Zoom X2C 2 liner C Impressions

Zoom is another paragliding brand by Hannes Papesh and I was really curious to see what their first wing, a 2 liner C, is like. With a 6.53 aspect ratio, this wing slots nicely between Phi's 3 liner C Allegro (6.03) and the 2 liner C Scala 2 (6.77). Martin lent me a demo which I got to fly in Bright recently.

I flew the size 105 at ~100kg. Reverse and forward launching is straightforward even in light conditions. One thing that stood out was how nicely the wing carves into thermals. Good feedback without being excessively nervous. In rough air and sharp edged thermals I had some tip collapses that quickly snap open. No frontals in about 24hrs of flying so I can't comment on how it recovers from them. The X2C reminded me of the Allegro with its soft collapses.

The wing is confidence inspiring on full bar which is comfortable to push and you can stay on it for long periods of time comfortably. C riser controls are heavier than the Scala 2 but effective.

B3 stalls work nicely as a descent manoeuvre but next time I'll make sure the airspace is clear when I try them :D Maybe I'll learn to connect the risers properly too some day :D

I stalled the wing a couple of times and was surprised at how long you have to hold the brakes down to do so. It'll be difficult to accidentally stall it.

Performance is difficult to measure but flying with friends into headwind is where the advantage is where it shone. I flew a few legs in the comp at Bright and the X2C kept up nicely with the rest of the two liners in the lead gaggle. The pilot dangling under the X2C is the bigger factor when racing :D

Overall, the X2C feels like a solid XC wing and a good fit for competent pilots moving up from a High B.