DUDEK V-KING - Thinner Than Paper!!!!

[@stephenrayfield9243]

This is the video that got me into my first wing, 23m V-King

[@AndyRial]

This was the quintessential UK 🇬🇧 review complete with “pieces of kit” and “bloody risers”! Loved it! 💯

[@BenRaven]

Glad you enjoyed it :) there will definitely be more quintessentially British videos to come, you may even hear me describe something as top-notch or spiffing. :)

[@lvsqcsl]

I can't wait until he starts this van build and talks about the "bonnet' and the "windscreen wipers' and how it performs on the "carriageway". The only thing that would make this any better is if he spoke Cockney English.

[@nur5ey1]

@@lvsqcsl haha really cockney??... He has the quintessential English accent!! Accumulation of many years watching Downton Abbey, hey Ben 😉😊

[@lvsqcsl]

No question about it. I think he sounds nearly identical to Prince William.

[@WiltshireMan]

I watched Pauls video about the V king and just stumbled across yours. Its an interesting wing for sure. Nice flight. Sandy

[@BenRaven]

Wiltshire Man Thanks Sandy! It’s an awesome wing. Even though it’s still en-b the steering is super light compared to my normal wing so the feeling you get turning for the amount of effort you put it is incredible.

[@Ellwoodsss1]

Thinking about getting a single skin glider for cold weather/snow flying. Easy launch would be perfect for wearing all that gear and running through snow!

[@ThomasGrillo]

Awesome wing! Thanks.

[@joseferrer8738]

That riser looks about the size of my reserve chute bridle. If we trust that to handle the shock load of a rescue deployment then it ought to be good enough for static load use.

[@BenRaven]

A very good point, they're definitely safe and will have a huge safety margin built-in of many, many G's. They're just crazy to look at compared to my normal risers.

[@daytonm6809]

They might hold up for a year, but I guarantee that wing will be out of trim 10 times faster than a typical glider. Also, why paramotor with a single skin hike and fly wing?

[@577buttfan]

That Kevlar will hold alot more than you think!

[@577buttfan]

@@daytonm6809 Why not,I enjoyed watching the video?

[@Tommyflies]

Wild braking scheme! Looking forward to hearing more about this one.

[@BenRaven]

They're really interesting brakes actually, something I haven't experienced before on a glider and something I really enjoyed playing with in the air. The 1st part of the flair is very light, the second part I found required positive pressure to effect the D risers, something I'd be keen to practice and hone for those big swoopy landings :)

[@DanielJonesParamotor]

I wondered where I left my hankie 😂 Nice review mate

[@stuartwho1429]

Awesome review guys. 👍

[@BenRaven]

Thanks Stuart

[@JezWalsh]

Great review, I just did a demo flight on the 18m at Simons and was pretty impressed. It’s a little slow and the brakes took a little getting used too but launch was super easy and would make a nice wing for the beginner pilot.

[@BenRaven]

It's an interesting wing isn't it, the brakes and flair are very different but I found them great when I was adjusted to them. I've heard Dudek may be bringing out a riser modification to stop the big loop of brake line which would prevent grabbing the brakes through the lines.

[@JezWalsh]

Ben Raven Yeah I found when coming in to land I had very little flare authority, possibly because of low airspeed and possibly because it goes a little light on brake pressure in the middle. I only did the one flight on it so would need to try it a couple more times before deciding whether to buy it or not.

[@RASPUK]

That’s put together so well mate, you should deffo do a few more vids like this! Take one of the Dudek solos for a test flight :)

[@BenRaven]

Thanks bud :) plenty more to come

[@GolfFoxtrot22]

Nice video Ben, the comms were really clear. I think Paul needs a mic soc as well. That wing looks so much fun. Humm, what is the future now?

[@BenRaven]

Thanks Giles, your windsock mod has made a big difference to the audio. The wing is great fun, whilst still a safe EN-B glider, the brake pressure is incredibly light compared to a normal glider, meaning you get a good response with less brake pressure. This was something immediately obvious after taking off and this thing is a joy to fly.

[@patrickswayze2596]

Very interesting

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Good review, thx Cheers

[@BenRaven]

Thanks Patrick :)

[@lvsqcsl]

You mentioned flying over the M4 motorway, can I assume you are somewhere between London and Bristol? I went to England when I was 21 (34 years ago) and I think we went that way to Bristol. I just got into this sport and that wing looks interesting. Great video!

[@BenRaven]

I'm actually south of London frequently fly near Swindon which is about halfway between London & Bristol. Paramotoring is like nothing else, the ability to float above the world is so freeing and you'll meet loads of great people on the way. Are you in training?

