"Hybrid 2.5 liner" High B wing Nova Mentor 7 Light paraglider review

[@flybubbleparagliding]

Wondering which is the right and best wing, harness or reserve for you? See our Flybubble MATCH service - flybubble.com/flybubble-match-service

[@FreeFlightGuy]

Hearing you say this has firm brakes is the reason I'm buying this wing. Love that type of handling.

[@jeffsinason4336]

Carlo taught me the ability to turn mY glider back over when it turns nose down. So handy.

[@paraglidingflyer]

Thank you for the review, I’ve been waiting to hear about this new wing. Give us more in depth soon!

[@flybubblecarlo]

Thanks, glad you appreciate it! 👍 As with other gear, we may produce a more in depth free video review if things work out and we have time! ⏳ (Meanwhile we offer our Flybubble MATCH service which goes into more depth and - more importantly - answers specific questions and gives expert personalised buying advice on which is the right and best gear for the individual. More info on our website.)

[@lewisjohn892]

Well done for this [more] insightful review!

[@ozoneswiftak]

Thank you for no music. I will subscribe now.

[@ozoneswiftak]

Very nice wing

[@mcbrite]

Can't wait for all the new 2 and 2.5-liners in B-C category, that we will see over the coming years... Talking of progress: Have you guys seen the new leading edge design from Gin? Looks incredibly weird, but apparently it has enough advantages to make it worth it? You can see it in one of the most recent videos on their channel. Really hard to describe, like the leading edge has serrations in it, looks wild!

[@mcbrite]

There you go, that's the video I'm referring to: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYa9fp6wpdaBZtU

[@lexhagenbeek8346]

Always nice to see & hear your comments on gliders that you've tested. Your, I guess automatic, subtitling writes storm, when you say stall. I don't think your interested in storm behaviour of any glider 😆

[@lexhagenbeek8346]

At 4:46

[@flybubblecarlo]

@@lexhagenbeek8346 Thanks, fixed! ✅ I went through the whole original English text and corrected other typos, which means translations will be better too. 😀

[@skyguys1990]

Nova it's very nice

[@philippeaudemard2748]

Bonjour, Avez-vous pu faire d'autres vols/tests avec la mentor 7 ? Comme vous disiez 😊

[@X1MY]

It would be awesome if you had the chance to compare it to the ozone rush 6, which has a more 'conventional' 2.5 liner design - having the B3 on the C-risers and the B1&B2 on one small B-riser. Especially controlling the wing on bar through the C-risers. Would def. be a interesting comparison&video 😀

[@flybubblecarlo]

Thanks for the suggestion, we'll bear this in mind for future videos. As main Ozone dealers, we have of course also tested the Rush 6. Actually I spent days filming for a Rush 6 review last year but lost all of the files so was not able to publish a review of it - boohoo! 😢The Rush 6's BC system is very effective - better than most older BC systems from years ago - however I find it heavier, stiffer, and less effective/efficient than the BC system on the MENTOR 7 Light, which I've found to be one of the lightest and most effective. Actually compared to BC systems on other current high B wings, I find the one on the Rush 6 to be on the heavier and stiffer ones. To be fair, the Rush 6 did come out in May 2021 (and that was a delayed release) so other designers have had more time to learn from others and evolve their BC systems. Personally, I much prefer a BC system to be as light as possible - and think this is important since this makes it easier to feel what's going on with the wing, react faster to sudden turbulence / gusts / wind shears, and of course is less tiring to use for longer periods of of time. Hope this makes sense and is helpful! 🙂

[@TillGottbrath]

Thanks Flybubble-Team! The favourite MENTOR 7 Light standout feature? That is in my mind the comfort and the confidence inspiring feeling on really strong days combined with an outstanding performance un such days. I have flown it for about 20 hours in the Alps and in Iran and - watch out! - I work freelance for NOVA.

[@flybubblecarlo]

Hi Till, thanks for your pilot input! 👍 Good point! ☝ From my testing of the MENTOR 7 Light on one of the hottest, driest and strongest days we've had in the UK for a while, my feeling was along the same lines i.e. the wing felt very comfortable and confidence inspiring, due to being very solid and collapse resistant, and performed very well in those strong conditions. 😊 I've no doubt that the the MENTOR 7 Light is a great wing for flying big triangles on strong days in the Alps! 😁 What I want to know now is how it behaves and performs in a wider variety of conditions, with different wing loadings and harnesses. Testing ongoing! 🤓

[@flybubblecarlo]

ps. We're really looking forward to testing and getting to know the MENTOR 7 Light more - and directly comparing it to competitor's current high B wings e.g. Advance IOTA DLS, BGD BASE 2, Gin Avid, Niviuk Ikuma 2, Ozone Rush 6, Phi MAESTRO 2, Skywalk CHILI5 and Triple Seven Rook 3... and anything else we can compare it with! 🤓

[@TillGottbrath]

@@flybubblecarlo Hi Carlo, The MENTOR 7 Light has an increased weight range of +5 kgs against its predecessors (which is nice in the winter when wearing lots of clothes or going vol-biv while still flying it within the legal weight range). But there is another difference (this is my my personal opinion now, but I hear similar things from other NOVA Team Pilots): The sweet weight range - I write RANGE and not SPOT - is actually wider than on all its predecessors. I flew all MENTORs and for going XC I preferred to fly them on the upper end of the weight range. I flew size S loaded to the max with 100 kgs. After flying the MENTOR 7 (proto) and 7 Light in size S and in M, I have now changed from S to M. Why? 1. Size M still feels crispy and communicative enough for my taste. 2. The collapse resistance doesn't get any worse (even though the laws of physic say this can not be). But it is what I feel. 3. Ferdinand Vogel told me that his impression of the MENTOR 7 Light when winning the Zillertal Battle was that it is the fastest in its category. Loaodng it between 50-75 %, it still is very, very fast on bar. 4. But major benefit is: The already good climb gets even better! 😁

[@TillGottbrath]

@@flybubblecarlo I wish I could join you doing this. So many great wings out there. 🙂

[@DougEDeGeorge]

How is it packing the glider with all the rods in it? Able to fit in a standard reversable harness

[@flybubblecarlo]

As with all wings with stiff rods that require "packing pillows" (e.g. Rush 6) they are not so well suited to packing tightly, as with most standard reversible harnesses. It's a design compromise: performance and collapse resistance versus ease of use e.g. packing.

