Ozone
Octane Verses Gin Bandit By
Pat Dower
Skywings Oct 2000
When two of
the real heavyweights of paraglider design and development take each other on in
the ultra-competitive sports-intermediate class, you’d expect a bruising
encounter. In fact Ozone's Robbie Whittall and Gin designer Gin Seok Song used
to work together at Edel, that was a few years ago and both have had plenty of
time for divergent evolution from a shared ancestry since then.
Ozone Octane M
Boy was I
looking forward to this! Robbie had come over from France with the first batch
of Octanes, and I had serial number 0001! Along with Bob Drury, Rob had blasted prototypes of
the glider around
the Himalayas, and I was expecting something
pretty special.
Ground
handling and inflations are easy; light pressure on the A-risers and a dab of
brake as it comes overhead. It is more sensitive than some gliders about being
inflated directly into the wind, but decent preparation avoids any problem.
First impression in the air was that I was swinging around
a lot; such is
the glider's sensitivity in roll. As I hit the first thermal this feature turned
immediately to an advantage as it gave exceptional feel and control. Initiation
of the turn is immediate and the wing would tighten up on command or hold an
angle of bank. In lumpy thermals it would move around more than the Gin Bandit
or Apco Bagheera; in heavy turbulence it was pretty lively and a less
experienced pilots might find the feedback too much.
Brake response is in two stages.
You can stooge around all day using small inputs, flying precisely and neatly,
but if you give it a bit more it suddenly feels very sporty indeed. It does this
without a big increase in control pressure, so don't get caught out! The first
turn in a series of wingovers is fairly tame, but swinging through for the
second is amazing: this glider retains huge amounts of energy. It all adds up to
a win, which is exceptionally rewarding to fly, even more so than the FreeX
Mission due to the Octane's lighter brake pressures.
At 88 kg I
was just below the middle of the weight range and was rewarded with a brilliant
sink rate and a high level of efficiency in wide or tight turns. I could
comfortably out-climb just about everything and had a whole heap of fun at the
same time. It's unwise to draw hard-and-fast conclusions without many hours of
comparative flying, but I felt that I was matching the excellent climb rate of
the medium Apco Bagheera I had recently flown. Hands-up glide was on a par with
the Bandit, though of course really good conditions for reliable comparisons
were not available. My speed at trim was fractionally quicker on the Bandit,
attributable to the wing loading. The speed bar has a nice manageable 37 cm of
travel, although there’s a little friction in the system. The glider remained
solid and the glide angle wasn’t degraded much at all – exactly what you
want.
This is the first glider I’ve
flown with split A-risers. I treated them as unsplit during all types of launch,
but really liked them for big ears, as they were very easy to reach. You’d
have to be pretty absent mined to pull the wrong thing. The ears tended
to stick in and needed a good firm pump
to get them out. The same applies to induced asymmetric deflations, both
otherwise they as unremarkable as one
would expert of a DHV
2 machine. My
most testing experience was a day's winching in really snotty air; when I had
the potential drama of two weak link breakages, both with the glider pitched
right back The ensuing surge was reassuringly steady and easily damped. All in
all, the Octane proved to be very resistant to collapse and didn't require
cat-like reflexes to fly actively.
I had the dubious pleasure of a
full enthusiasm onslaught from Robbie as he described the details of the
construction. I have to admit that Ozone certainly has a product to be proud of,
with every detail thought out. For example the top surface is made of the
UV-resistant Gelvenor fabric proven by Apco. Two grades of Porcher Marine, which
gives better stretch resistance, are used elsewhere on the wing, and there's the
innovative 'Butt Hole' Velcro opening on the trailing edge for getting debris
out of the wing. The risers are beautifully stitched in narrow black tape.
The lines are heat-sealed at the ends with no messy rubber sheaths. The bag is
one of the best around: it holds the weight high and two easily operated
compression straps keep everything tight The feel-good factor this wing gives as
you unpack it is very high. The only thing I can find to criticize is the lack
of any stiffening in the brake handles - and Ozone intends to change that
anyway!
When
writing a review I try to put into words how the glider makes me feel as well as
including all the, objective stuff. I'll make no bones about it: I absolutely
loved this glider. It’s got the performance, handling, security and quality
blended into an irresistible mixture. It should impress any pilot moving on from
a dodgy hot ship, yet would be within the reach of experienced, confident pilots
looking to buy their first real sports glider after a season or two on a DHV 1-2
glider.
Gin Bandit S
Surely no
DHV 2 glider could feel as gorgeous as the Octane? Yet from the very first
flight I was hugely impressed with the Bandit. The response to brake input is
amazing, turning really quickly with small inputs. There's none of the Octane's
two-stage feel to the response - the Bandit just throws itself into maneuvers
with the minimum of effort from the pilot Such was the fun factor I found it
hard to resist doing constant wingovers: someone used to a stodgy DHV 1-2 wing
would be blown away by the Bandit It's even easier to thermal than the Octane
and has a more planted feel once 360s are established. I was loaded at
the optimum for this glider quite close to top of the weight range, and I
was getting full benefit in terms of response rate.
