Lighten up for 2010 with the Ava Sport Tanto

The all new AVA Sport harness -TANTO has been designed for the cross country pilot who is conscious about pack weight yet does not want to compromise on comfort or performance. The New TANTO is packed with many new features and innovations which aid to a very simple and functional design.
Firstly the new harness belt system makes the regulation of the whole unit very easy and simple to use.
Secondly there is a new design and construction method for the reserve parachute container, which provides a very sleek storage solution, yet offers a very quick deployment, should it be required.
The TANTO has 17cm back protection, but unlike other products on the market, The TANTO harness will integrate a new generation of protector, which aims to put an end to the heavier foam and voluminous 'Cygnus' protectors currently in use. Made entirely of a (dare I say, rather secret) new high quality material, which is being manufactured using the latest technology within the textile industry. Using this revolutionary new material AVA Sport Design and Manufacturing teams are working hard on a new weight record for this type harness 4,5-4,8 kg. This will place the TANTO in a new class of cross country harness for all Pilots wanting to minimise yet not compromise!

We are expecting full certification of this new harness around mid March. The harness comes in 5 sizes and with three different colour options. It is currently available (by special order) at an amazing weight of only 5.2 kg with the standard foam back protector, The retail price £735 includes postage.

Ava have also informed us that they are also going to produce this harness in an eye catching material which resembles the weave of carbon. It seems carbon will continue to be the talk on launch for 2010 Call for details.

Digifly New for Jan 2010

New Digifly Leonardo Plus GPS – Vario £384.00
The Leonardo Plus is a new low-cost combined GPS - vario unit for non-competition hang glider and paraglider pilots. It has all the safety and flight evaluation benefits of a combined GPS - vario, but the Leonardo Plus software does not have the waypoint-task management option required for competition use. However, it can easily be upgraded by the customer by purchasing the software from Digifly for Euro 80.
Availability: Jan 2010.

Despite the return to 17% VAT on the 1st Jan 2010, We are likely to keep our prices slightly lower due to the improved £/€ currency rates & a recent restructuring of prices by Digifly in Italy.

Other Digifly News
The Digifly Cartesio Pro BT model has now been discontinued.

Flight Equipment / Accessories from Ava Sport

Click on picture to enlarge.

Ava Sport has a 'nifty' range of ancillary flight equipment. (Have a specific instrument which needs protecting just give us the model or instrument dimensions and Ava will make it).They also produce some general travel accessories to suit the Après pilot.

Golden 3 28 now certified!

Just received the news that Gradient's Golden3 size 28 has successfully passed EN-B certification ! Sizes 24, 26 and 30 will follow soon.
After a worldwide success of the predecessor model Golden2 Gradient's new intermediate glider Golden3 comes up with certification EN-B, LTF 1-2. The glider will be available in five sizes (22-30). So, the whole weight range of pilots is covered.

The Golden3 is a completely new development that has risen from the final comparison of different prototypes. Concerning the Golden3's handling -the Design and Test-Team's target was to achieve a sensitive sportclass characteristic to give maximum feedback to the pilot. So, the pilot will be able to react precisely on air movement and turbulence.

Like all other models from Gradient ; Their wing construction method helps reduce the gliders weight and further improves the wing's flight characteristics in extreme manoeuvres, turbulent air and thermals.

The Golden3 has been designed as direct replacement of Golden2 and in term of pilot skill is not anyhow more demanding to fly. The colourful glider range comes with a new design and has the Gradient-Logo on the upper sail. Gradient will continue to offer a custom colour choices Giving the pilot an opportunity for a personalised combination. (Talk to us for details).

We expect the start of serial production on the beginning of January 2010. So we should see demos in the Uk from the end of January. The other sizes 24,26 and 30 are ready for certification and will be certified as soon as the weather will allow the mandatory test flights. Size 22 is at the moment in stage of final preparations, so will follows shortly.

New Travel sack!

Just received the new 18 ltr travellers back pack designed by Gradient.

This is a very smart small back pack which fits somewhere between a walkers day sack and an urban communter travel sac, promoted as having a handy compartment for a laptop (It does manage to make my laptop feel quite archaic as you would not get a standard laptop to fit)

Gradient 2009 UK XC League Results

Gradient 2009 XC League Results
Congratulations to all participants in this years' UK XC League for making it a record year. In terms of total KM flown, the top three pilots would have won any previous year.
Best place Gradient Pilot was Philip Wallbank in 5th with 576.5km and he also wins a prize for the longest flight on a DHV2 wing, 151km from Eyam Edge on 22nd August on his trusty old Aspen. This was also the 7th best flight of the year! Julian Robinson was 6th with 554.4km and Ian Miskin 9th with 548.2km on their XC2's. Judith Mole was 3rd best Woman with 270.9km on her Aspen 2.
Gradient continue to be the most popular brand amongst xc pilots in the UK

In the Local Club Leagues:

Cumbrian League: Burkitt Rudd Avax SR8 2nd, Ben Keayes Avax XC 3rd.
Pennine League: Philip Wallbank Aspen1 1st.
SHPF League: Julian Robinson Avax XC2 1st, David Thomson Avax XC2 2nd, Ian Miskin Avax XC2 3rd.
Northumbria League: Chris Foster Avax XC2 2nd, Jim Bittlestone Golden 2 1st in the 1/2 class and 4th overall (not too bad for his first season).
Avon League: Martin Nichols Aspen 2 3rd.
Gap League: Mark Jones Avax XC2 2nd.
Wessex League: Paul Hawkins Aspen 2 1st, Gary Puhl Aspen 2 2nd, Shamus Pitts Golden 2 3rd.

Thanks to Richard Westgate for providing this analysis

Ondřej testing in De Aar

Ondřej Dupal has returned once again to one of his favourite winter testing locations, De Aar. With him, he has Gradient’s expected replacement to the highly successful Avax XC2. The design brief for this replacement is a new high-end wing that’s resolutely targeted within the EN D category. We are anticipating a very high performance serial racer to take on the best of the rest in this hotly contested category, combined with all that ‘sweetness’ in both handling and feedback which has become a trade-mark for Gradient.

Photo credit - Triantafyollos Gkikopoulos

News has recently been supplied to me that Ondřej is very pleased with performance tests of the proto XC3's. Though, it is not yet clear which of the two protos they have with them is proving to be the 'sweetest' performer. What is known is the Gradient team has two protos with diffferent aspect ratio one of 6.5 and the other 6.8. However news about line consumption / layout etc is still a mystery.

Looking ahead, this wing should be ready for certification, in the early part of 2010.

Here's a couple of links to recent flights by Ondřej on the likely Xc2 replacement.

http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:ondrejjd/14.11.2009/11:01

http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:ondrejjd/17.11.2009/10:30