TEST |Axis Comet 4
Good to see: the
various transverse
bands inside the sail
AXIS
COMET 4
Nothing less than the best
the class has to offer,
76|6_22
E
EN B+ device. We have
tested it extensively.
AT
INT
ER
i2
is supposed to be the Comet 4 – a
MEDI
Text & photos: Franz Altmann
Pilot for photos: Elmar Appl
ww w. thermals . at
S
Radek Šimoník from Axis has
been cooking his own soup for
years.
Size
marketing
campaigns and promises
are not his thing. Much rather
its successor is also equipped with Shark
Nose, 3DShaping and miniribs. Behind the
C level and behind the fourth level there
are also continuous straps that run
through the entire screen. In addition,
there are short straps and diagonal braces
between the outermost top lines, which
distribute the forces in the wing.
As far as the weight limits are concerned,
the decision was made to increase the
wing loading a little - while the surfaces
remained almost the same for all five sizes,
the weight limits were reduced a bit - so
size M now goes up to 100 instead of 105
kg as before.
he lets his constructions speak for
themselves. And with success - again and
again the small Czech manufacturer
manages to be at the forefront. Massive
flights are submitted with Axis gliders,
which generates more than enough
demand without having to worry too much
about the advertising drum.
However, Axis does not have it easy –
responsibilities are blurred, everyone has
to do everything. So there are delays,
which have now been lengthened a bit by
Corona. Therefore, the Comet 4 came
much later than hoped
The line setup is pretty thin. Two A main
lines sit on a yellow strap, the A3 main
line is hung separately on a loop. The
carrying strap is tidy, not too
complicated and lightweight.
– but just in time for the 2022 season. With the
German sales partner Parafly24.de, Axis could
Speaking of carrying straps: Axis is working
on a special carrying strap for B/C steering.
This was not yet available to us for our test.
Pilots who have already purchased the
Comet 4 without this special riser can have
it retrofitted free of charge.
now also establish itself on the German market.
CONSTRUCTION, MATERIALS AND DESIGN
With an aspect ratio of 6.08 and 58 cells, the
Comet 4 clearly wants to push its way into the top
The top lines are made of uncovered,
wafer-thin Dyneema and come from
Liros. In contrast to its predecessor, the
Comet 4 is now a hybrid three-line, so it
has some support lines on a fourth level.
league of HighB devices on the market. Like
many other manufacturers, Axis relies on a
significant increase in the cells and aspect ratio while reducing the canopy weight: At 4.6 kg in
size M, the wing remains well below the 4.9 kg of
BEGIN
You have to reorient yourself briefly at the
launch site – the inner A-belts are colored
yellow instead of the usual red. Otherwise, the
very manageable line setup helps with sorting
– only the uncovered top lines need to be
inspected more closely, especially on launch
sites that have dry branches that tend to get
caught in them.
It is advisable to only use the inner Alines for inflating - the outer A-lines
accelerate the ears, which anyway want
to come up a little faster than the center
of the wing. Inflating, the Comet 4 fills
and stretches well - coming leisurely but
reliably over the pilot. The take-off
behavior is therefore very different from
that of its predecessor, which first had to
be persuaded to come up. Clearly: At
this point, the manufacturer has made
significant improvements!
The canopy's directional stability when inflating
(as well as in the air) is high, which makes
correcting for lateral inflation a bit trickier. It
works better to walk under the canopy if it comes
up at an angle. At the zenith, the pilot does not
have to intervene much to stop the canopy. On
the one hand, because it doesn't shoot up even
in stronger winds, but rather climbs up slowly on the other hand, because it hardly has any
shooting tendencies. This also makes zero-wind
take-offs easier, since you basically don't have to
its predecessor. Like the Comet 3
TECHNICAL DATA (MANUFACTURER'S INFORMATION)
Manufacturer
Axis Paragliders, info@axispara.cz ,www.axispara.cz
EN:Tanja Letmathe, DE33818 Leopoldshöhe, Tel. 0049 5208 1765, model
distribution
construction letmathe@web.de ,www.rcletmathe.de
AT:Fritz Mairitsch, fritz.mairitsch@aon.at , Tel. 0043 664 9120059
production
Czech Republic and Slovakia
constructor
Radek Šimoník
test pilots
Michal Talavasek, Sebastien Bourquin, Michael Muldon, and
Radek Simonik
sizes
XS
S
cell count
57
57
57
57
57
Takeoff weight (kg)
55-75 60-85
75-100
90-115
105-135
Area laid out (m²)
21.81
23.20
25.76
27.33
29.77
Projected area (m²)
18:43
20.08
21.77
23.09
25:16
Span designed (m)
11.52
11.88
12.52
12.89
13.45
Span projected (m)
8.83
9.03
9.59
9.88
10:31
Aspect designed
6.08
6.08
6.08
6.08
6.08
stretch projected
4:23
4:23
4:23
4:23
4:23
Cap weight (kg)
4.1
4.3
4.5
4.7
4.9
Total line length (m)
237
248
258
266
277
Price incl. VAT. (€)
2,590.00 2,590.00
2,590.00
2,670.00
2,750.00
They look "sharp".