[@marjankrstev]

Great job FlyBubble! How about review of Swing Arcus 2RS?

[@flybubblecarlo]

Thanks Marjan, glad you like this review! 😀 For the Swing Arcus 2RS (and all of the other wings, harnesses and other gear out there!) we always try to test as much gear as we can, as much as we can! 🧪 We already have loads of great gear to test in the queue 🪂💺 and meanwhile the Flybubble business to run (our customers must always come first!) with only so many hours in the day - and only so much good enough weather to test in! 😅

[@benparadude2028]

I’m torn between this and the iota DLS.

[@yvesb3426]

thanks for these first impressions, makes me really want to try fly it! however, nova have changed their weight ranges, there is no 80-100 anymore, so I hope I'm not too light at 95 all up under the 80-105 size. How would you compare it to the chili 5?

[@yvesb3426]

@@flybubbleparagliding the offer seems nice but I live too far away to enjoy this service!

[@arnekvinge6073]

What kind of plastic do you have around the speed connection ??

[@safranpollen]

Carlo, which size you have been flying and how loaded ? ThanXXX so fine:-)

[@flybubblecarlo]

For this review I flew the MENTOR 7 Light size S (80-105kg) loaded at ~ 96-97 kg all-up with my main harness, an Advance LIGHTNESS 3. As usual for all wings, over time we will continue to test the MENTOR 7 Light in different sizes, wing loadings and harnesses in a variety of conditions to get to know it really well so we can best advise our customers as part of our Flybubble MATCH service.

[@safranpollen]

@@flybubblecarlo Carlo, thanXXXs a Lot. I don't understand Nova, that they left the traditional szie range with 20 kilo Windows.! I have a takeoff all over of 83/84 k, with the old range the xs _ 70-90 k was perfect. Noe I can only look for the new xs 70-95 k, with 83 k I think No Punch , no fun.. Gonna Test the Wing is in this Case for me a must ....

[@paraglidingflyer]

@@safranpollen I had similar concerns with Nova’s weight range being different then previous models. Nova states that the wing was built to fit the old weight range but found it flys well in an “extended range” hence the increase in weight range.

[@safranpollen]

@@paraglidingflyer I suspect other factors. The material is scarce, restricted production processes, associated delivery difficulties. Everyone ssourt it, long waits, prices keep going up... I'm a rep of the old kind, wing loading > is important for agility, punch, speed,...

[@paolocutilli]

I see 2 little issues with this wing: 1) there are no split A, so on windy launch the pilot cannot pull only the center of the wing. Am I wrong ? 2) pulling C on groundhandling, in windy condition, doesn't kill the wing. That doesn't look good, from my perspective. Anyway: would you suggest/recommend pulling C + B3 together in order to keep the wind on ground ? Thanks

[@luciovasconcellos2363]

I'm a brasilian pilot and I'll would like a lot If have yours impressions of the gliders from the brasilian manufacture SOL Paragliders, in special two new gliders, the Sycross 2, an EN B hight, and the new EN C 2 liners, the LT2 . It's possible??

[@julianlauterfeld6273]

Nice review, interesting that Nova is probably already into the Mentor 8 and the 7 is only available in the light version and not really seen in the wild.

[@SamuelTravisxsammytrav]

now compare it to the freedom 2!

[@momentodecriatividade8577]

I go with a homemade paraglinder

[@Vl7248]

I’m pretty sure he said ..”meh” at the end..😂

[@flybubblecarlo]

I don't know where you got that idea from 🤔 but actually I think the Mentor 7 Light is an excellent high B wing - definitely a very interesting option in the class at the moment. 🪂 However, as with all wings, it's not the right or best wing for everyone. 🤓 Whilst some will love it, others will not. 🙂As I say in the video, it's got a quite unusual feel about it, which takes a bit of getting used to. In this way it's not as intuitive as some other wings, I feel. I've noticed others commenting the same, even some Nova team pilots (which form most of the pilot feedback on the Mentor 7 Light so far). It's certainly a very efficient and solid feeling wing! 🪂

[@Vl7248]

@@flybubblecarlo I was mostly joking. How does it compare to the swift 6?

[@jacksparrow1588]

No pack sack? Nova must be going bankrupt.

[@flybubblecarlo]

Nova MENTOR 7 Light - Package (at the time of writing): ✅Concertina bag light OR rucksack i.e. the choice of either a backpack or concertina bag light (for those who don't want, already have a backpack) ✅Inflatable pack roll (aka packing pillow 🙄) ✅Manual ℹ ✅Windsock 🧦 ✅Repair kit 🧵 ✅Speed system cords 😎 Nova MENTOR 7 Light - Flybubble flybubble.com/nova-mentor-7-light

[@timdoppler4977]

Ob sich das durchsetzt?...glaube nicht

[@E620SE]

Würde dann auch eher direkt zum (C) Zweileiner greifen

[@tobias56375]

Bei Probefliegen wars aufjedenfall nicht schlecht. Neben dem Maestro 2 die beste Leitung in der High B Klasse.