Does the Niviuk Ikuma 2 really offer an EN B experience with EN C performance? (Paraglider review)

[@flybubbleparagliding]

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[@Itsallgoodtogo]

Flown 60 hours on it. Longest flight was a 204km out and return flight in the alps. Had quite a few 50% collapses (maybe 1 where it came out of nowhere and I wasn't at fault... the rest was just me being a lazy pilot not checking the wing when it swings in front of me) and even more smaller ones, but the wing handled them all without issues opening right back up. It was easy to stabilise the wing in every collapse with me never feeling like I was in any danger. Here is all the important information you might be interested in: - Very talkative in strong conditions and just enough information in calmer conditions. - The wing always warns you what is about to happen if you listen to it. (those moments where the air gets strangely silent for a second or two with your wing perfectly above your head ... get ready to check the wing cuz its "elevator going up" time ) - When on full bar the wing always tells you when you are hitting rough air with a few rattles on the wingtips. That's usually my sign to ease of to 50% and observe the air and slowly push up back to 100% if it doesn't get worse. - Some people complain about the wing being hard to launch but I never felt that ... it might just be that people need more groundhandling. Never had the wing overshoot on start or come up at a bad angle because the brakes are very responsive. - In strong rising air(4-5+m/s) it cuts inside like a beast and you have to actively stop it from overshooting with a quick punch on the brakes or come off the speed bar at the right moment(makes for an extremely efficient climb but its hard to do consistently). - if I wouldn't be so careful in the air I could keep up with EN-C and EN-D gliders to some degree but once you are pushing against the wind the D and CCC gliders leave you in the dust. No competition there. I could keep up with a EN-C Delta 4 in relative calm air(there is not much calm air in the alps). - It is a very reliable climber and I don't really see people climb faster then me. I'm not 100% sure about the wings thermal sniffing abilities(could be just that I'm not experienced enough or the old Hawaii pod harness that dampens the wing a bit) ... my hit rate is at 50% roughly when I decide which way to turn to find the core of the thermal. All in all... very good price-performance and I would recommend it to people who wish to improve from the weekend warrior to an XC pilot. Great wing to learn real active piloting.

[@AMJB100000000]

Nice to hear a honest review

[@faithfullytuned]

Love these individual wing reviews but would it be possible to do a comparison across the other high b's ..would hope for a video including the maestro 2, ikuma 2, mentor 7 light and rush 6. Keep up the great work 👍

[@lf4459]

Thanks for this great review, I'm flying for 2,5years now and i just purchased an Ikuma 2, coming from an BGD magic (A). I cant wait to fly under it and progress in cross flights. Planning on being safe this winter, calm conditions are perfect to get to feel the wing !

[@airgaborpara3824]

I was waiting for this review! Thanx Carlo to making it. Another exeptional wing like this from Swing, Nyos 1 and the latest 2.

[@Daveparapente]

yess, i have ikuma 2 for the cross , he is a very very good wing for that , secure and efficient

[@playfuladventurer]

Literally just bought one two days ago from my paragliding school in Samoens

[@giuliovattai770]

Hello really nice review. I Am looking forward for the Niviuk hook-6-P review ;) thanks

[@egae6782]

Is there a plan to review Ikuma 3 in the future?

[@FreeFlightGuy]

Love these reviews. Keep it rolling!

[@yasrd]

I do (love mi ikuma 2, after 165 fligths in 2.5 years flying it)

[@yasrd]

and last week check at niviuk factory in Catalonia, they found the extrados with extreme porosity, recommend not to fly it anymore. so I switched to new artik 6 (not ready for the artik R yet)

[@BobJones20001]

I've only done 10hrs or so on my Ikuma2 but instantly loved it. Spicey compared to a Hook, turning well and climbing/competing with C class gliders is the norm. Love the light feel, the ability to really dive into a turn, or keep it flat. It's very much a pilot friendly wing in my opinion. A bit touchy on the ground, but my ground handling isn't the best with any wing! I flew it last night, and back up again tomorrow. I can't wait. Not regretting this purchase at all (though my wife and work probably is)

[@bigmammaman]

Love mine!

[@The.FlyGuy]

Bought a Ikuma 2P off you guys last year and it's fantastic. I agree that it thermals exceptionally well. It's changed my mindset with flying quite a lot. If it's a scratchy day and somebody is flying, I know I can can fly and stay up also. Whereas in the past I'd have been more reluctant to launch until someone of a similar ability/wing rating was already flying. I see no reason to move up from this wing to be honest, it keeps up with the best, even the super hot ships. Currently in the Alps and planning on flying it from Annecy to Chamonix tomorrow 🤞 The only downside is that it can be a bit of a handful on the ground, although perhaps this is exacerbated due to the lightweightness of the P version.

[@BobJones20001]

That was the big thing for me too. If it's scratchy chances are I can fly on the Ikuma2 its common to fly higher and longer. Most have bombed out and I'm still flying, a complete turnaround just by replacing my wing so it's not a skill increase in my behalf, but the wing.

[@garyrothery3664]

I am really enjoying flying my Ikuma 2 even though circumstances have restricted my hours. I have found that it has very good performance and is comfortable to fly. A good B+ package well matched to my flying. The video sums up my own experiences nicely. My only surprise was your B3 line comment for big-ears: I thought it was B2 (ie.. 1 in from the stabilo), though I admit that I haven't needed to use the technique recently.

[@garyrothery3664]

I'm really pleased that I watched your video and then re- read the manual which does indeed say B3 for big-ears! I will need to refresh myself now and read the whole thing again! Thanks! Best wishes.☺️

[@garyrothery3664]

I have found that changing to A + C launching helps me to calm the initial surge of the glider from the ground, if launched too aggressively, and dampens the likelihood of being 'plucked' that brakes can induce. I guess the glider is enthusiastic to fly and managing that energy is the key!

