Test of the Nova Mentor 5 S, part 2

Last modification: 20 January 2018

Here are some additional information on the Mentor5.
I did some more groundhandling, some soaring and a ballistic flight. Be aware that there will consequently be no more description of the thermal behavior or the performances in this part.

The glider was loaned to me by Nova'lsace (Facebook )..

1. Test conditions
2. The flights and groundhandling
3. Conclusion



- Takeoff weight: 104/100 kg.
- Harness: Nova SOMNIUM (pod harness with leg loops, similar to the Kortel Kuik 2) with "factory" chest strap setting (neutral).
- Flying sites: Rothenbachkopf for the soaring (1300 m) and Breitenbach (Pelage, takeoff at 950 m) for the ballistic flight.
- Weather conditions: for the soaring, faith is needed: all the classical weather forecasts predict very low wind that day in the Vosges mountains. Only météo-parapente predicts a soaring window between 8h and 10h a.m. Out of experience, I know that similar a forecast has already resulted in nice soaring conditions in the past in the past years. Let's go there and try it out !



Unfortunately, we need more time than expected to start from home and arrive quite late at the Rothenbachkopf flying site. It is about 10h30 a.m., and the wind is decreasing. But météo-parapente was right, as shown by the anemometer from the nearby Treh flying site:



As can be seen on the measurements from the second day on following graph, the wind decreased at about 10h30, and soaring is now only possible next to the venturi at the Rothenbachkopf.

Concerning the ballistic flight later in Breitenbach, the wind was light and there were almost no thermals.


As said before, the wind was (too) light during the soaring/groundhandling session. The wind barely allows us to fly some minutes in a very small zone. With the friend that is accompanying me, we fly in turn because there is no room for two where there is enough air.

In these light conditions and despite me being over the maximum takeoff weight (by 4 kg that day), the Mentor 5 floats quite well. However, I found the handling to be less good that the one of the Téquila, especially when trying to turn tightly in the small ascending zones. The glider compensates with less loss of altitude while turning in my opinion. The Rothenbachkopf flying site is as impressing as ever (view towards the pass and towards the summit):





Twice, I must land in the col. The glider is easy to land, and even if I place myself slightly in the lee side, the glider remains solid.

In the venturi (col), the wind is still strong enough. It is a pleasure to control the gliders with the C risers in these conditions. Contrarely to the Tequila, were I used mainly the brakes (which makes it harder to stay on ground by strong wind), the M5 is easy to control with the C risers. It is a pleasure to climb the slope playing with the A and C risers, despite the bad terrain:


The coloured lines also make the switching from the A to the C lines easier. Concerning the brakes, one can remark that pulleys are used instead of a ring, which is nice (when the pulleys don't squeak).

Some days later, I had the chance to do a last ballistic flight in Breitenbach. There was no thermal activity, so I will only report about the start and landing phases.

Concerning the start, the glider rises easily with light or moderate wind. It is easy to control the glider on the ground and the gliders launches in a few steps despite my high loading.


The landing goes smoothly with a little flare, like in the other flights with the Mentor5.



To conclude: the start and landing phases are easy with this glider, in the test conditions. The glider is also easy to groundhandle, and is simple to control with the rear risers. However, I mistrust the true character of this glider in harsh conditions, as seen in the first part of the test. This must be put in perspective considering my high loading (exceeding the maximum takeoff weight) and the test conditions. On the other side, the glider is very efficient in thermals.
Unfortunately, I will note be able to test other high Bs since I know chose my glider, and the weather conditions are not suitable anymore (at least in the last days for a test in thermals). I wish you good and safe flights !

Test of the Mentor 5 S, part 1



Summary