The time has finally arrived for the most anticipated launch of 2022 – the unveiling of the WARP 2 wing from Dudek!
Rumors about the development of this wing have been circulating for the past few months and in part the reason why there was so much excitement about this development, was due to the fact that the WARP 1 had such a loyal following.
The WARP 1 certainly brought something new to paramotor world but its widespread use was hampered by its level of difficulty. It only really appealed to professional pilots not because problems in the design but because the launch could be tricky if the pilot was not shown the correct techniques.
Enter the WARP 2. A project born not to improve on the WARP 1 but to redefine Cross Country flight. As the world gets to know this wing, pilots will undoubtedly compare it with its predecessor and maybe that would be an injustice to what could be one of the most influential wings to come to market in a long time. This is a new wing altogether.
For the past 5 months, WINGMAN Eugene Cussons was able to put the wing through its passes. Dudek felt it important to get feedback on the performance of the wing and so this article will be able to offer more than just marketing slogans and optimistic hopes.
Before we get into what the WARP 2 offers, lets summarize what XC pilots would like to see in an XC wing. Cross Country flying separates itself from Sport or Slalom flying with the purpose of flying longer distances or longer periods of time with the possibility of encountering rougher air thermal activity. It stands to reason that stability over speed and efficiency over agility are the most important attributes for an XC wing. Right?
RAW SPEED
The WARP 2 delivers on all those points. However, it does so without compromise hence the landmark moment in design. As the Wingmen pilots were not allowed to discuss the development of this project and were sworn to silence, the wing was dubbed “Angry Rottweiler” for internal WINGMAN pilot discussions. The name was picked not because of any negative attributes but because of the overwhelming and aggressive speed and acceleration the wing offered. With an average Top Speed capability of 55 miles an hour, the wing was faster than anything currently on the market beating the WARP 1 by a large margin. The add it reason why speed is such a welcoming factor to us is because it does not come at a compromise of stability.
LAUNCH
Most pilots will be happy to hear that the launch of the wing is incredibly easy. With very little effort the wing will come up to where it needs to be. It’s so efficient in launch that pilots could mess up their effort by applying a big effort where very little is required. The wing can overshoot in such cases so a word to the wise.
STABILITY AND EFFICIENCY
The wing offers fantastic stability even at its highest speeds. Oscillation could happen if its pilot induced but it won’t progress and is easily rectified.
The wing is efficient and can give good fuel burn numbers at the maximum speeds. However, when Top Speed of the wing is activated, it will become a ‘Hungry Hippo’. We must be mindful that with an increase in top speed comes the requirement of more thrust from the engine which ultimately can lead to higher fuel burn numbers. When its flown side by side from its predecessor at Trim Speed, the wing will offer an improvement.
CONTROLS
Modest hopes were for controls to resemble that of the Drift Air and Hadron 3. We got those and more!
The controls now feature the TCT+ toggles found on those wing models but also integrates a 3rd system – Dedicated TST toggles for when flying at higher speeds. Most pilots flying in this mode will know that it can be uncomfortable to reach the traditional brake and TCT + systems. The addition of the TST dedicated toggles gives the pilot a directional input system at below Shoulder Height. This is no small feature as the pilot can fly with Speedbar activated for longer periods of time without tiring.
These were just some of the attributes to look forward to with this new wing. It’s entirely justified to mark this moment in time as the beginning of the ‘Next Generation’ of wings.
Make sure to watch the launch collaboration review done by Eugene Cussons and Mitchell Graham – The 2 wingmen that had the privilege of flying the Warp 2 before its launch.