Supair Leaf 3

Supair Leaf 3 review (EN B)

6 October, 2023

Improved roll stability makes Supair’s low EN-B Leaf 3 a good paraglider for new XC pilots, says Marcus King.

When we caught up with Supair designer Pierre-Yves Alloix at the Stubai Cup in March he told us this third incarnation of Supair’s low-B wing has “better equilibrium, is more intuitive for the target pilot and is more balanced.” I got to fly one of the first wings off the production line, taking it soaring and cross-country in the southern Alps to find a out a bit more about its character and performance.

Supair Leaf 3
The Leaf 3 is the first wing to come with Supair’s new colour scheme and is available in two standard colours, blue or red

Design and build

Looking at the specs, there have been few obvious changes. It retains the cell count of 49 and has seen a very small increase in aspect ratio up to 5.35. However, there have been changes in the leading edge structure and the curve of the wing, which has been reduced to improve roll stability.

Pierre-Yves said having too much roll makes it hard for beginners to make nice consistent turns. “It was the main area of development,” he said. “The Leaf 3 can feel less fun to advanced pilots, but it does the job better for newcomers in the B category.”

Supair Leaf 3
Mix of inlet styles keeps good performance across the speed range

Unfolding the glider you will immediately notice the cell openings use a mix of large, curved ports and narrower ports. The curved ports are what we are used to seeing on low cell-count wings and help with the tensioning. The narrow ones are similar to what you’d expect to see on a higher performance wing and include G-string style cords across the middle of the cell openings.

Supair say the design is to optimise the wing’s internal pressure at different speeds: the larger ones are optimised for slow flight and the narrow for accelerated flight. Pierre-Yves explained, “All these features help the leading edge to be more solid and nicer with still nice inflation behaviour.” The leading edge also has a ‘baby-sharknose’

Other changes have been made to the internal construction with a tension band running across the span, which helps increase the brake range. At the back the wing has Supair’s smart mini-ribs that use internal stitching. Materials have changed from the Porcher used on the previous version to a mix of  Dominco and MJ Tex cloth, with Dominico 30D on the top surface.

Supair Leaf 3
Good colour-coding of risers and lines plus removable rear-riser control bar

Unlike some other wings of this level that use fine upper lines, Supair have kept with a simple colour-coded line-set, making the lines easy to see and sort on launch.

Supair Leaf 3
Clean riser set, with nicely padded brake handles

The clean risers use narrow webbing which flares out to the colour-coded clip-in points. Brakes are now attached with directional magnets. I found them to be slightly on the small side when flying with winter gloves but they are comfortable. The brake line runs through a ceramic ring rather than a pulley and there is a swivel to reduce twisting. The speed system uses Ronstan pulleys. There is a removable C-handle but no B-C bridge.

The Leaf 3 comes in two standard colours – Ocean or Volcano, and in five sizes covering all-up weights from 50kg to 130kg. The M size I flew has a weight range of 80-105kg and weighs 4.7kg. There is also a Leaf 3 Light available that saves 900g, with the M weighing 3.8kg.

Supair Leaf 3
Attachment points are colour-coded and flared so they sit securely on the karabiners

On launch

The Leaf 3 fills with air easily on launch, probably thanks to the large cell openings. With a bit of pressure on the As it rises steadily overhead with no sticking points.

It requires little control if any to stop it overhead, so you won’t be plucked off your feet. Once above you it sits calmly waiting to go. It’s a really easy wing to groundhandle, with unhurried movements and good stability in roll.

Once released it lifts off smoothly. All very stress-free, perfect for the target audience.

Handling

In the air the wing is very intuitive to fly. I felt at home and comfortable straight away. The brakes are reactive in the first section of travel without being too dynamic. Roll is well controlled.

My first flight was on a photoshoot and the wing passed my ‘thermalling with brakes in one hand’ test. It was easy to control without it banking over too easily. It reminded me of the BGD Epic 2 in this respect.

When thermalling normally with both hands on the brakes the wing is very easy to control. It doesn’t pitch around much and doesn’t feel like it gets blocked. Once in and turning it really feels like it is on rails, it just keeps turning nicely with very little need to correct it. It makes for stress-free climbing.

Supair Leaf 3
It takes a good pull to push through the spin point and the wing reacts well without snapping back

The wing gives feedback in a smooth manner, even when flying in lively leeside conditions the wing behaved in a reassuring way. Any pitching happens smoothly and with no aggressiveness. It’s a wing that won’t overload new XC pilots but still has enough feel to make the most of the lift. You won’t find your mental bandwidth used up keeping the wing above you, so you will be able to make decisions.

