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Test of the Nova Mentor 5 S, part 1

Last modification: 20 January 2018
I could finally test the Nova Mentor 5 S at the Treh launching site ! The glider was made available to me by the Nova and Air Design dealer in Alsace, Nova'lsace (Facebook ).

Structure:
1. Introduction
2. Test conditions
3. Flight

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1. Introduction:

Here are the main properties of the Mentor 5 S:
- A weight range in the S size of 80-100 kg which suits me not really well since I tend rather towards an takeoff weight of 105 kg with the winter equipment.
- Having said this, it is interesting to note that the glider has a flat area of 26.49 m². This is very close and slightly higher than the 25.91 m² area of the Rise 3 M (source para2000 ).
- A "normal" weight of de 5.1 kg in the S size.
- A flat aspect ratio quite limited of 5.40.
- The LTF(DHV) test report: the glider (in S size) got Bs mainly for the collapses: Bs at the min. and max. loading for the frontal collapses because the glider needs between 3s and 5s to re-open et can turn up to 90° while having a dive forward angle on exit between 0° and 30°. The same for the frontal collapse with more than 50% of the glider's chord, but the dive forward angle on exit is then between 30° and 60°.
The same results apply for the accelerated collapses. The wing also gets Bs for the big asymmetrical collapses, accelerated or not, and for the min. and max. weight because the glider dives and has pitch between 15° and 45°, and changes direction with an angle between 90° and 180° before re-opening (!!!) and the total change of direction is below 360°.
The glider also gets two Bs at minimal weight for the big ears and the big ears in accelerated flight. I will write again on the asymetrical collapses and the ears latter in this test

2. Test conditions

- Takeoff weight: 100-101/100 kg. After removing everything including my jacket, I just kept my helmet, the variometer and the radio and feel naked. Even the water has been put away.
- Harness: Nova SOMNIUM (pod harness with leg loops, similar to the Kortel Kuik 2) with "factory" chest strap setting (neutral).
- Flying site: Markstein/Treh (1250 m) in the Vosges mountains, south-west take-off.
- Weather conditions: again, cirrus-clouds aere here, moderate NW wind create quite unhealthy conditions at this flying site that day. The forecast from Aeroweb/Météofrance (Météofrance) says "No exploitable convection in the Vosges mountains", but this forecast is wrong, the convection and instability is here and the air humidity is high. The cloud base was about 1700 m.

3. Flight:

Before the flight, I do some groundhandling: the Mentor 5 rises clearly slower than the Rise 3, but it is very easy to control on the ground with light or moderate wind:


As can be seen on the video, the design of the lines is quite simple and different colours are used. For me who doesn't distinguish the colours very well, this is comfortable.

The take-off is easy with this moderate wind, nothing to say there.

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In the air, it is quite turbulent, as could be expected with the NW wind. The glider has a good handling, the brakes are less firm and direct than the Rise 3 or Téquila 4.

The thermal activity is weak in the beginning of the flight (cirrus clouds and wind), the conditions are windy but the M5 climbs slowly.


Thanks to its good handling, I managed to exploit the narrow cores. The canopy transmits quite well the information from the air.

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The conditions change slowly. Tiny cumulus clouds start to appear windward of my position and come toward me. The consequence being that I am often in the lee side of this clouds and the thermals feeding them, and it is very turbulent there. In these conditions, I found the M5 to be much less comfortable than the Rise 3 (that I had also tested in quite bad conditions) or the Téquila: the Mentor 5 shoots further forward and shoots with more energy. The pitch is much more present. I even think for some moments to head for the landing zone.
My friends around me fly with Niviuk Ikuma (B+) and BGD Cure (C), and a Zeno (D) is also there. I manage for some time to be about a hundred meters higher than everyone else and play with the borders of the clouds, while filling my eyes with magic. The glider floats well, and only the Cure and Zeno (with good pilots under them) come tickle the M5 from time to time.


However, i am not at ease as soon as it gets turbulent again. I have to often block the glider's shooting forward, sometimes quite violently. Also, I had to raise my inner hand several times while thermalling because I felt the interior half-wing going negative while I wanted to turn tighter into the core. I also had a small asymmetrical collapse (about 1/3 of the wing ?), and I could observe that the gliders turns easily 1/4 of a turn, as indicated by the test report. The Rise 3 did not really turn when I got the collapse and the Tequila neither.

A little bit later, the air gets more calm. The thermal conditions at cloud base get light, and the Zeno catches me up meter after meter, and ends up 50 m higher then me. In this very light conditions (between +0 and +0.3 m/s), there is nothing I can do, I don't manage to catch up the Zeno again.
A Brocken Spectrum comforts me all the same:



I also tried the ears, and after 2 or 3 trials the conclusion is the same: the ears are stable in turbulent air, but when I let the risers free the ears don't re-reopen, and even a big one-shot pumping is not enough. That is really a problem for me, for example if one ones to land and use ears. But this problem may come because of my loadings at the top of the weight range.

The speed bar is quite efficient, the increase in speed is comparable with the one of the Rise 3 and is about +6 to +8 km/h at 2/3 speed bar length.

The top-landing is easy with a nice flair.

I take some minutes to play on the ground, the glider is really easy to handle on the ground and obeys in a very direct way to the impulses given on the braks, A- and C-risers.

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After only 1h30 of flight time, it is hard to give an objective conclusion. I think that the Mentor 5 is very performant in thermalling, but also much more stressful than the Rise 3 or the Tequila. The glider's tendency to turn quite fast after a collapse and it's aggressive behaviour in pitch made me sometimes nervous. But the test conditions and my take-off weight at the top of the weight range also play a role in that. An eye must also be kept on the glider's tendency to go negative while thermalling. I could not test the glide versus other gliders. Finally, I hope to be able to do another test of the Mentor 5 in the coming week to confirm or overturn these impressions.