Felix Hoddinott

British pilot Felix Hoddinott is having some great flying on his Gradient Aspen 3 in Bir. From 14.03 to 23.03 he flew nearly everyday and managed an 80km and 110km flat triangle. Felix is also currently third best Brit in the 2010 XC Contest

Gradient XC3 almost here

The Italian Gradient importer says that he tested the Avax XC3 in Bassano. The glider is confirmed as a 3 liner, rigifoil, arc on the rib at the height
of the B, new diagonals, aspect ratio 6.8. Quite similar to XC2, handling more straight, even more agile and nice!
The leading edge gives the impression of great solidity. Speed system on 2 pulleys, is soft and the wing speeds up a lot just touching it lightly. Speed increase is considerable. Ondej Dupal is happy with the result; he said the leading
edge is very stable and he tested the wing up to 68 km/h (this won't be the trimming for the certification). He states that for gradient this is an innovative wing with big performances and is very nice to fly.

More Gradient Golden 3 information

The Gradient website has more information on the Golden 3 and a great video



The G3 manual http://www.gradient.cx/res/files/golden3_en.pdf is also out on the Gradient website:

• The Golden3 has a new elliptical shape that includes a slightly positive
contortion of the leading edge. This means that the "ears“ (stabilo) of the
canopy are slightly swept back in flight.

• The Golden3 has a new aerofoil section to achieve the optimal balance
between performance and stability. The aerofoil’s characteristics deliver
maximum stability over as wide a speed range as possible.

• Special attention has been paid to the position, area and shaping of the cell
openings to ensure high stability over a very wide speed range (ie angle
of attack). Graduated-sized cell-openings help to increase stability and aid
pressure distribution within the glider.

• For better distribution of the forces within the canopy, diagonal segmentedrib
technology is used. The forces in the wing are carefully calculated and
balanced to give a flawless sail presentation and an intuitive feel to the flying.

• A special three-level line concept with progressively differing diameters means
the top-level lines are made from very strong Dyneema Liros DC. All lines have
the advantage of spliced loops giving maximum overall strength, durability and
the lowest possible drag.

• Four sets of lines (A, B, C, D) are used for the upper suspension system. The
upper C and D lines then combine lower down, so the glider has only three
risers. This helps to reduce drag and gives a simple line layout, which pilots
will appreciate during pre-flight checks and on launch.

• The main C-lines are connected to the karabiners through loops, allowing for
easier adjustment when your glider is serviced.

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