Quality mark LTF/EN
iB
B
B
iB
Profile nose and the relatively
scope of delivery
Paraglider, backpack, stuff sack, compression strap
B
M
L
XL
small entry openings.
6_22 | 77
TEST |Axis Comet 4
With the inner A-belts, the Comet
4 can be launched quite reliably,
the directional stability during acceleration
development phase is high …
The hybrid three-line is based on a continuous doublechamber system with three unsuspended cells in
between ... in general, the line setup appears to be quite
"thinned out" and low-resistance!
or should only brake a little if you want
additional lift on the take-off run.
FLIGHT BEHAVIOR
Once in the air, that familiar Axis-specific
feeling of flight sets in: Despite its sporty
outline, the Comet 4 dampens fairly well on all
axes, which makes the way to the house
beard quite comfortable. The canopy hardly
works noticeably, not even in turbulent air, is
plump and full and thus conveys a great deal
of confidence right from the start.
thermal flight
The first time you screw it in, you immediately
notice that the Comet 4 ticks a little differently
than many current HighB models.
Control travel is quite long and the canopy
lags a bit. After my first flight, I was
supposed to shorten the steering lines by
10 (!) cm, which should noticeably shorten
the lead. However, it is not the length of
the brake line, but rather the line setup
that is responsible for the leisurely turning
– the brake spider first grips in the middle
of the wing and finally on the very outside.
This attitude is as unfamiliar as it also has
advantages. After a certain period of
getting used to it, I have to realize that
braking on both sides alone brings
unexpected calm into the system - and that
the sweeping, leisurely curves can also be
clocked well when cranking to enable
relaxed revving up.
78|6_22
ww w. thermals . at
TEST PROTOCOL
Take-off weight test pilot
95
(kg) Wing loading (kg/m2)
3.69
harness
Super Delight 2
measuring instruments
Skytraxx 2.1, Flymaster Vario SD
Acceleration path (cm)
35
Weight glider (kg)
4.55
V trim (km/h)
36 (@95kg)
Vmax (km/h)
49 (@95kg)
TAX FORCE CHART
9
8th
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Control force [daN (≈kg)]
Control travel (cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
Comment:After shortening the steering lines by 10 (!) cm, long
steering travels, which slowly move the Comet 4 into a curve
AXIS COMET 4
PILOT CLAIM
(REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PILOT)
E1
Sure, swerving or riding the “lee vipers”
are things that other pilots are reserved
for. On the other hand, wondrous
properties unfold when the conditions
are polarized differently: for example in
gentle updraft bands or shallow thermal
approaches, which must be carefully
collected and converted to altitude. The
Comet 4 shows excellent climbing
characteristics. Its flat-spin handling
makes it impossible to get the Comet 4
to dig, making efficient turning into
weak cores easy. You have to be a bit
careful to let the wing retract cleanly
into the riser core in order to take the lift
with you cleanly. Although the wing
transmits shocks via the risers, it is not
always easy to understand in which
direction the riser core is located - here
it is its high stability,
The handling becomes smoother as soon
as you load the Comet to its upper limit –
initially with 95 kg on the way, I ballasted
myself immediately to the permitted 100
kg in order to give the glider at least a bit
of momentum, which it then has. In
general, it is also important not to brake
the Comet 4 too much, but to let it fly in
order to be able to work with the
(manageable) dynamics.
This is how you recognize the charm and advantages
of the grand piano and learn to appreciate them.
Who a wobbly freestyler swing screen
E2
i1
i2
S1
S2
H1
H2
CC
to be as far away as possible and want to turn
up the slightest breath of air should include
the wing in your purchase considerations. Of
course, that's no coincidence: in the Czech
lowlands there is only what climbs as well as
possible. The high-performance Venus series
has always been a bright star in the sky of the
Czech XC flatland stars - the Comet 4 is far
more subdued in its nature, but also a ticket
for the cloud base.
i2: Intermediates with a clear performance focus for pilots
Accelerated flight
The Comet 4 is a newly conceived FlachlandKlettermax. The smallest
When gliding from A to B, the Comet 4
doesn't show any weaknesses. The climbfriendly profile glides decently, which has a
positive effect on long gliding distances or
those with a headwind. The accelerator
pressure is moderate, the loops on the C
straps allow the wing to be steered cleanly
using C steering. And even more: After the
pressure on the C level is only moderate,
pressure relief can also be reliably
intercepted. This allows the pilot to steer the
wing cleanly and, if necessary, tame it without
having to get out of the speed system (the B/C
steering belt that is in the works has already
been pointed out).
Truly the biggest surprise, however, is the
unimagined stability that the Comet 4 exhibits
when accelerated. It's hard to believe how
much rumble the wing can take without even
raising an ear. So it happens that I step into
the accelerator without hesitation as soon as I
reach the base, but
who are regularly in the air.
