Mac Para Elan 2 (24 & 26) — The Gentlest C, and a Sharper One

An entry-level C usually trades away a slice of performance to buy comfort. The Elan 2 26 does not pay that price. It carries faster trim and top speed than the Cayenne 5, glide that ranks near the top of the class, and still earns a verdict of being milder than the Delta 3 ML. That mildness comes with conditions. You have to load it toward the top of the range, and it asks more of the hands than the Elan 1 did. And the 24, sharing the same name, flies like a different wing altogether. So the question in front of the Elan 2 is not the wing — it is the size. The 26 opens the door to C gently; the 24 puts you straight into the middle of the room.