Back to: Cross Country (XC)
Pilot Report: Wills Wing XC 142 and 155
By Paul Voight
Originally published in Hang Gliding Magazine, April 1996. © 1996 United States Hang Gliding Association. Reproduced with permission. Photos by Paul Voight.
This review reflects the author's personal experience and assessment at the time of publication.
The 155
Generally, Wills Wing is always working on the next "new thing." The release of a new design is predicated upon a measurable improvement in performance or handling, or, ideally, both.
With all of these incentives in mind, Wills Wing's mission in the case of the XC was to improve on their RamAir glider series. Performance-wise, the RamAir has proven to be an exceptional challenge to even equal (by any manufacturer). The handling, however, as intimated by some RamAir owners, could stand some improvement, so as to feel more conventional and yield more effective control and performance.
XC 155's began rolling off the production line in May of last year, and Wills Wing was very excited about the glider. The final result is a scoopless, innovative glider, that in performance comparisons actually edged out the RamAir and exhibited much improved control authority and handling qualities.
The Setup
XC setup reeks of simplicity and straightforwardness — no wing nuts or safeties. Simply open the "click-clack" basetube, turn the glider over and spread the wings. If you left the luff lines attached, the kingpost springs right up on its hinge mount (as with the RamAir), ready to rock. Stuff the ribs in, tension the glider via a rear, external haul-back, and install your tip sticks and tip fairings (or optional winglets). Install the two nose battens (which stay in the sail when packed), nose cone and six bottom surface ribs, and voila — you're done. Neither the VG nor the luff lines require assembly.
For those who prefer to set up the glider in the "lay flat" mode, the nose wires simply need to be unhooked and a small track at the control bar apex facilitates pancaking.
VG activation is easy and requires two full pulls to utilize the entire range. By routing the VG cord around one more pulley inside the bottom surface, behind the nose plates, the mechanical advantage has been doubled to 14 to 1. While the full travel of VG pull on the RamAir was about three-fourths of the basetube length, the XC VG pull is double that — much less effort, a little more rope (with markings at each one-quarter travel).
Design
From 50 paces away the XC exhibits an obvious resemblance to the RamAir. Appearances can be deceiving, however, for the XC's design is as much a departure from the RamAir as it is a refinement.
Most obviously, the RamAir "scoop" is gone. Apparently, some of the RamAir's unconventional handling feel was most noticeable at airspeeds where the glider couldn't decide whether it was inflated or uninflated. Therefore, the Wills design team, headed up by Steve Pearson, decided to shelve the "pressurized wing" concept for now, pending further research.
The four internal fabric ribs which define and stabilize the bottom surface remain, however, and are all incorporated outboard of the leading edge/cross bar junction. The bottom surface is defined by three straight ribs per side. With these seven points of support and definition, the in-flight result is an ultra-clean bottom surface that looks like it's painted on. The "concave" bottom surface of the RamAir has given way to a flatter profile.
Also, the cross bar centers now utilize Falcon-style, ball joint hinging which reduces the number of plates, nuts and bolts, and their associated weight and complexity. Also, where the huge front leading edge pipe steps down to the smaller aft section there is a short oversleeve of the aft section, compared to the longer innersleeve found on the RamAir, further reducing weight.
In addition, Wills has a brand new computer-optimized, wind tunnel tested, faired downtube material (with turbulator trips) which significantly reduces drag and requires no innersleeving.
How Does It Fly?
Basically, the story I hear most out on the hill is that they've put the HP AT's handling back into these gliders. Obviously there's a lot more to it than that.
Launching is typically straightforward. With good balance and slightly loose side wires, one simply needs to utilize conventional launch technique, and off you go.
Once in the air, with the VG in the looser settings, the roll rate is very quick and roll pressure is light. The glider seeks trim both in level flight and while thermaling, with much more conviction than the RamAir had. In addition, pitch pressures are light and build progressively as you pull in. This gives the pilot an excellent feeling of speed control while thermaling in turbulence, particularly near the hill.
Unlike the HP AT's, the XC's are just about roll neutral. The glider just doesn't want to wind in or roll out of a thermaling turn. Turn coordination is a non-cerebral breeze. This is probably the glider's shining attribute. It really is a no-brainer to get this glider to climb like a shot. If you fly the glider VG full on it does stiffen right up, and its user-friendly, easy-thermaling personality takes a noticeable hit. That setting, however, is really meant for going from point A to point B or for wonderwinds or coastal boating.
So, basically, you've got a very light-handling glider (considering its size, span and sail tension) that is extremely easy to thermal and thus feels very comfortable close to the hill or down low. The XC's scratching personality and climb is much improved over the RamAir, and even over the HP AT's.
The XC exhibits an excellent capacity for gaining and retaining energy. Add the XC's good roll characteristics to the equation and you have a good glider for maneuvers.
The XC is extremely resistant to spins. The good news is that you definitely won't get this glider to spin accidentally, which, safety-wise, is an excellent attribute.
How does an XC land? Well, it is a high-performance glider, but you would never know it by its ease of landing. Like the RamAir, the XC is about as forgiving as I can imagine. With the hang point forward of the control bar apex, because of the aft placement of that apex on the keel, flare authority is excellent. This, coupled with some mysterious aerodynamic factors, results in an ultra-forgivingness that makes the glider a pleasure to be in when the landing conditions are less than optimal.
Performance
In the L/D department, Wills Wing's performance comparisons during the prototype days found that the XC very slightly outperformed the RamAir at low speeds, basically matched performance at mid-speeds, and then again outperformed the RamAir at higher speeds. That makes for one impressive performance statement, considering the RamAir's world-class glide!
