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Skywings Magazine November 2007 Steve U reviews the Vega II Medium |
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PG forum has a long running thread about the Vega II. Steve U, Mark Gilmour, Mark Graham, Dave Massie, Jon Groves, Gordon Bishop....... all comment on the Vega II here. |
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Bill Banks-Jones - Norfolk (Vega II Medium) Really enjoying the Vega II. Responds to inputs fast enough but not twitchy. I can feel what is happening to the air much more than with my previous glider, which is what I was looking for. I winch with it mostly. On tow the Vega II is great, i.e. easy to keep on line, easy to damp surges; don't think anybody gets better launch heights. The thermic days I have flown have been very enjoyable. Had a landing out in bumpy conditions when I had to use the speed bar down to the last 30ft. Was a bit apprehensive, but wing stayed solid. In Annecy 3 flying days were rough. Tips were collapsing occasionally. Never a problem. I think because the wing gives me the feed back that I want; it was telling me a large collapse was possible in these conditions. I would recommend this wing to anyone who was in my position. I wish I had moved on to it much earlier! |
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Mark Leavesley - Shropshire (Vega II Medium) From taking it out the bag I straight away spotted just how well put together these wings really are. The stuff sack is for once MASSIVE! Not like all the rest where you have to pack the glider very small to get them back in. The stiching is lovely and neat with no silly little bits fluffing out. Ground handling is simply amazing, it does what you tell it to do immediately, it stays above your head even in the lightest of winds without tucking. Flying the Vega II is a ball, it's sink rate has to be seen to be believed, and its very agile. I like a little bit of ACRO and it does it with ease, loops, SAT's, off-sets are all very easy and safe. Its a fairly nippy glider so when landing with such a good sink rate combined with the speed it may surprise you. A few S-turns or a longer landing approach might be needed! |
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Mark Gilmour - Shropshire (Vega II Large) Flew a large demo well in the weight range. Vega II comes up quite quick on take off, very good trim speed, safe and secure feel to the glider in general. Turning the glider was very nice, you could put the wing up on a tip no problem, the QA looked good, stitching was good.....nice all round wing. Without doubt the Vega II is a very capable glider... |
| Mike Miller - Nottinghamshire (Vega II Large) I was definitely impressed with the glider. Considering I was flying it with just my mountain kit within about 5kg of the bottom of the weight range, it was remarkably responsive. In particular, the turn and roll response were progressive for the low wing-loading and there was no stickiness entering spirals. The glider remained nicely pressurised at the high point in sets of small wingovers without me really having to work the brakes like a madman again, good to see at the bottom of the weight range. Brake pressure seemed balanced, and increased in a nice linear fashion, with corresponding increase in reactions. Pitch stability flying in and out of lift was not excessive, but the glider was definitely soaking up a fair amount of the ups and downs without radical pitching to correct airspeed. Feedback was nice, not quite so waffle-y or remote as the Aspen II, and not as twitchy as the Antea. The glider felt mildly damped, and could be sensed moving around overhead in response to turbulence through the risers and the brakes in a quite comforting way. It was far less plank-like than either the Rebel or Mustang 2 which, with heavier brakes and a more rigid construction, both had a feel that I didn’t particularly get on with. Overall, on the handling front, I reckon with another 10kg of weight (full harness, reserve, instruments and water) it would feel very very well sorted, and quite inline with my preferences. Speed system was very very smooth, and light too. I did some collapses at trim speed - asymmetrics and frontals - and was amazed at how placid the glider is in its reactions. In comparison with the Antea, it’s an absolute pussycat in asymmetrics, and the frontal is a total non-event in comparison to the Aspen II. Both very reassuring. |
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Mark Graham - Barcelona (Vega II small) I think I had the first Vega II off the production line; the small, EN B version. It arrived just in time to take it to the Manilla 2007 XCopen back in February, so I left my trusty Sigma 6 (S) at home. The first day the glider was out of the bag was windy; it felt smaller than the Sigma and easy to control, though it does sit further forward over your head than many of the gliders I've flown. My 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th flights on the glider were 77km, 192km, 140km and 164km. I think that this is a testament to its performance. FANTASTIC. The glider is easy to get used to, with no quirks, nothing eccentric, it launches and flies beautifully. 34 hours flying in 9 flights with some big sky (flat ground granted) and no dramas. The small Vega II is EN B, which is supposedly equivelent to a DHV 1-2. I think its behaviour fits this catagory well though its performance is better. I have 90 hours on it now, not all of them smooth. The Sigma was pitchier in thermic conditions and I had a couple of wake-up moments on it last year. Not yet on the Vega II though, and I live in Spain where it can be strong. I think this a great recreational glider. Its thermaling is precise and on the rare occasions I use the bar it feels solid (steering Carefully with the D risers works really well). If you need to spiral out of trouble then 10m/s down is acheivable. I'd also like to mention the 138km flight from Bradwell edge to the coast south of Grimsby last July. I don't fly much in the UK but this was inspirational. I can't recommend the glider enough. |
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