Elan ³

“Fly In Peace”–The philosophy of relaxed flying - reality or marketing crap?

The Elan 3 - is the most powerful glider in the entire Elan-series and remains consistently a supporter of easy combined with a relaxed flying style. The Elan 3 is suitable for ambitious XC pilots who require an extraordinary glider with excellent glide, pleasant behaviour and easy handling.

Thoughtful and tuned concept

During the development of several prototypes the starting point was new profiles from the Magus which subsequently received the "necessary" modifications. In the same way we experimented with a two-liner system at outermost part of the canopy but finally we returned to the three-row concept. The result is a balanced glider with good feedback and a high degree of stability.

Pitching is well balanced, easy to read without the need for large corrections and allows a very good climb in the thermals. The Elan 3 handles both weak, stronger and more demanding thermal conditions easily and efficiently. If I had to evaluate its handling I would classify it somewhere between Elan 1 and Elan 2. Although slightly suppressed, sporty manoeuvrability has been maintained, with emphasis on climbing performance. The Elan 3 combines comfort, performance, safety and the pure joy of flying.

Low weight and easy take-offs.

Thanks to the well-thought-out design of the canopy and the lightweight materials, the take-off characteristics of its predecessor could be maintained. The Elan 3 is designed as a "semi-light" glider, the smallest size weighs 4.20 kg. The result is a balanced wing with an AR of 6.35. Inflation of the canopy, the way it comes up and the low tendency to overshoot are very important parameters of the glider's safety for me as a designer. Even in zero wind, the filling of the canopy is smooth over the entire span and the canopy rises easily overhead. With its simple take-off behaviour, the Elan 3 significantly exceeds its competitors. Even in stronger wind, the take-off and pitching are easily controllable. Behaviour during extreme manoeuvres is precise and well predictable. The Elan 3 combines the performance of gliders of the "high-end" EN C category with flight comfort and a relaxed feeling comparable to the EN B category. Those who do not believe should try it.

Advanced technologies.

Thanks to the unique leading edge reinforcement system, the Elan 3 provides extraordinary performance over the entire speed range. In turbulence, the Elan 3 retains exceptional stability. The resistance to collapse of the canopy is enhanced by excellent penetration. The wing requires minimal correction with the C risers in accelerated flight. If necessary, the angle of attack can be corrected during accelerated flight by adjustment of the C risers. The transmission system partially changes the profile shape and at the same time corrects the angle of attack. Rare asymmetrical collapse of the canopy during the adjustment of the C risers is therefore much milder with less rotation from the direction of flight.