When I first heard of the icaro relax, I thought gee... a single surface glider with curvy tips... What a freakin gimmick! It seemed like something out of the Sharper Image catalog. Overpriced status symbol garbage. I mean really... a single surface glider is a single surface glider is a single surface glider right? They're easy to setup, easy to fly and easy to land. They're all about having fun flying. Don't give me all the extra crap, just let me at the fun!
So a glider with curvy tips just seemed wrong. Come on man, what's with the extra setup pains? This is a single surface glider, it's supposed to be easy. It seemed like Icaro just didn't get it. Suffice to say, I was a little skeptical.
But then every single person I talked to absolutely RAVED about this glider. I mean EVERYONE. Over and over and over I heard "the sweetest handling glider I've ever flown". Really... gee, an easy to fly single surface glider, what a shock right? We've got one here at Quest, so I figured I'd get around to flying it sometime. That sometime wound up being today.
First I have to apologise up front. I'm about to sound like one of those people I've been talking about. I expected an easy to fly glider and all, but OH MY F*#$ING GOD! Seriously, it's freakin retarded! I've flown some easy gliders. I've flown some sweetass handling gliders, and I can tell you there ain't nothin on the market today that handles THAT nice! There's nothing close.
A really sweet handling glider still feels like a hang glider. You know you're up there and it's just an extension of you right? You're in tune with it. Well, the relax doesn't feel that way. You're not "in tune" with it... heck, it's not even there. It doesn't feel like a hang glider. It doesn't feel like anything.... you forget about the glider completely. I felt like freaking superman, just blazing around the sky. (Ok, maybe not blazing, but you get the point).
The tow was amazing. You want that superman feeling? Tow a relax. Tow it off the shoulders... you heard me... off the shoulders. It's freaky. People commented that as I came out of the cart, I sorta looked down at the basetube, gave a "hunh?" look then an "uh, ok", stuck my hands in the middle of the speedbar and planted it sqaurely under my parachute. That's all folks. That's the tow. No fuss, no muss and very little bar preassure. I'm telling you, this thing is retarded.
No input was necessary on tow. None. Turns? It just followed the tug. Not like "I can barely tell I'm putting in inputs" kinda following the tug, I mean one hand on the center of the basetube just to keep it under my chute kinda towing. F-a-r-e-e-k-y
Off tow was the same story. The sweetest handling glider I've ever flown. Don't take my word for it... do yourself a favor and go fly one. I think Steve Went has one.
Jim
Relax
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
-
Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
and...
Very nice gliders--but kinda priced like Ferraris. I've been a hard-core Icarro pilot in the past, but I think they've priced themselves out of the US market.
How much does the Relax weigh, (for those contemplating long hikes)?
And, does it cop any kind of glide beyond other single surface gliders, which, afterall, may not be one or two thousand dollar's worth worse in towing/handling. I can attest that my tandem Falcon will happily tow completely hands off with a passenger (in reasonably smooth air, of course).
marc
How much does the Relax weigh, (for those contemplating long hikes)?
And, does it cop any kind of glide beyond other single surface gliders, which, afterall, may not be one or two thousand dollar's worth worse in towing/handling. I can attest that my tandem Falcon will happily tow completely hands off with a passenger (in reasonably smooth air, of course).
marc
Great Googly-moo!
Relax
so...is it easy to set up? (even with the curved tips) really light?
relatively inexpensive? made in Europe so maybe a good choice for
Europe flying if you wanted to avoid the hassle of shipping? - Hugh
On 24 Mar 2005, at 20:44, jimrooney wrote:
> When I first heard of the icaro relax, I thought gee... a single
> surface glider with curvy tips... What a freakin gimmick! It seemed
> like something out of the Sharper Image catalog. Overpriced status
> symbol garbage. I mean really... a single surface glider is a single
> surface glider is a single surface glider right? They're easy to
> setup, easy to fly and easy to land. They're all about having fun
> flying. Don't give me all the extra crap, just let me at the fun!
>
> So a glider with curvy tips just seemed wrong. Come on man, what's
> with the extra setup pains? This is a single surface glider, it's
> supposed to be easy. It seemed like Icaro just didn't get it. Suffice
> to say, I was a little skeptical.
