free style glider for a little girl ptv 55kg, naked 42kg

Hi Delphine,

I had the same problem one year ago :) My naked weight is 52kg, I had a Sky Atis Freestyle 21 and was flying the same maneuvers as you do now, but I then found it pretty annoying to practise deep stalls with this glider because of the long brake travel and the unprecise feedback. I then switched to an Emilie 19 (2011 model) - I was very nervous before the first full stall, but to my surprise, it felt _much_ better than with the Atis - much more precise and controlled, and I didn't have any problems with the increased dynamics (not even frontal collapses ;)). After about 25 flights, I tried a 17 (2011 model, too) and it even felt better than the 19, still not too dynamic, but more fun to fly.

After 70+ hours of flying (Iquique ;)) with the 17 without any trouble, I recently switched to an Emilie Wild13 17 because the old one became somehow "flabby" and hard to launch. Now this one feels _much_ more dynamic than the 2011 model (never tried a '12), and I am now just repeating the basics with it, but it already feels very good.

But I have to say that I always practise above a lake; if I had to fly over ground, I think I would still fly the 19. And in addition, flying the 19 first sure helped me a lot! I am not sure whether I would have been able to switch to the 17 directly without any incidents, and of course, I just would have been too afraid of it I guess. And I - my personal opinion - would not recommend you to switch to a small Wild13 directly, because to me it really is more demanding to fly than the '11 model.

Anyway, since I weigh 10kg more than you, I think 20 is too big for you... But I am no expert, I can only say what worked for me. I would suggest to try an Emilie '11 or '12 in 17 or 18 (or 19, depending on where you fly), or maybe a Buzzard 17 (never tried it, but heard that it is also not that aggressive). Maybe you find an used one in the market, to do your first steps; if you then feel confident, you can switch to a smaller or more dynamic one.

Regarding Susi: No! :) This glider is very pitch stable and has long brake travel, it is absolutely not suited for acro. I don't know much about the Apus, but it still is a "normal" glider, just small - since you are practising helico, I would go for a real acro glider, it's just way more precise.

Cheers, Ste

Hi :)

I am sorry but the WildCat TE 18 does not exists I think, you may misunderstood with projected area of the XS WildCat wich is 18,5

For your weight and level you should really think about a freestyle glider in 20 sqm or an acro glider in 20sqm also may be good. If you want to try a NIKITA3-19,5 in France just send me an e-mail : theodeblic@hotmail.fr and I may be able to help you.

Cheers,
Théo

What about a Thriller 16 ??