure or usable performance are concerned. Everything about it is consistent with a mid-range B glider and the ease of piloting is just one notch below the top of the class.