MacPara Elan 3 — A Solid C That Feels Like the Class Above

The Elan 3's strengths are clear. It turns even the faintest air movement into lift, ranks among the best glides in today's C class, and the more the air moves the closer its efficiency comes to a wing a full grade higher. For a pilot coming down from a D who wants to keep that sharp, alive feel while recovering the passive safety of a C, this wing is especially convincing. But the reward comes with conditions. Brake pressure is moderate, and the C-riser work needed to hold the canopy overhead in turbulence is somewhat stiff. The Elan 3 is not a wing that flies itself in comfort. It rewards the pilot who reads the moving air first and puts in the input a step ahead — and to that pilot it hands back the efficiency of the class above.