2:12 This probably explains why I hated the Solo so much. After flying more than 100 hr on Dudek Universal 25.5 I bought a 24m Solo. I hated everything about it. The brakes were long. The wing was hard to control. Felt sloppy and unstable in turbulence. A few months later I test flew my friend's Nucleon 4 and was very impressed that I ordered a 22m for myself. It.has become my favorite wing since then and I do like it even more than my Speedster 3.
On our last Iceland trip, i think all guys in my group had more or less same skill level. We had 3 Solos in the group. On a whole trip, not one blown launch with Solos, broken part of gear or missed flight. Cant say the same for others :) Its definetly my go to expedition wing, best tool for scenarios where it just has to work.
Love my solo, great review! You should really work on your in flight audio though... It's very difficult to understand what you are saying. Gopro with an external boom mic makes for cristal clear in flight audio
Just watch the full comparison and I feel I made the right choice. Why would you not go with something that literally launches itself and also can be a little spicy when you want it to be. Great video thanks for taking the time to make it
I have flown the 1.1 for 6 years. No complaints other than it can sometimes be a challenge to launch in zero wind. Would love to see a comparison of the launch characteristics with these two gliders in nil wind. Appears to too much wind in this video for a fair comparison.
You're a blessing to the community mate.... always full of good information in your comparisons..... would like to know your thoughts on the the solo vs the nuc4 😊👍
Thanks a lot! The Nuc is a step up from Solo so you would have an easy time learning on Solo and then progressing to Nucleon in 2 years or a lil less if you fly often. Nucleon is faster, 2-D steering, 70/30 design so you have great too speed in trimmers faster than Universal by a big margin AND you have the TST toggles additional for XC flying. Great Value for money package
@@therealeugenecussons hey man thanks for that! I've been flying a uni for sometime now.... and I find it great.... its been a good xc wing for me and the speed has saved me from a couple of dark night landings 🙄.... but I've been thinking I'd like something with better turning characteristics.... I was told I could skip the solo and go straight to the nuc 4. What's your thoughts on that?
@@mrtingz if you been flying the Universal for some time the Nuc 4 is also a perfect upgrade. Just Nuc 4 is not a good training wing. Too spicy but Universal is perfect preparation
Tx. The Roadster 3 is a bigger older design. So to match the weight range of the Solo you need a size 28 compared to the Solo size 24 (160kg max weight). The Roadster is a 5.1 aspect ratio so its more nippy, more roll, more prone to requiring oscillation correction. The Solo is a 5.4 which is the limit I would suggest for an all rounder. So in summary. Solo is less drag to give beter fuel efficiency but a longer glider for more stability (5.4 vs 5.1).
Love my Uni 1.1 on my Trike. Would love to drop the size from 34 to 27 with a Solo however not using speed bar on a trike I would miss the speed. A question I have is when I set my trims to let’s say 6, on the inside of my trims it will say 6 but on the other side of trims it says 8. What side do you use?? Inner or outer ? Thanks great review.
@@therealeugenecussons not sure why they didn’t make them the same on both sides. Would love to have a smaller wing that can carry my weight and still be as fast as the Uni and as safe. Thanks for the great videos.
For me the biggest difference between the two wings is how much you want to advance your skill in the future. You can full stall the universal all day, but you really should avoid stall on the solo being a reflex profile as it will take a much longer time to reinflat the wing back to shape You can do more with the universal in terms of advancing your skill as compare to the solo as you should never attempt to do tail-slide with the solo The Solo is easier to learn on, but the Universal will last much longer in terms of advancing your skill in the future.
Yeah I touched on that by saying that you will develop beter skills on Universal. However, the Universal is full reflex with the trimmers open. Not as effective as Solo but its full reflex so it can cause same issues you mention on Solo IF trimmers are opened up
Very nice video. But your landing on the uni looked a bit flat. Was the heat a driver in the flare in this case? I fly the uni with DA of 7 to 9 thousand and as long as I do my part the flare is more responsive even with trimmer all the way in.
Ok so definitely the Uni landing was affected by overloading. In the video I mentioned that I was overloading it by about 10kgs. The best comparative size would have been a Uni 28 but what kind of happens with the older tech including all the XX glider is they kind of stall out at a certain point in the flare as if they just drop out of the air. I could probably control that a bit better by open the trims even more but I’d be giving the wrong instructions in the video. The 25.5 is a still a very very good glider
@@therealeugenecussons Okay that makes sense. 10kg over will make an impact. I’m about 20kg under max so the flare is good especially if I don’t forget to punch the brakes all the way down at the end.
@@mjc390 Thats a very good question. I personally think they are, especially on a low hangpoint machine. I notice in the video he is using a high hang point, and I think this would be better. I seem to have a lot of slack before the brakes engage, and I have read of others that have shortened them. That said, I am certainly not an expert, and I haven't tried it with speedbar to know whether that affects the brake travel.
ive watched probably 50+ reviews on the Universal 1:1 and ur the first person to ever say that it lacks on input, flare authority, and definitely the ONLY one to ever say that it has launch problems. Also it should be noted that the 1:1, which is the only Universal that Dudek sells currently in 2023 HAS TST. It comes from the factory with it. I guess this review/comparison was made in 2015 or earlier cuz Dudek started using TST the moment it came out. Im not saying the Solo is a bad wing. But its for a different pilot.
