I have flown and owned many types of gliders and power planes and for a change I would like a simple non complicated type of slope soarer. I am considering getting an EPP wing and I would like to buy one which has a wing section which gives good high and low speed performance. I have flown a few of my friends EPP wings and found them to be fun and easy to fly.

I vote for the Bowman Hobbies Sonic. It is the most versatile wing, and has the widest aerobatic envelope PLUS the ability to carry energy at modest weights (say 17 to 25 oz, depending how you build/cover it).

I've flown All manner of Zagis, the new popular Windrider Bee and Bat wings, and the Cavazos Boomerang. The Sonic shines above them all IMO.

In case you don't know who Pat Bowman is, he flys regularly at Parker Mt (the birthplace of DS soaring). Before he introduced his now popular JW, the Sonic was his catch all aerobatic machine that can also DS fairly well.

Pat has the benefit of also flying regularly with Joe Wurts. I believe this high pedigree shows in the performance of the Sonic.

If you want to stay up in the lightest lift possible, get a Windrider Bee,and cover it in tape (not the fiberglass reinforced variety-- the thin colored stuff). But for everything else, the Sonic is my "must have machine".

(if we expand the category to non-wings, then the DAW SW 1-26 is THE MOST versatile EPP plane I can highly recommend, but that's not a simple wing, and you didn't ask for non-wings, right?)

Thanks for the info, I will look the Sonic up on the web.

Hi Wind Junkie I have had a look at the Sonic web site and asked them what would be the total cost of a kit including postage to Australia. As I said I have flown several types of epp wing including Zagis and the Sonic appeals to me is probably what I am looking for. I am currently flying an Envy which was manufactured by a friend of mine. This fiberglass/foam and kevlar glider has a 60" wing span and has an RG15 section which works very well.
This is a light strong glider that is slippery and can be flown in a gale without ballast (I have flown it in a (measured) 40 knot wind).

You should have fun with the Sonic. I don't know what the section is. It's probably one of Pat's own refinements. I know he changed the foil a few years ago to make it match the balsa TE better, but it still flys great. I've built 4 of them, and the new ones fly great too.

Play with the CG and get it as far back as you dare (as you would trim any glider) so it still tracks well, but needs just a hint of down elevator inverted. Then you can do inverted stall turns.

BTW, Pat Bowman also invented the EPP plane, in case you didn't know. I forgot to mention that before. He gives a good interview on "Lift Ticket" where he discusses his first design.

Ive flown the sonic its better then the first zagis. Ive had all the zagis except the 3c. I now have a 5c, very stiff and Ive flown it in HUGE wind, 40+mph and down to nothing wind.
I think any wing with the new 5 spar system is the way to go.
I believe the WW have a 5 spar as well.

In MHO get a ww or 5c.
To me a wings a wing, but a stiffy wing is far better.

Hi all,
Thanks for all the information and tips. I will be ordering a wing this week.

Happy flying.

Hi! Try a WingWarrior Raider. This spring I was flying mine in 25mph winds with no lead weight on cg. Late!

For pure performance the Sonic is great. Really fast considering its a foam wing. A guy I fly with puts a pound of external ballast on his and it rips. Very fast in DS as well. Ive heard that the Sonic and the JW use the same airfoil, but Im not positive. The only negatives with the Sonic are that recovery was sacraficed for flat out speed, but if you plan to fly more as a sport plane and less combat, the tradeoff is in your favor. If you want a combat wing a clean Zagi 5C flys in very light lift, is pretty fast, and properly set up (I.E no 90 degree control throws...) will recover easily.

I wanted an all round eep wing for sport flying only. Next year my wife and I will be traveling around Australia in a in smallish caravan and I would like a suitable wing that performs well and is robust and will fit under a bunk with out fear of "Hanger Rash" during our travels.
On our last trip I didn't have a glider and suffered "withdrawal symptoms" when I saw lots of great slope sites along the way.

Thanks to all for the comments and information.