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See
Flying Small Wings.
The Power X is Pegas' targeted entry into
motoring wings, specifically the realm of small, fun wings. Like many in
this class, they're intended for experienced pilots. At 19.5 m² flat
(16.9 m² projected) it's a hotrod even for my 150 pounds. I flew on a
Blackhawk 172 weighing about 75 pounds so I my wing loading was quite
high. Weight was 237 pounds (150 + 75 + 12 for wing) so the wing loading
was pretty high at 14 pounds per m².
Handling (7): The handling is quite
conventional with sportiness derived mostly from being heavily loaded.
Inflation (7): Each time I flew it
there was enough wind for a pretty easy reverse and it came up crisply.
Even in calm wind it should be straightforward and small-wing easy.
Efficiency (-): Without a sink rate
test it's hard to say but it felt like it would be as good as any modern
EN-B or DHV 1-2 wing.
Speed (-): Too cold for testing speed!
Sorry. But I was flying circles around everyone at the field as you
would expect given the high wing loading.
Construction (-): It's well built with
one unique feature that I didn't even notice right away. The leading
edge has a Mylar line running spanwise along it. I'm not sure if the
wing is made for acro but this sure would help avoid the wing coming
apart in flight. And I've watched that happen on another (probably
well-worn) glider after a a maneuver went bad. His lines went slack and,
when it reloaded with a bang, the glider split in two. That's not likely
with this Pegas.
Certification & Safety (-): It's
not certified and I'm not ballsy enough to do collapse tests on small
gliders but it's handling was straightforward, even a bit subdued for a
wing this small. Although I still wouldn't recommend a beginner go this
heavily loaded it would be a good first step in that direction.
Overall (-): This would be a good wing
for someone wanting to explore smaller wings, and the handling and speed
that goes with them. It's still gonna be faster on takeoff and landing,
and be less forgiving of errors, so I'd recommend them only to someone
with experience enough to safely handle flying small wings.
For more information, please visit
www.air-x.com.
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