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 Review of Windtech Ambar «29»
Test pilot: Norbert Aprissnig
Review courtesy of Gleitschirm Magazine
Translated from German by Verena Jurthe,
with thanks.
(*Corrections, comments & updates
by UK importer Carlo Borsattino - CB)
One nice day in autumn the company Skyline from Uebersee, near Chiemsee, (Germany) surprised me with the announcement of a new test glider. Should Advance - whose products Skyline imports - have produced a new paraglider without me knowing it? Very doubtful, and the newest Advance construction, the Epsilon 3, was also just being tested by Joerg Dickenmann in Switzerland.
The curiosity increased when Christian Geierstanger from Skyline told me that it was actually a new product of a make newly imported by Skyline, called Windtech. The product, the Ambar, had just been rated DHV 1-2.
I had a little time to think and do some research before the glider arrived in our office. Of course, Windtech is the Spanish manufacturer that has made its name already in the world of AFNOR and DHV. Further research showed that Windtech's home is in the NW corner of Spain that isn’t known to paraglider pilots around here. That is in Gijon, on the north (west) coast of Spain. Co-owner, and manager, Gabriel Canada and other co-owner, and chief designer, Alvaro Valdes, conceptualise their wings at their offices there and what is very interesting is that they also make the wings right there in their factory at the same place. Around a thousand wings left this production plant in 2000.
Construction and finish
The Ambar package arrived by post from Bavaria, received with the typical spirit of Christmas - excitement, of getting a close look at a new product from a manufacturer that I knew little of before.
My appreciation for colour and design actually went a little haywire looking at this yellow, turquoise and orange something called an Ambar (Colour schemes have changed since this review- CB.) But tastes are apparently different and so the Ambar had to prove its inner beauty there and then in the office.
And here my colleagues and I became boggle eyed. No trace whatsoever of a Spanish “no-name-product”, the quality of construction was even after intense survey to be described as “better than most”.
One thing at a time: Cleanly sewn risers, well stitched line ends (to avoid entanglement and unfortunately rarely seen with other glider manufacturers), all seams are internal (i.e. top and bottom surfaces), all reinforcement strips are very well sewn, using zigzag, as well as the stiffening and tension relief of the hang points on all the A, B, C, and D lines and the Stabilos (Stabilos = wing tip lines. CB). The picture of the sutures (sutures = a seam or join in sewing) also prompted me to give my compliments to Windtech because all together the Ambar is one of the best finished paragliders I have ever seen. One teeny-weeny criticism goes to the tidy-clips on the riser karabiners made of rubber that said: "Bye-bye!", after a few test flights (Agreed - CB. This is only a very small problem though, and can be easily sorted with a bit of tape to stop them popping out.)
As to the design and colour scheme - for the second half of the test flights we got a purple model of the Ambar, which colour scheme even fussy me appreciated.
The design construction of the Ambar corresponds with the “standard” of it's class, with the contemporary diagonal rib double cell construction, meaning every other cell has got hang points and diagonal ribs connect to the top surface in between. In the middle of the wing on the A- level is a Mylar- cross band to spread the loading. The Ambar has not got (how refreshing in the age of “big- ear- helpers”) any special constructions for Big Ears, the serial speed system ('Serial' meaning as supplied - CB) shortens the A risers by 13 cm approx., B and C risers proportionally.
Launch
The tension rose, as the Ambar was laid out on launch on quite a stable autumn day after it’s Quality test ordeal. The launch características shown on that day were echoed afterwards in all subsequent launches. The Ambar is optimal in every way. This is true for strong wind and reverse launch techniques too.
Flight behaviour
When I got into the air, on said stable autumn day, I started to have some doubts. The conditions were weak - tricky to stay up - and a couple of pilots had already had to aim for the landing field. .“Am I supposed to manage these scratchy conditions with this mattress?”, I thought, glancing up, because the Ambar, quite frankly, does not look particularly speedy and sleek. But just like with the Ambar's quality I had to revise my opinion also to it’s performance.
The first few timid circles enlightened me - the Ambar’s handling is actually excellent, the tuning of brake pressure and travel very well balanced. And after I had managed to get up in those conditions, in the middle of allegedly higher performance wings, I had to admit that the climbing / thermalling rate and ability is obviously very excellent too. In Austrian winter thermals, strong Italian autumn conditions or at the cliffs of the Sierra Nevada in Spain these favourable first impressions of thermalling and handling were only ever confirmed. Okay, if you’re pulling rough on the brakes in weak conditions, then of course the banking and therefore sink rate will increase but even less experienced pilots should be able to adjust the bank and circle radius according to the conditions easily.
Likewise, the Ambar pilot should not be too heavy-handed for the roll stability or the flight will be more of a swinging experience. Otherwise the Ambar proved to be stable even in turbulent air, at most you hear the “Ears rustle”. Asy mmetric tucks are a rarity especially if the Ambar is flown actively. Self induced asy mmetrics (60% approx.) are answered dynamically - adequately to it’s turning dynamics. The wing opens unaided after a turn of 180-360 degrees. It is easy to stabilize and steer with a tuck and as in normal flight shows no tendency to stall.
Descent manoeuvres
Spiral dive: Because of the wing’s agility, getting into a spiral dive is a lot of fun and high sink rates are easily achieved. The pilot of an Ambar should be able to get out of a spiral progressively and actively otherwise it is possible to get a twist depending on harness and sitting position. (This sounds more like the harness and sitting position than the Ambar to me! - CB)
B-Stall: It is really hard work to get it in! In B-Stall the Ambar has no tendency for undesired turning, nor to deep stall when exiting from the manoeuvre.
Big Ears: As normal, Big Ears are pulled with the outside A- lines. Because of the wings agility it remains easy to steer by weight shift.
Sizes
Apart from the Ambar 29 that I flew (weight range 85-105kg) Windtech also offers a bigger size with DHV, the Ambar 32 (weight range 95-120kg), also rated DHV 1-2.
There are four sizes of Ambar available: 25, 27, 29, and 32 corresponding to their size in square metres flat. Their respective weight ranges and certification are:
Ambar 25, 60-85kgs all up, Afnor Standard;
Ambar 27, 75-95kgs all up, Afnor Standard;
Ambar 29, 85-105kgs all up, DHV 1-2 and Afnor Standard;
Ambar 32, 95-120kgs all up, DHV 1-2. |
Suitability
The Ambar convinced as a new wing on the German/ Austrian market. The brilliant handling and excellent thermic flight características, combined with high safety will particularly appeal to the thermalling pilot.
Because of its high dynamics I don’t reckon the Ambar suitable for a complete beginner. The fun and performance in thermic conditions are particularly outstanding with this wing from Windtech.
Speed measurements
| Min. Speed: |
Trim speed: |
Max. speed: |
Min. sink: |
| 20 km/h |
36 km/h |
45 km/h |
1.1 m/s |
Specifications
| Material: |
Lines: |
| Nylon Porcher Marine New Skytex 44 g/m2 |
Cousin Kevlar & Aramid |
| Date: |
Time: |
Cloud: |
Area: |
| 13/3/2000 |
16:00hrs |
Stratus |
Altpernstein Micheldorf |
| All up weight: |
Wind direction: |
Take off height: |
| 99kg |
NW 5 km/h |
750m (above Sea level) |
| Take off Temp: |
Landing Field Temp: |
Landing field: |
| +6 degrees C |
+8 degrees C |
450m (A.S.L.) |
Instruments: Brauniger IQ Basis II with speed sensor |
|
 überblick
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