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Review of Windtech Quarx
Test pilot: Gerald Haas
Review courtesy of Gleitschirm Magazine
Translated from German by Verena Jurthe,
with thanks.
(*Corrections, comments & updates
by UK importer Carlo Borsattino - CB)
Intro to Windtech
Although Windtech has now been well known for some time in the paragliding markets of France, Switzerland, and of course Spain, in Germany and Austria - just a year ago - only an insider knew this manufacturer from the town of Gijon, in the Asturias region of north west Spain.
That changed very quickly when the importer "Skyline", run by Wolfgang Genghammer, started to import Windtech, and the Quarx got a DHV 2 rating. When, shortly after, one was sent to the TESTIVAL (An annual free flight test festival in Austria, organised by Gleitschirm magazine where they test all sorts of new gliders and compare them against one another. - CB) it got praises especially for it's performance and speed. Therefore I was very excited to see this performance wing again in the "big test".
Windtech produces most of their wings in Gijon (the factory is right next to their head office) which is naturally optimal for control calidad. Another production factory is also close by in Portugal. Our question about the higher cost of wages was answered by Manager Gabriel Canada: "We could of course produce cheaper in the far east but we want to guide and check the production of our high quality wings ourselves, which would for instance in China or Sri Lanka be almost impossible to do"
Also in the Windtech range (updated for 2001 by CB): the Coral (DHV1); the Ambar (DHV1-2); Serak (DHV 1-2); Quarx (DHV 2); and the competition wing Silex (Afnor Competition).
Construction
The silhouette of the Quarx looks elegant with its stretched ellipse form and an Aspect ratio of 5.41. The Design is characteristically "Windtech" - the two wings crossing in the middle of the under-surface - it is easily recognized. (The Quarx now has a new look, with a very similar design as the tres-sexy looking Silex. See Silex. - CB).
The wing has 67 cells of which the 6 wing tip cells on each side are closed. The cell width decreases progressively from the centre to the wing tip. Designer Alvaro Valdez, who developed the Quarx from a program he devised himself, has conceived a particularly rich concept of diagonal ribbing. In the centre this covers 3 cells and so only every 3rd cell is connected to an upper line. That's why the Quarx has only one set of upper lines and one set of long lower main lines.
There are only 2 main lines on the D risers whilst the 4 other risers (There are only 3 other risers, 4 in total. - CB) have 3 main lines on each side (There are only 4 risers in total, A, B, C and D. There are 3 lines on the A's; 3 on the B's, plus 1 stabilo line; 3 on the sliding C riser; and 2 on the D. Total, 12 main lines each side. - CB).
The stabilo lines are attached to the B-riser. The speed system works on A-, B- and C- risers. The controls are attached with poppers.
Quality and finish
The quality of the Quarx is generally very good. Just like the last test glider (the Ambar) it has only two small faults: The plastic clips in the riser karabiners are not well fixed and therefore easy to lose (I agree. A small bit of tape fixes this. - CB). The second finicky point is the line stitching. Although very well sewn right to the line end, to further prevent line tangles the line ends could be sewn over a few more times… ("How finicky those Germans are!" - the translator, who's German herself! - CB).
Otherwise, there were a few finishing details that I found really inspirational, for instance: all of the line attachment points are strengthened and stitched to an exemplary standard. Even the stabilo lines, which get often neglected (by other producers) are very well done. The riser stitching is clean, and on the speed system (A special 'Windtech' speed system, complete with Brummel hooks. - CB), as well as the brake line guiding (The keeper / retainer pulley that the brake line slides through. CB), they use metal pulleys from AustriAlpin.
The Mylar strengthening of the leading edge is well worked into the wing material which protects it from the sharp and often pointy parts of the Mylar. Reinforcement tape (lining) protects the trailing edge of the wing whilst the fabric on the leading edge is folded and sewn over several times. All seams are internal (i.e. top and bottom surfaces - CB).
Launch características
There is nothing to complain about. The lines are easily sorted and the different risers colour coded. I went to a little hill on a nil wind day, with even a little katabatic flow at times, and tried allsorts of possible and impossible launch techniques.
Result: the wing wants to fly and reacts to (almost) any kind of launch technique. Unless someone has the silly idea to try and launch slowly in nil wind - that doesn't work too well! However, in normal winds (light up slope winds - CB) even that is possible without any problems. On reverse launch the wing follows the pilots input exactly - therefore I had particularly lots of fun ground handling and "playing" with the Quarx.