>
> But then every single person I talked to absolutely RAVED about this
> glider. I mean EVERYONE. Over and over and over I heard "the sweetest
> handling glider I've ever flown". Really... gee, an easy to fly single
> surface glider, what a shock right? We've got one here at Quest, so I
> figured I'd get around to flying it sometime. That sometime wound up
> being today.
>
> First I have to apologise up front. I'm about to sound like one of
> those people I've been talking about. I expected an easy to fly glider
> and all, but OH MY F*#$ING GOD! Seriously, it's freakin retarded! I've
> flown some easy gliders. I've flown some sweetass handling gliders,
> and I can tell you there ain't nothin on the market today that handles
> THAT nice! There's nothing close.
>
> A really sweet handling glider still feels like a hang glider. You
> know you're up there and it's just an extension of you right? You're
> in tune with it. Well, the relax doesn't feel that way. You're not "in
> tune" with it... heck, it's not even there. It doesn't feel like a
> hang glider. It doesn't feel like anything.... you forget about the
> glider completely. I felt like freaking superman, just blazing around
> the sky. (Ok, maybe not blazing, but you get the point).
>
> The tow was amazing. You want that superman feeling? Tow a relax. Tow
> it off the shoulders... you heard me... off the shoulders. It's
> freaky. People commented that as I came out of the cart, I sorta
> looked down at the basetube, gave a "hunh?" look then an "uh, ok",
> stuck my hands in the middle of the speedbar and planted it sqaurely
> under my parachute. That's all folks. That's the tow. No fuss, no muss
> and very little bar preassure. I'm telling you, this thing is
> retarded.
>
> No input was necessary on tow. None. Turns? It just followed the tug.
> Not like "I can barely tell I'm putting in inputs" kinda following the
> tug, I mean one hand on the center of the basetube just to keep it
> under my chute kinda towing. F-a-r-e-e-k-y
>
> Off tow was the same story. The sweetest handling glider I've ever
> flown. Don't take my word for it... do yourself a favor and go fly
> one. I think Steve Went has one.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
>
relatively inexpensive? made in Europe so maybe a good choice for
Europe flying if you wanted to avoid the hassle of shipping? - Hugh
On 24 Mar 2005, at 20:44, jimrooney wrote:
> When I first heard of the icaro relax, I thought gee... a single
> surface glider with curvy tips... What a freakin gimmick! It seemed
> like something out of the Sharper Image catalog. Overpriced status
> symbol garbage. I mean really... a single surface glider is a single
> surface glider is a single surface glider right? They're easy to
> setup, easy to fly and easy to land. They're all about having fun
> flying. Don't give me all the extra crap, just let me at the fun!
>
> So a glider with curvy tips just seemed wrong. Come on man, what's
> with the extra setup pains? This is a single surface glider, it's
> supposed to be easy. It seemed like Icaro just didn't get it. Suffice
> to say, I was a little skeptical.
>
> But then every single person I talked to absolutely RAVED about this
> glider. I mean EVERYONE. Over and over and over I heard "the sweetest
> handling glider I've ever flown". Really... gee, an easy to fly single
> surface glider, what a shock right? We've got one here at Quest, so I
> figured I'd get around to flying it sometime. That sometime wound up
> being today.
>
> First I have to apologise up front. I'm about to sound like one of
> those people I've been talking about. I expected an easy to fly glider
> and all, but OH MY F*#$ING GOD! Seriously, it's freakin retarded! I've
> flown some easy gliders. I've flown some sweetass handling gliders,
> and I can tell you there ain't nothin on the market today that handles
> THAT nice! There's nothing close.
>
> A really sweet handling glider still feels like a hang glider. You
> know you're up there and it's just an extension of you right? You're
> in tune with it. Well, the relax doesn't feel that way. You're not "in
> tune" with it... heck, it's not even there. It doesn't feel like a
> hang glider. It doesn't feel like anything.... you forget about the
> glider completely. I felt like freaking superman, just blazing around
> the sky. (Ok, maybe not blazing, but you get the point).
