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By Tim Bridle, Competition & XC Pilot

The Cayenne is the last glider in the Skywalk range to get the Jet Flap treatment and also comes loaded with other design features that not only make a 9:1 glide ratio possible but also makes this level of performance accessible to the club pilot (9:1 is the manufacturer’s claimed glide ratio per Para 2000 website).

Skywalk has achieved their glide break through with an aspect ratio of just 5.6 and without having to resort to an unconventional canopy arc. As a result there is nothing idiosyncratic about this glider and getting it to where you want it in the sky seems like one of the most natural things in the world!

I have quite honestly found nothing about this glider that I would want to complain about. However, there are a few small things that I feel I should address, where I could imagine negative comments being made:

• What about the DHV report, 8 DHV 2s! - This is a top end DHV 2 but I have never found it a handful; in fact I would describe it as incredibly well behaved and the DHV report is no more alarming than the Mustang or the Addict for example.

• It’s not the most agile glider in the world – No I agree it is not, but the handling is good. I have not had a problem getting the glider up on a wing tip when needed and in the thermal the glider seems to almost center itself without the need for constant readjustment that you get with some of the more ‘tippy’ gliders.

• The wing is quite heavily loaded – Yes it does seem quite loaded but I like the assured solidity you get with this glider. You do have to slow it down when boating about on the hill but when you want to go somewhere you can just point it in the right direction!

All in all, the Cayenne 2 is incredibly well balanced glider and it is perhaps this balanced nature that is so exceptional. However, that is not to say that it does not excel in any other area as it does!

• This level of glide from an aspect ratio of 5.6 is exceptional. Skywalk attribute this in part to new software used for modeling cell ballooning and this is a very clean looking wing.

• The slow speed handling is very good and there are none of the surprises with the stall point that you sometimes get with top end DHV 2 gliders. This may be due in part to the Jet Flaps (Fig 2) but the brake pulley arrangement (Fig 3) also seems to engage D and C risers under heavy breaking (Fig 4).

• Climb rate is also very good. Due in the main to the turn characteristics of this glider which are a function of the way the glider is lined. The brake cascade engages first with the wing tip (Fig 5) and this makes turns easy to initiate. Once a turn is initiated the glider tends to flatten out as opposed to bite in aggressively and the result is an optimised climb rate with minimal effort.  

• Pitch stability is very good and seems to be progressive. Within normal flight parameters the wing is very responsive but when the going gets rough big surges and dives are dampened. I think this is due to stabilizers on the top cascade of the d lines (Fig 6). These lines remain slack in normal flight but are loaded when the canopy surges. You don’t get the scary dives when exiting strong lift and hitting sink. In stead the glider seems to surge forwards and pull upwards!

I think that this glider is a classic. The original Cayenne was described by a respected Skywings reviewer as ‘the new benchmark for the DHV 2 category‘. However, the DHV 2 category has now moved on and I think that the Cayenne 2 is probably the new benchmark in this Category.

I felt at home on the Cayenne 2 from the first time I flew it and am blown away by the accessibility of its performance.  I’ve now put 80 hours on it in a full range of conditions and have had only one collapse.  I love flying this glider.

I am not saying it is the best performing DHV 2 but then with an aspect ratio of just 5.6 you would not expect it to be. Nor am I saying it is the best DHV for acro but it is perhaps the consummate all-rounder

If you are looking for a top performing DHV 2 but are unsure about high aspect ratios or unconventional canopy arcs then look no further this could be the glider for you!