Ozone's 2024 Lineup: Russell Ogden on the Buzz Z7, Alta, Zeolite 2 GT, Forza 2, and Submarine Harnesses

Russell started with the Buzz Z7, which had just been released and which he described as the last wing in the current Buzz series. He called it a "very nice progression" from the previous version. The team made it a little sportier without compromising the wing's safety. Otherwise, he said, it works much the same way the Buzz series always has. He and his co-developer on the wing were "very happy with the final outcome."

The next glider was the Alta, a lightweight wing certified EN-A, so it is suitable for beginners. Russell said the real target is the high-performance end of the EN-A market. In his description, it performs like a low-end EN-B, and its light weight makes it a fit for hike-and-fly pilots and anyone who wants very light equipment. It has been certified in six sizes, and Russell expected it to come out "probably early next year."

Ozone had also just finished the Zeolite 2 GT, a high-performance lightweight wing. It is being released alongside a companion version that Russell said is basically the wing the pilots flew in the X-Alps. According to him, the only difference is the undersurface cloth. The production wing uses Dominico 10D rather than the super-lightweight fabric used in the X-Alps. Otherwise, he said, the wing and its trim are exactly the same. The team did not have to tone the design down any further for certification, so it is "pretty much the same wing" the X-Alps pilots flew.

Comparing it with the first Zeolite, Russell said the team improved performance and top speed. He also described the wing as more cohesive, with more cohesion across the span. In his account, that helps in very turbulent air and makes the handling somewhat more accessible all of the time.

Turning to harnesses, Russell introduced the Forza 2. He stressed that it is a new type of harness and not really related to the original Forza. He called it a hybrid and compared it to a lightweight version of the Ecstasy. Its features include:

• a full rear fairing
• twin reserve containers, so pilots can fly with one reserve or two
• a large pod pocket, including an anti-G pocket
• plenty of storage space

For Russell, the standout feature is comfort. He called it "incredibly comfortable to fly in" and ergonomic and easy to live with. He said it is not overly complicated but has enough complexity to be interesting for modern cross-country and competition flying.

The interviewer remarked that it looked more like a competition harness. Russell explained why Ozone used a rear fairing. He said the fairing brings a performance gain and also improves yaw stability. He saw a safety benefit in a relatively long tail: in a big, aggressive collapse, a pilot with good yaw stability is less likely to get twisted. Because the fairing adds performance without much extra weight, he considered it a good compromise. In his view, the Forza 2 is well suited both to cross-country flying and to pilots who want a harness for competition, and it can do both.

Russell then discussed Ozone's submarine-style competition harness. He called it a very complex, sensitive harness, designed purely for cross-country racing. It can still suit the most dedicated cross-country pilots because it improves performance, especially on accelerator. He said he knows several very serious cross-country pilots who don't compete but use it and love it. Even so, he said competition was its sole purpose.

His advice was direct. For pilots who are not flying at the top level, in the World Cups or competitively in their national championships, the complexity is probably too much. He recommended the Forza 2 for those pilots instead.

The interviewer noted that submarine harnesses had been visible in a competition then under way. Russell gave his view of where they actually help. At trim speed, he said, there is not a great deal of difference. They help a little in climb rate and sink rate, and in accelerated flight they make a significant difference. His conclusion was that to be competitive at the top level, a pilot now needs a submarine-type harness, and he said pilots flying them were doing well in that competition.

The interviewer pointed out that the winner had not flown a submarine, and Russell agreed. He said that to win, it is still the pilot, and the pilot's decisions have the biggest influence on performance.

The interview ended with the Photon, which the video description presents as performing well. Russell said the team worked on the project for about four years, starting before COVID, and called it a long development process. They were happy with the final product. He said they would keep working on it and would improve it and make it better in the future.