Thought I'd stick this vid up for people interested in zakospeeds so they can see what they are like in nil wind.
I've only had the Zakospeed a while and I bought it mainly for soaring but also for some shallow hills i want to try and fly.
I recently got a chance to speedfly it in nil wind on a hill i've flown in similar conditions on both a bobcat 13.5 and a Nano 13, so a good chance for a comparison and a good chance to get a feel for the glide.
See same hill similar conditions on a 2008 nano 13 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpZkOfJZPv8
The zako16 is impressive -holding a very solid and shallow glide yet somehow it manages to be only slightly slower than the nano. Definatley 'fast enough' to be fun, but with a huge range..... as you can see by the vid when i disengage form the hill and put bit of brake on it turns back into basically a paraglider. With rears on it would have glided even more, (was flying in neutral).
Ground handling and launch:
compared to the Nano (easiest most forgiving wing to launch that i've ever tried) the Zako is certainly more demanding to launch and ground handle, but I find it much easier to launch and handle than the Bobcat which i find quite twitchy and prone to tucking.
Flying - The Zako 16 is amazing for soaring and it has a good range of wind speeds that will keep it aloft. On my wing loading (80kg naked) i like to fly it in neutral whenever the wind strength allows, as it feels way more solid. PG pilots have told me that it (theoretically) is less stable in neutral, .....well good luck to them,... all i know is I feels more solid flying, and way more solid out of turns in neutral. I have not pushed my luck in turbulence with it.
The best wing i have ever flown for turbulence was the xt16 - that feels indistructable. Well the zako is no xt16, but so far so good
It is not scary in mild turbulence, and that is all i have experienced so far. Will update if i ever fly through some proper messy air.
In much the same way that a Nano feels totally natural to fly, and how the xt16 also feels totally natural to fly, so too does the Zako. This is the thing i like most about it compared to the bobcat. The bobcat is great fun (i want one) but the zako is much easier to fly IMO, it goes where i want and lands where i want. I think experienced paraglider flyers might disagree, but if you come from a skydive background like me I think you'll find the zako more intuitive than a bobcat. The only time i have been caught out was landing downwind, a bad habit i have, and I misjudged just how far i would end up going. Into wind landings are similar to a paraglider, you just step on to the ground when you want.
Zako 16 its not a speedwing like a Nano or Bullet, especially if there is lift about, but in nil wind it feels as fast as one and its not hard to stay close to the ground. It will get you soaring at speedfly speeds but in quite shallow winds. Just for speedflying on shallow hills i would want a smaller Zakospeed such as a 12 or 14, but for soaring i like the 16, as it gives me more chance of staying up in lighter winds.
Reccomend for:
If you are a paraglider looking to get into speedflying or soaring in faster winds then i think this would be a great wing to buy and will be a piece of piss for you to fly.
If you are a skydiver wanting to get into speedflying i would not reccomend this as your first wing - i would go for a Gin Nano instead.The zako is half speedwing half paraglider, the nano is all speedwing, and super forgiving on the launch which might just keep you alive while you are learning.
If you are a speedflyer and are looking for something to go soaring with you'll love this wing. If you weigh a lot more than me you may want something bigger though like a bipbip 18 or little cloud 18 or something similar.
If you are a speedflyer looking for a wing to speedfly shallower hills with than you can currently fly with your current speedwing then i would recommend the zako, but you might want to fly at a higher wingloading than me ( either by being fatter than me or getting a smaller one than me) if this is all you want it for.
If like me you are looking for something to both fly shallow hills and something to soar with then i think this wing on my wing loading is perfect, i am very happy i got a 16.
Pros:
cheap, inuitive to fly, fast, brilliant glide, huge range, you can land it like a paraglider
Cons:
Is made from a paragliding type material - so you have to look after it. Personally i would prefer it to be made from the same sort of stuff they use to make bullets and xt16s etc.
Conclusion:
Just like the Gin Nano the Zakospeed is a classic wing, love at first flight, not one I think i'll ever want to sell. I've been looking for a speedwing that i could really go cross country with for a while, ....and this is it.
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ZAKOSPEED BY THE OCEANby Xbgse696 views
Hi
How is a Bobcat compared to a Xt16? Wich one its better?
Srachi 4 months ago