[@garyrothery3664]

Solved my confusion! The B line needed for big-ears is the line just in from the stabilo and it is also referred to as B3 because numbering is from the centre, not the outside.

[@guillemvilaseca5373]

Great video! Thanks! However, it's still not clear to me which line is 3B3. Could you please show exactly which one it is, if it's not too much trouble? Thank you very much!

[@brucegill7934]

Great video thanks, I love my Ikuma 2. But yes, launching in strong wind can be pretty nerve wracking with the power it generates through the wind window. I like it so much that I want to try the Artik 6 to see if that's even better. Is the Artik 6 similarly tricky to launch in stronger conditions? How does it's performance differ from the Ikuma 2? Does it climb as well as the Ikuma 2?

[@pregnantgrandad]

Hey Flybubble team, love the videos! I think there's some scam going on in your comments, just to bring it to your attention. Keep up the amazing content!

[@raoulduke1914]

Enjoying the reviews Carlo, please review Gin Avid! :)

[@maximkhadzhy5084]

The review without a comparison doesn't give a complete picture of the wing. I would like to hear a comparison with the past model. I fly Ikuma 1, I really like this wing but its resource is not eternal and I'm thinking about an upgrade to Ikuma 2. Ikuma 1 has less lines with the same aspect ratio than the second model, so it seems like the first one should be faster, but it's just an assumption. How does it react to weight shift compared to Ikuma 1? Is it safer? Thank you in advance for respond, but better to see a video comparison to see the progress 👍

[@paragliding66]

Hy guys Sorry where exactly in England you made this video? Why are these hills perfect for dynamic flight 🤟

[@paragliding66]

@@flybubbleparagliding thanks very much for your answer 👏 is really a beautiful place, I’d like to came and try…maybe one day

[@safranpollen]

It is amazing, how experts create a mind on a wing. i don't want to question Carlo's opinion and mind, just show how different interpretations can be . Here an example, translatetd from german to english for this wing from Lucien Haas, a paraglider reporter , with decades of experience in paragliding tests. Thermal characteristics: At first glance, the Ikuma 2P does not appear to be the most agile wing in thermals. I myself had to go through a certain learning curve after having tested the BGD Base 2 lite for a longer period of time. It reacts noticeably more directly to braking impulses in thermals. The Rook 3 and Explorer 2 already mentioned also have a more playful thermal handling in comparison. With the Ikuma 2P, however, you can make up for a bit by working more impulsively with the use of weight and not forgetting to consciously open the outside brake for faster hooks. Piloted in this way, the glider can also be maneuvered willingly into narrower cores. The sensitivity of the cap helps to find the center. Especially since the glider is perceptible, but pulls towards the climb without sudden haste. I found the relatively high pitch damping of the profile to be pleasant in thermal flight. It relieves the pilot when controlling the angle of attack. I found the adjustment of the roll damping of the glider to be less successful. Especially in torn beards, the cap can often be levered out of its circular path and erected. This reduces directional stability and requires corrections and re-centering more often. Ultimately, this comes at the expense of cranking efficiency. This is possibly a little less pronounced with the heavier Normal variant of the Ikuma 2. I experienced the climb qualities of the Ikuma 2P as average with my wing loading. This is probably due to the relatively small wing area, with which one already feels certain disadvantages in the climb, especially in weak conditions, at least when flying at the upper end of the weight range. Flatland pilots should keep this in mind when choosing their size. source >>> lu-glidz.blogspot.com/2022/06/schirmtest-niviuk-ikuma-2p.html

[@SuperAnatolli]

How is the feedback? Does it talks a lot, and if so, does talk calm gently or scream in your ear (Gunnery Sgt. Hartman style) all day? I bought EN-B+ from another brand and that did not suit me at all. Very chatty and noisy. My old C-wing flet like a beginners glider in compairtion. I managed to sell the EN-B+ I bought and got myself an Icaro Gravis 2 that suits me well, instead. Not the best glide ratio, but very much a "fun to fly"-glider. Dynamic, helpful (gives you the info you need, when you need it, in a nice way), feels bomb proof. But I am always looking for alternatives.

[@Itsallgoodtogo]

Flown 60 hours on it. My longest flight was 200km. Its very chatty in strong conditions and gives you just enough information in calm air. Its a wing that requires active flying, but at the same time... the mistakes you make. get sorted out by the wing very fast. It 100% deserves the "High" B classification.

[@dinpuiaraltesiakeng2818]

Is it good for XC?

[@turkeyphant]

What wings are its main competitors?

[@Stealps]

En-C in EN-B? Do you mean that Artik is en-C flying like en-B? Please be explicit in both ways.

[@flybubbleparagliding]

The Niviuk Artik 6 is an en-C certified wing which flies and performs as you'd expect for the class i.e. the pilot demands and performance as as you'd expect for the en-C class. The Niviuk Ikuma 2 flies like an en-B wing i.e. the pilot demands as you'd expect for the en-B class, however the performance is surprisingly good for the class - as good or better than some en-C wings - but not the Artik 6, or other well-performing current en-C wings. But of course now the Ikuma is a an older model and new models have superseded it e.g. the new Niviuk Ikuma 3. 🤓

[@loanduvivier3654]

@@flybubbleparagliding Bonjour, j'ai réalisé une centaine d'heures de vols sous une EN A. Mes plus gros vols sont des vols thermiques de 2 ou 3 heures. Pensez-vous qu'une Ikuma 2 est un bon achat pour ma progression ? Merci d'avance.

[@andrewfowlie7325]

If the headline is a question is answer is almost always no!