>
> The tow was amazing. You want that superman feeling? Tow a relax. Tow
> it off the shoulders... you heard me... off the shoulders. It's
> freaky. People commented that as I came out of the cart, I sorta
> looked down at the basetube, gave a "hunh?" look then an "uh, ok",
> stuck my hands in the middle of the speedbar and planted it sqaurely
> under my parachute. That's all folks. That's the tow. No fuss, no muss
> and very little bar preassure. I'm telling you, this thing is
> retarded.
>
> No input was necessary on tow. None. Turns? It just followed the tug.
> Not like "I can barely tell I'm putting in inputs" kinda following the
> tug, I mean one hand on the center of the basetube just to keep it
> under my chute kinda towing. F-a-r-e-e-k-y
>
> Off tow was the same story. The sweetest handling glider I've ever
> flown. Don't take my word for it... do yourself a favor and go fly
> one. I think Steve Went has one.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
>
I couldn't care what it costs, cuz I'm not buying one and I'm not trying to sell you one. I'm sure it's obnoxiously expensive. I like the ferrari analogy... If your friend had a ferrari and offered you a ride, you'd go right?
See I've always had this thing about single surface gliders... I used to say that they got the design down so well that they don't need to change it anymore... they just need to keep making them. Now I can't say that. Now I know better. Maybe one of the other manufactures will step up to the plate and build a better single surface glider... one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Or maybe not. I just know it _can_ be done.
Easy to setup? I don't know, it was setup already. Aside from popping in the tips, it's a falcon.
Light? Yeah, like a falcon.
Glide? It's a single surface glider. I imagine it does better than a falcon (it's much cleaner), but ... it's a single surface glider.
Your tandem flies nothing like this glider. I fly tandems every day... they are TRUCKS, this thing is a sports car. I towed it OFF THE SHOULDERS with the same bar preassure as a topless. I did not move on tow, it turned itself... try that with a tandem. Try that with any glider. It is the easiest flying glider I've ever flown, by a factor of ten. It's not a little better than _insert_favorite_glider_here_, it kicks it's butt. Rigids are harder to tow than the relax.
Don't listen to me though.
Take one for a spin.
Jim
See I've always had this thing about single surface gliders... I used to say that they got the design down so well that they don't need to change it anymore... they just need to keep making them. Now I can't say that. Now I know better. Maybe one of the other manufactures will step up to the plate and build a better single surface glider... one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Or maybe not. I just know it _can_ be done.
Easy to setup? I don't know, it was setup already. Aside from popping in the tips, it's a falcon.
Light? Yeah, like a falcon.
Glide? It's a single surface glider. I imagine it does better than a falcon (it's much cleaner), but ... it's a single surface glider.
Your tandem flies nothing like this glider. I fly tandems every day... they are TRUCKS, this thing is a sports car. I towed it OFF THE SHOULDERS with the same bar preassure as a topless. I did not move on tow, it turned itself... try that with a tandem. Try that with any glider. It is the easiest flying glider I've ever flown, by a factor of ten. It's not a little better than _insert_favorite_glider_here_, it kicks it's butt. Rigids are harder to tow than the relax.
Don't listen to me though.
Take one for a spin.
Jim
-
Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
F2F
Might be worth tricking it out to go better on glide--I think those guys still have a $1,000 pot out there for the first 100m miler on a single surface. Bo was hard at work chasing that on the Target not too long ago.
marc
marc
Great Googly-moo!
Steve Wendt does have one---I just noticed it on his "Gliders For Sale" page at his site...and he wants something like $4500 for it (and even mentions the price is dependent upon the current Euro > Dollar rate).
I was stoked to fly it...but sadly, I noticed that he has the 171 (I think) with a max suggested hook-in of 198lbs (which I exceed by about 40-50lbs!).
Oh well.
You little people could go check it out though!
Scott
I was stoked to fly it...but sadly, I noticed that he has the 171 (I think) with a max suggested hook-in of 198lbs (which I exceed by about 40-50lbs!).
Oh well.
You little people could go check it out though!Scott