Flight behaviour
Because I knew this performance intermediate already from the TESTIVAL I did not experience any big surprises. The first impression in the air is one of a very powerful and pleasantly flying wing. It feels like a competition wing mirrored by the trim speed of 38-39 km/h but feels solid in the air - it eats km's. And that is the Quarx's most outstanding characteristic. It is a wing for a "flyer", not a "braker" (I couldn't agree more ! - CB). For one, this is because itís performance shouldn't be restricted by over-braking, and also because generally the break travel is not too short, but not inordinately long either. So I'd advise to use a lot of weight shift and little break pressure in thermic flights - the Quarx turns extremely flat at relatively high speed. In weak and small thermals there may seem to be an advantage for slower wings, but steered precisely the Quarx will not be found to be deficient. Beneficial is the trim speed particularly when flying in stronger conditions, valley crossings and flights without speed bar.
(CB: For me, the reviewer has managed to really hit the mark, and describes the características of the Quarx very well. The Quarx performs very well indeed for a DHV 2 wing, but is not suitable for insensitive pilots. - CB).
Handling the Quarx is a treat - little break pressure guides the wing very precisely and it turns very easily. The feedback from the wing through the controls is distinct so turbulence and tucks are well recognized - and so more easily caught beforehand. Talking about asymmetric tucks - according to the percentage of tuck one can get very different fotografías: with (up to) a 50% collapse you could still believe you were flying a DHV 1-2, the wing recovers gently without pilot input and after not even turning 90 degrees from normal flying. But a bigger asymmetric will change your mind. Without pilot input the wing turns more than 180 degrees and pitches quite a bit too. But with corrective input the Quarx reacts easily without any further closures or major turns.
Holding an asymmetric in the wing holds course with a little opposite break and turning in the opposite direction is easily possible too. Going into an asymmetric with break pressure you obviously have to remember that there is less opposite break available before stall point and therefore be more careful (This applies to any glider - CB).
Like the performance the behaviour in asymmetric tucks is more like a competition wing.
(CB: I don't agree with this point. If the Quarx behaved "like a competition wing in asymmetric tucks", then it would not have gotten a DHV 2 rating. I can definitely say from personal experience that the Quarx behaves NOTHING like a Boomerang, Xenon, or Silex, or any other comp wing in asymmetric tucks, take it from me! Mind you, I get the point that he is trying to get across: the Quarx is a definitely high end DHV 2 glider, and is a dynamic energetic wing that requires active piloting. The fact the it behaves so sedately in 50%, or less tucks, could lead an overconfident pilot to become too blase about the flying the glider in too turbulent conditions. - CB).
Flying with speed bar the Quarx hits 50 km/h, a good maximum speed range. Even at that point the wing still feels very stable in the air. With all high speed flying always watch your ground clearance (Again, this applies to any glider. - CB).
Descent manoeuvres
Big Ears: The Quarx has no Big Ear pulleys but it is very easy to pull in the ears without. The wing is easily steered with weight shifting. Letting go of the outside A- lines the wingtips recover slowly into their place which can be aided with a little brake pressure.
B-Stall: Easy to pull in and with this wing quite effective, maximum sink rate approximately 9 m/sec, with no tendency to full stall, and a stable stall phase. After releasing the B's smartly the wing resumed flying quickly and without problems.
Spiral dive: Because the Quarx is agile it is easy to get into a spiral, but it doesn't like a hasty pull down on the controls. Although the sink rate hit 16- 17 m/sec, after letting up the brake the wing recovered to normal flight - naturally that took a few turns. If the release is too abrupt, the resulting dive and tuck can be "caught" by applying some inside brake again (Again, this applies for any glider. - CB).
Sizes
Apart from the 27, the Quarx 29 also rated DHV 2 with an all up weight range of 95- 115 kg. (The 25 is now also certified DHV 2, all up weight range 75 - 95kg. - CB).
Suitability
The Windtech Quarx is a wing for a "flyer", not a "braker" (Hear, hear ! - CB). Cross country pilots and experienced thermic flying pilots will enjoy its fine-tuned handling and superb speed and performance. Although DHV 2 rated, the Quarx should only be flown by experienced pilots- it is almost "wasted" on hill-hugging 'homebound' pilots. Looking at performance and required pilot input it is definitively a higher performance paraglider. (Agreed. - CB).
Test conditions
The first 14 test flights were done in summer 2000 at the TESTIVAL, adding many in late autumn and winter. Apart from my own house hills I flew over New Year in Monaco where I could test it in thermic conditions. My harness is a Cocoon by Sup Air. |
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