UNIFIBER AVIATOR 5.3 2022 TEST REVIEW

UNIFIBER AVIATOR 5.3 2022 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT

With excellent structural stability and plenty of progressive power, the Aviator found most favour with the novice and light weight rider, who enjoyed the comfort provided by the soft and loose handles.

THEY SAY

“The Aviator is an all-round wing with an exceptional wind range. Designed for riders looking for a balanced and versatile wing, it remains stable and responsive when cruising, wave riding or hitting big airs.”

WE SAY

This is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to try a wing from Unifiber – the successful windsurfing accessory brand based in The Netherlands. The Aviator is their first venture into the world of winging, complimented with an inflatable wing foil board called the Impulse, which is available in two sizes. The Aviator is targeted squarely at the freeride winging sector and is said to be produced using some of the best materials, including “A-grade” Dacron from Dimension-Polyant, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) bladders from Japan, Dyneema in the harness fixings and Kevlar in the abrasion patches. It has an interesting dual pressure system whereby the whole wing can be inflated to 7 PSI from the bayonet valve on the leading edge, the central strut being fed via a single hose. The central strut can then be isolated by closing the hose, before inflating it an extra 2 PSI via its own valve. Unifiber advise their wing aspect is, “in a range from low to medium”, though in relation to all the other wings on test, its aspect ratio was above the average. With one of the larger wingspans in the test group, the Aviator has a unique leading-edge profile. Rather than dihedral as with most wings, Unifiber refer to their leading strut profile as elliptical, with a very subtle curvature to raise the wingtips higher than the front of the leading edge. The profile is quite shallow and the tension in the canopy medium to loose, which in part is due to the unique S-shaping of the central strut.

Taking the Aviator onto the water, it feels big and bold in the hands, its large wingspan combining with movement in the canopy to provide plenty of bottom end power. The structure and framework of the Unifiber is assured, with stability in flight, and allowing the canopy to fill and deliver power progressively. The two centre-strut handles are soft and loose, tempering the feedback further and limiting the immediacy of response to an active pumping style. Instead, hold the Aviator high and let the wing take a leading role in powering up. Once going, it settles well and feels stable in flight, feeling efficient and comfortable. The handles were popular amongst lighter and novice riders, who enjoyed their softness and comfort as the wind and pressure built. More experienced riders were more critical however, citing the looseness and movement in the handles as the reason for feeling less in control, particularly in manoeuvres such as the tack. During the upwind transition, the front hand needs to shift right to the front fixing junction of the handle to control the wing’s flight through the wind, otherwise it has the potential of backwinding and collapsing down on your head. It will be interesting to see if future iterations of the Aviator adopt handles with more structure, as we’re sure they’d be able to better convey the potential of the wing’s structure and power. This is also apparent when holding the Aviator in a parked position during a foil ride (albeit to a lesser extent), the softness in the neutral handle providing comfort at the cost of more direct control. At the end of the session, the two valves allow the Aviator to be packed down quickly and neatly, easily fitting into its well-engineered carry bag.