There was
a penalty however and, as expected, the sink rate suffered. There was more
height loss on turn initiation and it was definitely not out-climbing other
gliders in the way the Octane had. Turns needed to be balanced with some outside
brake to prevent the glider digging in too much. Glide angle at trim seemed to
match the Octane on the relatively short glides I managed. There is some
temptation to be constantly dabbing the brakes when gliding through mixing air
but in reality the Bandit is well damped in pitch and roll. The speed bar is
fairly high-geared and needs only 24 cm of extension to reach max speed. It's a
pleasure to use because there's virtually no friction and speed picks up quickly
with only a small push. Glide at speed did degrade a little more than the Octane
- and according to the DHV it loses out by 2 km/hr on top speed, though I
couldn't confirm this.
While
testing the Bandit I had a quick go on an Edel Sabre, which I believe Gin Seok
Song also designed. It is impressive to feel the results of fit years of
progress, and the Bandit was more refined in every way. Better glide, faster
lighter brakes, more feedback and even more responsive The Bandit's behavior on
the ground was impeccable. I could be really abused and would still get the
pilot out of trouble. If inflated out of wind it jut cocked into position without veering off and would even
stay overhead when 30% collapsed would inflate with body pressure alone and I
managed to get off in a slight tailwind at the fir attempt. It could be
collapsed on A, B or C risers although, like the Octane, the stall point on the
brakes was a long way down and right at the of my short arms.
Security in flight seems high.
Because it moves around less, the Bandit feels more secure than the Octane,
although in reality I detected no greater tendency to collapse with the Octane.
There's plenty of feedback through the brakes and the only collapse I nearly had
was stopped before it went in, There was a loss of brake pressure as one tide of
the wing started to fold, and by lust pulling down positively until the pressure
increased the wing returned to normal. As with all the DHV 2 gliders I've tried,
deliberate asymmetric deflations were pretty mild. The Bandit seemed most benign
with very little height loss. Big ears stayed in without being held, but came
out with a half-hearted pump on the brakes.
So high
are the general standards of construction it's hard to say weather Gin or Ozone
has the edge. The Bandit's Carrington fabric has an excellent reputation
although it didn't shed the Derbyshire sheep sh*t quite like the Gelvenor of the
Octane! Due to its popularity in continental Europe a big ears kit is fitted. It
can be removed in a couple of minutes but I still I prefer the Octane's split
A-risers. Wing, lines and riser are very neatly finished, as on the Octane, and
it has those lovely magnetic brake keepers also used by Apco. The bag was
actually too big for my gear and despite four compression straps the contents
moved around a bit. A paraglider bag is never truly comfortable, but Ozone gets
closer with theirs. Gin offers an alternative bag (pictured in Bill Morris's
Bolero review in March), and I think I'd
prefer that one. Full marks to Gin for their manual, though the Octane one on
their website isn't bad either
In my
Mission verses Bagheera review (June Skywings) I praised FreeX and Apco
for their three-year warranties, and I was initially surprised to learn that,
despite having top-quality product, neither Ozone or Gin offer similar
guarantees. I understand that both Ozone and Gin seek to provide the fullest
backup for the customer in the event of a problem with materials or manufacture.
I guess the problem with a three-year period is that it is an arbitrary figure.
I wonder what the attitude would be if someone complained that their glider was
worn out after two and a half years, but they’d done 500 hours in the harshest
of conditions. In reality the level of backup offered by Ozone and Gin may be
even higher, but perhaps the three-year warranty is more confidence inspiring
for some customers!
Conclusion
In this
highly competitive sector of the market the pilot is spoilt for choice.
Manufacturer after manufacturer produces refined, high performing, fun gliders,
and safe for the right level of pilot. Some of the gliders are pretty similar
and price. Company image and dealer service will all enter into the buyer's
evaluation. Both gliders in this review have a light, highly energetic feel
which allows the pilot to extend him/her self. The Bandit feels slightly less
demanding on the ground and in rough air and the DHV reports give it a slight
edge on behavior in some tuck and spin tests. At my weight the Bandit also
manages to be somehow even more responsive to small control inputs than the
Octane; it is a great glider. The Octane has the slightly greater all round
performance and, for me, offers the greater long-term satisfaction. Any
experienced pilot considering ditching their hot ship must try the Octane.
It’s difficult to imagine having more pleasure with your clothes on!
Comments
by Mark Stuart, Gin UK Importer
Pat noted
the handling of the Bandit, in particular the smooth and progressive response to
brake input. His test again highlighted the problem faced by most: wing loading
and which size of glider to buy. Do you load a small glider and gain stability,
handling and speed, or fly light on the next size up to out-climb everything and
stay top of the stack! We would recommend the former, but in any doubt test fly
both sizes.
Specifications: Ozone Octane
Model
XS
S
M
L
XL
Cells
------------------------------------ 53
------------------------------------------
Span
(projected, m) 8.8
9.2
9.6
9.9
10.3
Area
(flat, m2)
22.8
24.8
26.9
29.1
31.4
Aspect
ratio
------------------------------------ 5.2:1
---------------------------------------
All-up
weight range (kg)
55-70
65-85
80-100
95-115
110-135
DHV
certification
in progress
2
2
2
2
Specifications:
Gin Bandit
Model
XS
S
M
L
Cells
---------------------------- 19 x 3 ---------------------------
Span
(projected, m) 9.15
9.55
9.95
10.34
Area
(flat, m2)
22.9
24.9
27.0
29.2
Aspect
ratio
------------------------------ 5:1 -----------------------------
All-up
weight range (kg)
65 - 80 78-92
87-105
100-120