Well I’m an instructor that has to teach students so not saying the truth compromises both me and the student when something happens. Its NOT that the Universal has flare issues, its that it has issues when trying to flare TRIMS IN. That is a important distinction. If you sent the trims on 6 for landing it flares perfectly fine. Universal 1.1 does NOT come factory loaded with TST. You have to order it extra.
thank u for that crucial clarification about the trim settings and the TST. I probably watched the same 5 or 6 reviews 50 times, knowing my dumb ass. i have been lately checking out the Solo and now that i know the clear distinctions between the 2 (TST and Sharknose and trimmer range) i think if i ever do get to the point where i can buy a wing i can make a better choice. I really like the Universal but i dont want to have to pay extra for TST. I know that its not recommended to use the brakes to steer if ur trimmed out max. Thank u for the comparison. I wish there were more videos like this in the sport. A/B comparisons @@therealeugenecussons
Is that a universal 1.1 ? I already have a H3 for XC I would like to get a uni 1.1 for PG on a PPG , can you comment on how the uni behaves with thermalling on PPG ? Can you also show us how you mounted that camera ?
Hey. Because its a duel rated wing it will be quite good with trims closed in thermalling. I’m not to proud of the camera mount or audio. Waiting on some new stuff to see if there is improvement
I'm 30ish flights into PPG. Looking for my first wing. I've been on a charger for this whole time. Debating between the roadster or this. Thoughts on the two?
2:12 This probably explains why I hated the Solo so much. After flying more than 100 hr on Dudek Universal 25.5 I bought a 24m Solo. I hated everything about it. The brakes were long. The wing was hard to control. Felt sloppy and unstable in turbulence. A few months later I test flew my friend's Nucleon 4 and was very impressed that I ordered a 22m for myself. It.has become my favorite wing since then and I do like it even more than my Speedster 3.
Awesome review Eugene 👏🏻 love every minute of flying my Solo😁
Love the reviews Eugene
On our last Iceland trip, i think all guys in my group had more or less same skill level. We had 3 Solos in the group. On a whole trip, not one blown launch with Solos, broken part of gear or missed flight. Cant say the same for others :) Its definetly my go to expedition wing, best tool for scenarios where it just has to work.
Very good point. Where risk aversion is priority, the Solo rules supreme
Love my solo, great review!
You should really work on your in flight audio though... It's very difficult to understand what you are saying.
Gopro with an external boom mic makes for cristal clear in flight audio
Great review !
Great Vid mate
Just watch the full comparison and I feel I made the right choice. Why would you not go with something that literally launches itself and also can be a little spicy when you want it to be. Great video thanks for taking the time to make it
I have not yet seen this video. But I weighed it up and went with the solo. Let see your thoughts.
Ps I wish this video was out one year ago.
I have flown the 1.1 for 6 years. No complaints other than it can sometimes be a challenge to launch in zero wind. Would love to see a comparison of the launch characteristics with these two gliders in nil wind. Appears to too much wind in this video for a fair comparison.
You're a blessing to the community mate.... always full of good information in your comparisons..... would like to know your thoughts on the the solo vs the nuc4 😊👍
Thanks a lot! The Nuc is a step up from Solo so you would have an easy time learning on Solo and then progressing to Nucleon in 2 years or a lil less if you fly often. Nucleon is faster, 2-D steering, 70/30 design so you have great too speed in trimmers faster than Universal by a big margin AND you have the TST toggles additional for XC flying. Great Value for money package
@@therealeugenecussons hey man thanks for that! I've been flying a uni for sometime now.... and I find it great.... its been a good xc wing for me and the speed has saved me from a couple of dark night landings 🙄.... but I've been thinking I'd like something with better turning characteristics.... I was told I could skip the solo and go straight to the nuc 4. What's your thoughts on that?
@@mrtingz if you been flying the Universal for some time the Nuc 4 is also a perfect upgrade. Just Nuc 4 is not a good training wing. Too spicy but Universal is perfect preparation
@@therealeugenecussons thanks a lot mate.... I'll look forward to seeing more content from you.... big fan of your vids👍
thanks bud!
Great comparison and info. For a new pilot like me, a Roadster 3 or Solo and why? Thank you.
Tx. The Roadster 3 is a bigger older design. So to match the weight range of the Solo you need a size 28 compared to the Solo size 24 (160kg max weight). The Roadster is a 5.1 aspect ratio so its more nippy, more roll, more prone to requiring oscillation correction. The Solo is a 5.4 which is the limit I would suggest for an all rounder. So in summary. Solo is less drag to give beter fuel efficiency but a longer glider for more stability (5.4 vs 5.1).
👍
Love my Uni 1.1 on my Trike. Would love to drop the size from 34 to 27 with a Solo however not using speed bar on a trike I would miss the speed.