Although the brakes are nicely reactive in the first part of the travel, they have a large range. The pressure is moderate but ramps up as you get near the stall point, so takes a concerted effort to push through to spin the wing. When you do it doesn’t snap back but smoothly falls back in a controlled manner.

Going to full brake with both hands there is a good delay before the wing starts to fall back into stall. If you let up just as it starts  to slip back it will re-fly without any drama.

Supair Leaf 3
On bar the wing has a decent increase in speed. Rear-riser controls do help keep you in contact with the wing but the lack of BC system means you may want to remove them for simplicity

Cross country

As well as some local triangles I was also able to take the Leaf on a 50km wander from Gréolières to St André-les-Alpes. I climbed out from our local hill to find a NE wind coming along and slightly over the back of the summit ridge. I decided the usual ridge run wouldn’t be so comfortable so, approaching our airspace limit, headed off into the next valley.

On bar the wing feels nicely solid and I was able to get an extra 11-12km/h going pulley to pulley. Although the C handles lack the direct control of wings with a B-C bridge they help you feel what the air is doing, which was useful on a day when the lift wasn’t in the normal places thanks to the meteo wind putting the sunny faces in the lee. Instead I was able to work lifty lines on the north-facing side of the valley as I pushed further west to where the thermal breeze started to dominate.

Supair Leaf 3
3D shaping seams on the Dominco 30D top surface

I noticed the Cs are relatively firm for this class when on bar and firmer than when at trim, which I thought unusual. I asked Pierre-Yves about this and he said, “Almost all recent gliders have a speed system ratio of 1 : 2/3 / 0 but with the Leaf’s geometry we were able to use 1 : ½ / 0. Because of this the As and Bs are further apart so the speed system is more efficient with less travel needed.  It also helps with the collapse behaviour as there is less reflex at speed.”

Further on I hit an area of convergence where the climbs to base were strong. The Leaf 3 remained easy to control with little correction needed when established in climbs. Getting near to the darker clouds the ears combined with bar proved efficient for staying out of the white room. The split-As make them easy to pull in and once in they stay settled with no flapping. You will need to keep them pulled in though as they quickly roll out once released.

As I approached St André I met a stronger north wind, stopping further progress. The sight of rain behind me dissuaded me from attempting the return, so instead I spiralled down to the landing field. Again, the wing is easily controlled in the turns. It is dynamic enough to have some fun but in a measured way. It feels like a nice wing for progressing on, that you can take steps into the world of freestyle on (although the manual does discourage acro flying). Wingovers feel smooth and tolerant of sloppy timing. It doesn’t have the energy-filled feel of some wings but well executed wingovers will be rewarded with smoothly getting above the wing.

Coming in to land there was a NW coming down one valley and a NE down another so the windsocks in the landing field were showing directions 180 degrees at odds with each other. I chose one and landed as close to it as possible. The wing has an easy flare and you can go deep in the brakes without risking a stall. With good slow-flight behaviour the light version will be a good choice for getting into vol-bivouac flying, where safe landing behaviour is vital for tricky top-landings.

The verdict

I really enjoyed flying this wing. With less roll it has a little less ‘go-karty throw it around’ feel, instead it inspires masses of confidence with its easy handling. It’s a very undemanding wing to fly that will keep you relaxed when progressing to cross-country.

In short, the Leaf 3 feels very safe; despite spicy leeside conditions I didn’t get any collapses and there is long brake travel with plenty of warning if you push the limits.

Combined with performance that will happily see you taking on long flights it’s a great example of a wing of this class that is perfect for new and progressing pilots, and also for weekend warriors who want high levels of safety without losing the ability to make aerial sightseeing tours.

If you want to enter the world of vol bivouac too, then the Leaf 3 Light is probably a good wing to consider, its easy handling inspiring confidence in all conditions.

supair.com

Manufacturer’s SPECIFICATIONS

Supair say: “Accessible and reassuring, the Leaf 3 is the ultimate progression wing. It is the ideal teammate to discover new horizons in flight without ever compromising on safety”
Use: leisure flying
Pilot level: beginners and leisure pilots
Sizes: XS, S, M, ML, L
Flat area (m2): 20.5, 24, 26.7, 29, 31
Weight (kg): 4.1, 4.4, 4.7, 5, 5.4
Take-off weight (kg): 50-70, 65-85, 80-105, 90-115, 105-130
Cells: 49
Flat aspect ratio: 5.35
Certification: EN/LTF B

Supair.com

Published in issue 241 (July 2023)



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