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Review of Windtech Tucan
Courtesy of Aérial magazine
The Spanish manufacturer, Windtech, is more and more present and DHV homologation has opened up the doors to the German market for them. |
The Tucan is a good balance of precision, performance and stability that reminds of the Quarx. The manfacturing finish is beautiful and simple.
The risers have a pulley system built in for executing b-line stalls. Also, split A risers for big ears and trims for slowing down the glider. The spreader bars have two points of attachment per side for the passenger as well as two points of attachment for the glider.
Of note, the Tucan's glider bag is conceived with a high carriage and has pefect padding for carrying all one's glider and tandem accessories.
The glider is sewn on the inside of all cells (diagonal - straight - diagonal), and the lines are optimised simplifying preperation. Mylar re-inforcements are situated at the attachment tabs of the stabilo lines, avoiding an accidental pulling out (of the stabilo lines).
The wing inflates quickly and comes up evenly, requiring assistance with zero wind. In nil wind the Tucan does not overfly the pilot and lifts off at low speed. It needs to be braked in very strong conditions.The brake travel is progressive.
There is no parasitical tendency in roll or pitch, and the take off is simple and efficient. In the air, the wing is very compact and stable in all axis. The pitch dampening makes it in fact a reassuring tandem in choppy conditions.
The brakes offer a large range effective from the start of the travel and that hardens towards the end of the course. The (brake) pressure depends of the wing loading. At the start of a turn, only a small input is required to incline the wing into a precise turn, giving a general impression of efficiency.
Reassuring in feel, the Tucan is also precise and agreeable at climbing in thermals. Turn reversal is rapid. In 360's the wing inclines well, with a tendency towards spiral neutrality above a certain inclination. The ears are easy to put in thanks to the split A's and are effective. The B-Line pulley requires one to let go of the brakes to be pulled down fully. The manouevre is physical and the wing returns to flight on it's own with the tri mms left in the neutral (tri mms off) position.
On landing, the Tucan rounds off well / evens out and the finale braking is moderately physical. The B-line pulley is useful in strong wind conditions for collapsing the glider.
Strong Points
- Precision and efficiency of turns.
- Ease of use and performance.
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Weak Points
- Lack of accelerator in the *trimmers. |
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(*nb. The Tucan does come with trimmers for speed adjustment - CB) |
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