A question I have is when I set my trims to let’s say 6, on the inside of my trims it will say 6 but on the other side of trims it says 8. What side do you use?? Inner or outer ? Thanks great review.
Thanks. Its 6 on inside facing you or about 10cm
@@therealeugenecussons not sure why they didn’t make them the same on both sides.
Would love to have a smaller wing that can carry my weight and still be as fast as the Uni and as safe. Thanks for the great videos.
@@Ohio-PPG-Trike-Adventures good question 🙃
For me the biggest difference between the two wings is how much you want to advance your skill in the future.
You can full stall the universal all day, but you really should avoid stall on the solo being a reflex profile as it will take a much longer time to reinflat the wing back to shape
You can do more with the universal in terms of advancing your skill as compare to the solo as you should never attempt to do tail-slide with the solo
The Solo is easier to learn on, but the Universal will last much longer in terms of advancing your skill in the future.
Yeah I touched on that by saying that you will develop beter skills on Universal. However, the Universal is full reflex with the trimmers open. Not as effective as Solo but its full reflex so it can cause same issues you mention on Solo IF trimmers are opened up
@@therealeugenecussonsI don't think anyone would try stalling with trim out on any wing :)
@@davidwanj trust me there’s always “that guy”
Very nice video. But your landing on the uni looked a bit flat. Was the heat a driver in the flare in this case? I fly the uni with DA of 7 to 9 thousand and as long as I do my part the flare is more responsive even with trimmer all the way in.
Ok so definitely the Uni landing was affected by overloading. In the video I mentioned that I was overloading it by about 10kgs. The best comparative size would have been a Uni 28 but what kind of happens with the older tech including all the XX glider is they kind of stall out at a certain point in the flare as if they just drop out of the air. I could probably control that a bit better by open the trims even more but I’d be giving the wrong instructions in the video. The 25.5 is a still a very very good glider
@@therealeugenecussons Okay that makes sense. 10kg over will make an impact. I’m about 20kg under max so the flare is good especially if I don’t forget to punch the brakes all the way down at the end.
SUBSCRIBED DONE😁 p.s. what does the full kit cost for a beginner? motor , glider, helmet everything.
eugene@nirvanaafrica.co.za. I’ll send you a quote. We do finance in SA now
I wish someone, anyone, would do a video on the best way to stow the excess brake line in the little Dudek neopeene sleeve pocket
That is a good point!
Eugene do you think it is acceptable to shorten the brake lines?
Only to point the brakes aren’t activated, otherwise you would stall during takeoff
@@therealeugenecussons thanks 👍
I was interested in your opinion as wether brakes come too long from factory 🙂
@@mjc390 Thats a very good question. I personally think they are, especially on a low hangpoint machine. I notice in the video he is using a high hang point, and I think this would be better. I seem to have a lot of slack before the brakes engage, and I have read of others that have shortened them. That said, I am certainly not an expert, and I haven't tried it with speedbar to know whether that affects the brake travel.
ive watched probably 50+ reviews on the Universal 1:1 and ur the first person to ever say that it lacks on input, flare authority, and definitely the ONLY one to ever say that it has launch problems. Also it should be noted that the 1:1, which is the only Universal that Dudek sells currently in 2023 HAS TST. It comes from the factory with it. I guess this review/comparison was made in 2015 or earlier cuz Dudek started using TST the moment it came out. Im not saying the Solo is a bad wing. But its for a different pilot.
Well I’m an instructor that has to teach students so not saying the truth compromises both me and the student when something happens. Its NOT that the Universal has flare issues, its that it has issues when trying to flare TRIMS IN. That is a important distinction. If you sent the trims on 6 for landing it flares perfectly fine. Universal 1.1 does NOT come factory loaded with TST. You have to order it extra.
thank u for that crucial clarification about the trim settings and the TST. I probably watched the same 5 or 6 reviews 50 times, knowing my dumb ass. i have been lately checking out the Solo and now that i know the clear distinctions between the 2 (TST and Sharknose and trimmer range) i think if i ever do get to the point where i can buy a wing i can make a better choice. I really like the Universal but i dont want to have to pay extra for TST. I know that its not recommended to use the brakes to steer if ur trimmed out max. Thank u for the comparison. I wish there were more videos like this in the sport. A/B comparisons
@@therealeugenecussons
Is that a universal 1.1 ?
I already have a H3 for XC
I would like to get a uni 1.1 for PG on a PPG , can you comment on how the uni behaves with thermalling on PPG ?
Can you also show us how you mounted that camera ?
Hey. Because its a duel rated wing it will be quite good with trims closed in thermalling. I’m not to proud of the camera mount or audio. Waiting on some new stuff to see if there is improvement
I'm 30ish flights into PPG. Looking for my first wing. I've been on a charger for this whole time.
Debating between the roadster or this.
Thoughts on the two?
I have traded in a few charger clients to solo or nucleon 4. My recommendation is for you to go from charger straight to Nucleon 4
Man put that music volume down it hurts to listen this video
Newer videos are getting a lower volume adjust. This is a while ago…