[@lvsqcsl]

I will always be in training. Back in late 2016, I saw this red headed, bushy haired kid flying around on one of these things. (I wonder who that was!) I started following him, finally could afford training and in April, 2018, I got training at 4 winds PPG in Avon Park, Florida. (I live in the U.S. in the State of Kentucky.) Finally, in February of this year, I purchased a P.AP Tinox and a 28 meter Ozone Spyder, and a helmet from Trikebuggy. I just recently found someone where I live to fly with; he was as happy as I was. I finally got off the ground October 20th for the first time without an instructor. I was on an Evan Evans tour of Bristol and Stratford-Upon-Avon were William Shakespeare was born and toured Salisbury Cathedral. I think we went there on the M4 and came back on the M3? On the way back we went by Windsor Castle. Great video!

[@dhavalbavada5113]

Nice video and info on V-king. Is it good glider as first glider? Am new to paramotoring and found this as very easy options to get into this sports. Would you recommend to buy this glider asnew pilot? I just want to be hobby flyer.

[@nur5ey1]

Well done Ben, great vid and an interesting wing..what's your auw?? Those risers do worry me lol...oh and nice to see #vanlife coming along nicely..😉😂👍

[@BenRaven]

AUW is 135 bud so I was right on the top end of the 20m V-King. The risers were extremely thin to hold in the air, but obviously, it feels absolutely as safe as a normal glider :)

[@BenRaven]

On the van front, I'm finally at the stage where I get to start building furniture and making it look nice inside!

[@lvsqcsl]

That looks like a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, or whatever they call it in Europe. (AKA Dodge Sprinter in the U.S.) You doing the vanlife thing across England?

[@BenRaven]

lvsqcsl exactly right, it’s a long wheel base Mercedes sprinter. I’m converting it into a go anywhere camper van. Will be doing van life in the UK and Europe 🤙

[@lvsqcsl]

I am looking forward to it. When I was there in 1985, a person had to take a hovercraft to France; now you can drive.

[@thomaswright2030]

Looks awesome... only question is, how long does such a thin glider last? One would guess it should wear out much faster than a heavier duty glider.

[@BenRaven]

The material is a super lightweight fabric so probably comparable to the shelf life of an Ozone Spyder vs Ozone Roadster which is a heavier weight fabric. As with all wings, the shelf life will be almost entirely determined on how well the wing is treated on the ground. Because there are not cells that inflate and hold the air, the pack up is much easier and the wing can be easily folded into the bag.

[@lvsqcsl]

I think it is rated for a certain number of hours of UV exposure, which I have been told you won't exceed if you keep it out of the sun unless you are flying it.

[@LeoFPV]

Awesome video mate, so excited to get back to flying at membury after a few years. I'd love to know your full helmet setup with the Microavionics headset? Cheers!

[@BenRaven]

LeoFPV Hey Leo, it’s MicroAvionics MP001 Bluetooth. I’ve got a 3.5mm audio out cable that I run to a GoPro mic adapter. In order to get the audio super crispy I’ve adjusted dip switches 1, 2 & 3 to on in the ear cup. 1 & 2 lower the mic gain to reduce engine and voice volume and 3 turns the side tone on to capture my voice too. Aside from that I’ve got a small windsock a friend made on the microphone to help reduce wind noise further. If you need any further details please feel free to reach out on Facebook.

[@BenRaven]

Will be good to see you on the field at some point in the future 🤙

[@mjhppg791]

How's the speed on this V king? Without trimmers

[@BenRaven]

MJHPPG Henderson it’s slow, there is no getting away from that. I haven’t flown enough to give exact mph. I was heavily loaded on the wing so faster than my friend was on his. To be honest, this definitely isn’t a wing for speed. It’s the perfect travel wing for easy launches and effortless flying.. but definitely not a cruiser in my opinion. If you want speed, you want trimmers.

[@mjhppg791]

@@BenRaven gotcha!!! Thanks for replying, I've flown the Universal for 3 years. It's time to look at other wings. Let me know if you come up with a number on the MPH. Cya bye

[@daytonm6809]

Whatre the collapse characteristic like?

[@gunter2642]

Oh wow, that looks good! Is it as good as the simulator? :-)

[@BenRaven]

Haha went back to the simulator at the weekend. That thing is awesome.

[@gunter2642]

@@BenRaven there is one in Dubai mall apparently. I might pop in there 😂

[@BenRaven]

@@gunter2642 Definitely do that!

[@MrCoolcool666]

In your blurb in the discription you say, "innovative breaking system involving the LEADING edge and D lines"? LOL

[@BrianTurboT]

Wow . . . :-)

[@YankeeinSC1]

Croikey

[@AnthonyVella]

First!