The highest speed attainable is actually a couple of miles per hour less than that of the RamAir. I could top out a RamAir at around 68-70 mph while the XC accelerates to about 66-68 mph (Vne is 55 mph).
I've raced against all of the current hot ships (all the contenders) and have only lost to a RamAir. I don't think anything else out there is any faster than an XC, although a couple of designs are right there.
This glider has a great sink rate! My opinion is that none of the current flock of competitive glider designs can claim to smoke the rest of the field. However, I'd bet bucks that if you took one of each of the hot ships flown by similar pilots and flew them for 10 miles into a headwind from 18,000 feet, that the XC would get there higher and first by some measurable amount.
The 142
If this is the XC model you'd consider, don't feel that I'm snubbing it by covering it second. Think of it as saving the best for last.
The fact of the matter is that creating a smaller size of a glider design involves (or should involve) a lot more than simply scaling down the dimensions of a larger model to create a look-alike. In the case of the XC 142, Wills went through at least 11 prototype configurations in order to develop a glider that was the right size and had the personality and performance to be deemed "an XC." While it took longer than expected, the result was worth waiting for.
Overview
The 142 sports several differences in design and construction compared to the 155. First, it incorporates a kingpost hang system (as opposed to the 155's keel hang). This is undoubtedly a factor in the great handling. This system incorporates an eight-position CG adjustment bracket which facilitates trim tuning for varying pilot weights.
When examining the airframe, you will see that Wills was able to use a smaller diameter front leading edge tube. The aft section is simply the innersleevable next diameter down. This construction saves weight while enhancing handling, all with no apparent hit on performance.
Another subtlety is the addition of three inboard fabric mini-ribs per side (over the 155) which work in concert with the aluminum bottom-surface ribs to maintain sail shape. These unique features, along with subtle sail cut differences, set this size XC apart from "the big one."
How It Flies
This is a "must have" glider in any Wills Wing dealer's demo fleet. Just about anyone who flies one of these things is going to want to order one.
It has the same nice launching and handling qualities as the 155, only without any hint of that "big glider feel." You just think about what you want the glider to do and it will do it — pronto. It took me a few minutes to settle down the first time I flew one; subtle input is not what I'm used to. I haven't flown a glider in quite some time that can actually be rolled into a meaty thermal with so little resistance. Needless to say, I really think you'll find that this glider is handling heaven.
The glider continues to shine when it comes time to land. Forgiveness and authority are preserved even without the keel hang point, because the control bar apex is still aft of the kingpost hang loop arrangement. This effectively lengthens your arms for flare authority.
Performance
In a nutshell, Wills has finally created a smaller version of a flagship design that actually handles like a smaller glider. The bottom line is that over a long, straight course, a 142 loaded in the top third of its weight range will just keep up with a mid-loaded 155 at lower speeds. At high-end speeds the loaded 142 falls behind somewhat.
Glider Review: Wills Wing XC 132
By Aaron and Kerie Swepston
Originally published in Hang Gliding Magazine, August 1996. © 1996 United States Hang Gliding Association. Reproduced with permission.
This review reflects the authors' personal experience and assessment at the time of publication.
Speed and Performance
(Aaron) Hooking in at 165 pounds with my cocoon harness the top speed, VG loose, was 36-38 mph steady-state. With VG full tight the top speed was usually 40 mph and at times 42. Certainly not blazing, but for perspective compare it to the 143 Super Sport at 38, the 145 HP AT at 40-42, the 148 Merlin at 41, the 146 RamAir at 62, and the 137 Xtralite at 44. Pitch pressures were comfortable but slightly higher than what I prefer and am used to. Racing around for an hour makes the bar pressure seem that much greater. Flying with the pod-style harness yielded slightly higher top speeds, in the neighborhood of two or three mph more at the upper end.
(Kerie) Hooking in at 145 pounds with a cocoon I was able to reach and maintain 35-37 mph with the VG loose, and 39-41 mph VG tight. Switching to a pod-style harness increased overall top speed one to three mph. My impression of the handling is that it is lighter than the 143 Super Sport in the sense that it reacts quickly to input. I was able to thermal in pretty strong conditions with the VG full on with no problem. Mid-range on the VG produced handling pressures similar to those of the Super Sport. It flies extremely solidly and straight at high speed, with relative ease.
Conclusions
Our conclusions about the 132 XC are pretty positive overall. The workmanship and construction of Wills Wing gliders are without fault. There is no question about the quality of the materials and the skill of the technicians at the factory. All hardware, tubes, fittings and cables are meticulously crafted to exacting standards. The sails are cut and marked by a computer, then assembled and stitched so accurately that it is difficult to find any seam or stitch out of place.
Aside from the obvious quality of construction, there is the design itself. Straight out of the box the XC looks a bit soft. The sail is not mounted extremely tight on the frame, and the ribs are not very firmly tensioned. Gone is the drum-like resonance when you tap on the top surface. This initial impression may concern some people like me who are used to tight sails, but in the case of this glider the overall package needs to be assessed. The handling is very easy, even easier than the 143 Super Sport, but not squirrelly. The 132 XC feels a bit more solid in its response even though it is quicker. When flying at mid or high speed the glider tracks straight and steers easily. PIO does not seem to be a problem, and the use of tiplets for high-speed tracking seems unnecessary.
I've been flying a 143 Super Sport for four years just waiting for something a bit racier to come along, and I believe it is here. After a number of side-by-side races with several different gliders, and numerous flights with the glider in different configurations, I've concluded that I can cover ground, fly in a straight line, and literally keep up with the big boys. I'm very excited because I feel like I've entered a whole new arena of flying that wasn't previously available to a pilot of my size without serious compromises. With a glider optimized for smaller pilots there is now a lot more within our reach.