File:Little Cloud EZ 12.5M Speedsoaring - First Lap

Description
I recently flew the new LC Spiruline EZ 12.5m for the first time. I am pretty stoked on this wing. Flying it for the first time was reminiscent of my first laps on the Mirage when it came out. I was thinking "wow, this is the future". The trim range provides an incredible pair of wings in one package. One must always be careful flying trims open, but damn she's fast!

In general the newest Spiruline has substantially improved pressurization/launch characteristics over the last generation with a snappy feel to inflations and substantially greater brake pressure (I found my hands closer to the pulleys to receive the same level of feedback from the wing). The trim range is quite large on the 12.5. One "speed" out on the trims (3/4 slow) kills the recovery arc, making for great swooping ability. This is the position I was in for the final approach and 1500' launch swoops. The wing felt substantially more stable than the previous generations, likely due to the increase in pressure.

The glide was everything I expected from a little cloud. I was soaring the 12.5m in similar conditions to what I would soar the previous generation 14m. While it did not feel like it had quite as much glide, it felt close while being much faster, which is really an awesome combination for a 1.5m loss.

Thanks to www.littlecloudusa.com for the awesome demo!