Required skills/experience: In this class, active intervention is
necessary in the event of disruptions! Pitch and roll behavior in strong
turbulence and thermals sometimes require courageous intervention.
Experience with extreme flight maneuvers and/or cross-country flying
recommended! Safety training with this glider absolutely necessary.
Required airtime: from at least 50 hours/year
PILOT COMMENTARY
breath of air is enough to move the wing to rise. In addition, it is
infinitely stable. An interesting concept!
What we liked:Its climbing properties, its stability, the
CSteering
What is different:The line setup (hybrid three-liner instead of real threeliner)
What we are missing:Some handling and punch
CONSTRUCTION/MATERIALS
Cap:Aspect ratio 6.08, 57 cells, shark nose, mini ribs, 3D shaping Linen:
Liros PPSL Dyneema carrying strap:Lightweight, functional
FITNESS
beginner
xc
occasional pilot
acro
competition
Hike & Fly
••••
•
• (unsuitable) to•••••(high suitability)
6_22 |79
TEST |Axis Para Comet 4
1
2
3
1. Simple, functional carrying strap with Csteering handle. Alternatively, Axis is
working on a B/C steering strap.
2. High quality rake rollers in
the acceleration system
3. Light cloth in the bottom surface, you can
clearly see the sticks that reach about 15
cm in the direction of the leech
4. Distinctive Shark Nose through
crossed rods in the entry openings
5. "Nose" innards
4
5
AXIS COMET 4
am still difficult to climb - the Comet is so
stable that at most it bends a little, the rest
is ironed out with the C-levels. The gliding,
however, is already a bit on the knees from
half throttle, but this is in the area of the
high-B class. However, the advantages of
the accelerator clearly outweigh the
disadvantages!
It's a good idea to choose a flexible
harness (with low suspension) and load
the wing at the maximum weight limit.
The wing still climbs very well and
handling is helped.
B stall
The B stall has not been tested.
prick ears
Of course, this doesn’t turn the flat-spindle
into a freestyler – the self-dynamics of the
profile, which is obviously more climbingoriented, is too low.
Big ears work very well with the
separately suspended A3 main lines. The
combination with the accelerator is
perfect - it goes down the valley reliably
and on track.
DESCENT ASSISTANCE
CONCLUSION
extreme flight behavior
In short: The Comet 4 is suitable for Low-B!
Despite its outline, which suggests that it is
at the upper limit of its class, provoked
collapses of any kind are a non-event. Even
collapses that are not sustained will cause
the wing to turn away noticeably – it would
much rather stay on course and just keep
flying. Even front collapses rustle up again
without any affectation. The stall limit is
also far away - but be careful: the long
brakes can sometimes tempt you to feel
them.
Fun factor (dynamics and maneuverability)
As already mentioned, the Comet 4 does not
have direct, but somewhat deliberate handling.
Naturally, that doesn't mean you hit a snag.
80|6_22
spiral dive
In calm air, the spiral can be initiated quite
well and the sink can be pressed up to 15 m/s.
Press because the Comet has a very clear
righting moment, which can even
predominate in turbulent air.
If you try to spiral in strong thermals, you
will find it difficult if you don't at least
initiate it with small commuters. A little
care has to be taken here in order not to
tear off the screen on one side. So: weight
clearly on the inside - outside brake
completely free and the spiral slowly built
up over a few circles!
The Comet 4 is a great addition to the B
class. Climb-oriented and unhesitatingly
stable, it is sometimes just the right device
for those flatland pilots who don't like the
lively High-B devices on the market.
"Laying true instead of rolling joy" - that
could be the motto of the Comet 4 pilot.
Anyone who gets used to the leisurely,
calm handling will no longer want to be
without it. On top of that, the Comet 4
offers even more advantages: An
absolutely unspectacular folding behavior,
for example, a truly low canopy weight, a
sporty outline and great C-steering, to
name just a few. A newly conceived
paraglider "Made in Europe": Refreshing!
ww w. thermals . at
STARTING PROPERTIES
SHORT REVIEW
forward launch
Ears come a little quick, so pull up with the inner A
----
lines. No advance. Correctability rather low
reverse launch
---strong wind handling
----
agility/agility
--
control behavior
FLIGHT BEHAVIOR
---folding behavior
-----
Accelerated flight
---damping
-----
stability
----DESCENT ASSISTANCE
big ears
The brake linkage
-----
B stall
spiral dive
-----
fitness
grabs from the middle
the wing half.
rating
Easy rise, no overshooting
Very manageable, leisurely reactions
Big radii! Setting-up moment very high, therefore more expansive
circles possible
Somewhat slow implementation
Extremely easy to trade
Speed increase 13 km/h, high stability,
unaccelerated gliding good, CSteering super
Very high self-damping
Very high stability
Extremely easy
Has not been tested
Not easy to initiate in moving air, high righting moment
Flatland pilots who don't want "wobbler umbrellas" and want
the flat-pivoting characteristics, Hike&Fly enthusiasts
-inadequate,--average
---Well,----very
good,-----excellent
Beautiful silhouette with
even curvature
6_22 |81