ADVANCE's Plans for 2024: Bi Beta 7, the New Theta, and a Sigma DLS
パラワールド【超多面的パラグライダー情報チャンネル】PARAWORLD
At the Icarus Cup 2023 in Saint-Hilaire, France, Roland, head of sales at the Swiss manufacturer ADVANCE, walked through the company's current lineup and the projects it is preparing for 2024. He covered one glider and one harness that had just reached the market, three gliders scheduled for the coming year, and the question of whether ADVANCE is building a two-liner.
Just Released: Epsilon DLS and a New Harness
The newest glider on the market is the Epsilon DLS. Roland explained that DLS stands for "durable lightweight structure." He described the glider as very easy to handle and "very interesting" in performance, and placed it as a mid-B or lower-B wing, suitable for pilots who have moved on from beginner gliders.
On the harness side, ADVANCE had launched a new model called the Boundless only a month before the interview. Roland called it "brand new, still warm." He described it as a kind of reversible harness, but said it is not reversible in the way pilots know from other models or from ADVANCE's own Easiness and Progress. He said it uses a special system but did not explain it in the interview.
Bi Beta 7: A Long-Awaited Tandem Replacement
Roland said ADVANCE is looking forward to 2024 because of several exciting projects. The first is the Bi Beta 7, the company's new tandem glider. The Bi Beta 6 has been on the market for seven years, and Roland said it was time for a change. ADVANCE was working to have the Bi Beta 7 ready at the start of 2024, about three months after the interview.
He described the Bi Beta 6 as a successful glider that remains popular. It serves private pilots who fly with friends or family and also works as a tool for professional tandem pilots. According to Roland, the new model is meant to feel comparable to its predecessor in handling. The changes are:
- Slightly more performance. Roland said the extra performance makes the glider safer, especially when landing, because the pilot has more time and less stress.
- Lighter brake pressure. The brakes were being tuned to feel softer, so pilots work less hard when steering.
Theta: A New Ultra-Light B Glider Between Iota and Epsilon
The second project is an entirely new glider called the Theta. Roland referred to an earlier lightweight B glider from ADVANCE that is no longer produced; its name is unclear in the recording. He said the Theta will now take a place in the range.
In handling and performance, ADVANCE placed the Theta between the Iota, a high-end B, and the Epsilon, a mid-B. Roland said the team tried to position it exactly between those two in cell count and overall design.
The main difference is the construction. The Iota and Epsilon use DLS, but the Theta uses ULS, which stands for "ultra lightweight structure." Roland said this makes it well suited to hike-and-fly and hike-and-fly competitions. He added that he meant hike-and-fly for ordinary pilots like himself and the interviewer, not events like the X-Alps. He said the smallest size weighs only about 3 kg, which should make it pleasant to fly and to carry on foot. ADVANCE expected to release it sometime in spring 2024.
Sigma DLS: The Next Sigma
The third major project was scheduled for mid-2024: a new Sigma. Roland said it would technically be the Sigma 12, but ADVANCE planned to call it the Sigma DLS. It would join the Epsilon and Iota in the DLS range and be somewhat lighter than the current Sigma 11.
Roland said the performance "might be a little bit better" than the Sigma 11. He explained that performance is always the main topic with gliders in this class. In handling and other characteristics, he said, it would be comparable to the existing Sigma 11. When the interviewer asked about the design, Roland confirmed it remains a three-liner mid-C glider.
And a Two-Liner?
The interviewer asked whether ADVANCE would build a two-liner C glider. Roland called that "another story." He acknowledged two-liners are a big trend and said ADVANCE, like everyone else, is working on one. However, he said the company was not ready to discuss details or a schedule. He said only that ADVANCE is working hard and "maybe we will present some surprise," and ended with "let's wait and see."
Hello, konnichiwa to everybody in Japan. I'm Roland, I'm the head of sales in ADVANCE company, and I'm very happy to show you our new products, and I'm very happy as well to announce or give you some information about the coming up projects.
So talking about the gliders, we recently introduced in the market the new Epsilon DLS, meaning our newest Epsilon in Durable Lightweight Structure, which is in terms of handling very easy, in terms of performance a very interesting glider. Mid B glider or lower B glider, so after beginners, it's just a beautiful, beautiful mid B glider.
In terms of harness, we just introduced a month ago, so brand new, still warm, the Boundless, which is a kind of reversible harness, but not a reversible harness as you know from other models or as you know from Easiness and Progress. It's a special kind of system, which we will see later of course. Yeah, yeah.
So actually we are looking forward to a very, very interesting next year, 2024, because we are having very interesting, very exciting projects coming up. So finally, Bibeta 7. We are waiting so long for Bibeta 7. Bibeta 6 is already in the market since 7 years, so it's time to change. So we hope, and we work hard, to be ready for the market by the beginning of next year, so another 3 months to wait, and then we should be ready for this new tandem glider, which is in terms of handling and everything comparable with Bibeta 6, because Bibeta 6 was a very successful glider. It was not, it is still a very successful glider. Everybody liked it. So it's a beautiful tandem glider for private pilots who are flying with their friends or family or wife, whatever, but also as a working tool for the professional tandem pilots.
Yeah, what we achieve is to get a little bit more performance, which makes the glider even more safe, especially in terms of the landing scenario, a little bit less stress because you do have more time. And then we are working on the brake weight, so it's a little bit more soft, so the pilots need to work a little bit less hard in steering the glider. Yeah, we are really happy to finally be able to introduce it in the market.
And anything else for next year? Yeah, actually we do a brand new glider. It's called Theta. You might know the B lightweight glider C, and yeah, C is not existing anymore, but we will introduce the Theta. The Theta glider is, in terms of handling and performance, in between the Iota, which is a high-end B glider, and the Epsilon, which is more mid B as we just talked about, and the Theta will be in between. But it's not DLS as Iota and Epsilon, it's ULS, so the Ultra Lightweight Structure, which is perfect for hike and fly, which is perfect for hike and fly competition, not talking about X-Alps of course, talking about hike and fly for you and me, right?
Yeah, so in terms of cell numbers, in terms of the glider itself, we really try to put it exactly in between Iota and Epsilon. In terms of weight, the smallest size is about 3 kilos only, so it will be pretty cool to fly with and to hike with. Yeah. So we expect it somewhere in springtime.
And then the third bigger project we are working on is scheduled for mid 2024, and that will be the new Sigma. Sigma already? Yeah, it's time for a new Sigma. So Sigma 12 actually, but we will call it the Sigma DLS. So like Epsilon, like Iota, it will also be Sigma in the DLS range, so a little bit more light than the preceding Sigma 11. In terms of performance, it might be a little bit better than Sigma 11, because as you know, C glider, it's always talking about performance. So in terms of handling and everything else, it's really comparable with the now existing Sigma 11.
Two... three liner actually, yeah, three liner mid C glider. You're talking about two liner, that's another story. Trend, it's a big trend of course. ADVANCE is also working on a two liner, as everybody, but we are not ready to talk about it in detail, we are not ready to talk about schedule. But be sure we are working hard, and maybe we will present some surprise, and let's wait and see.
To hear, yeah, yeah. So I am... thank you so much. Yeah.
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