Roadster 4 Review

What is the Roadster4?

The Roadster fulfills the B rated category within Ozone’s lineup. It sits right above the A category gliders like the Mojo and Moxie. The Roadster is the “second step” in terms of progression. When compared to the Mojo and Moxie, it offers better handling, efficiency, speed, and flare. It also offers more advanced features like a reflex profile, tip steering, and longer trimmers. The sacrifice is a slight decrease in passive safety when compared to those A rated gliders.

Within Ozone’s lineup, the Roadster shares its position with the Spyder. These gliders are essentially the same, the Spyder is just the lightweight version. Everything in this review can be applied to the Spyder, except for the inflation and durability characteristics. The Spyder will inflate easier than the Roadster with a slight sacrifice in long term durability.

Who is the Roadster 4 for?

The Roadster is a great glider for students that have just completed training. While the Mojo and Moxie are ideal gliders to take your very first flights on, I do not recommend taking your first flights on the Roadster. It just makes sense to do your first flights on something more docile. That being said, most students that excel in training are ready to step up to the Roadster after 50 or so flights on their school wing. This glider offers enough passive safety to make that transition seamless but enough performance to keep you satisfied.

A lot of new pilots come to me looking for their first wing and they say they want something “they won’t get bored of.” First off, in my opinion, if you get bored on any glider, you are just a boring pilot. That being said, the Roadster is not a glider that any pilot should get bored of. For many pilots, the Roadster is a great stepping stone to learn wingovers before progressing to something more advanced. For others, the Roadster will offer enough performance to keep them satisfied forever.

Price, Colors, Options, and Sizing

The Roadster 4 starts at $4,400. An Easy Bag Light in medium adds $105 and a large adds $110. Both gliders have three stock color options and custom colors can be added for $250. Shipping is $60.

I recommend loading the Roadster anywhere from 75-100%, depending on what your goals are. If you want easier launches, more efficiency, or fly a smaller power plant, I would aim for the 75% mark. If you struggle to run fast or fly from a high elevation, the extra surface area will make everything easier. I personally like the Roadster close to the max loading as the handling is more dynamic. At 100%, it maintains more energy which makes swoop landings more fun.

I am glad Ozone is now offering the Roadster in a 20m, as well as the Spyder. These smaller options are great for lightweight pilots that may struggle to hit the 80-100% mark.

Risers, Lines, and Cells

The Roadster uses a 4 line system with As, Bs, Cs, and Ds. The risers include Ozone neoprene toggles with a snap lock magnet, tip steering, and new printed trim tapes with upgraded roller cams. 

Coming from more beginner friendly gliders like the Mojo or Moxie, the tip steering is a very nice advanced feature. It is a separate brake line that only attaches to the tip of the trailing edge. Pulling this line gives big results for very little effort. From the factory, it is on a separate toggle, however, many pilots choose to tie it into their main toggle creating 2D steering. When you are ready for it, this unlocks a new level of performance in the glider.

The rest of the lines on the Roadster are fully sheathed which reduces tangles. The full weight fabric on the Roadster makes for better durability in the long run. I always recommend the full weight fabric option for pilots, like myself, who fly from rough terrain like the desert.

The Roadster has a total of 48 cells, giving it a higher aspect ratio when compared to the Mojo or Moxie. The cell openings feature rods that shape the intakes into a “shark nose” profile. They changed the way the rods are routed on this model to optimize the cell openings. The Roadster also uses reflex technology which allows the glider to fly faster and makes it more resistant to collapses.

One of the biggest additions to the 4th version of the Roadster is the winglets! As I learned in France, winglets help with spiral stability and allow the designers to increase the arc. The increased arc allows for better handling and more efficiency. This translates to a very locked in feel, but the glider still maintains great maneuverability. We will talk about this more in the handling portion of this review.

If you are someone who flies from grass and takes good care of your glider, the difference in durability between the Roadster and Spyder is minimal. However, if you fly from the desert or asphalt often, the Roadster is going to put up with more abuse in the long run.

Inflation and Launch

For reference, I am flying the 24m Roadster 4 at an all up weight of about 113kg. This is the ideal size I would recommend for someone at my weight. All of my launches and landings have been at the recommended trimmer launch position. 

I have found the Roadster to inflate very easily and symmetrically. While zero wind launches are where the Spyder really shines, I have had no issues getting the Roadster above my head in zero wind. Unlike some of the more advanced gliders, there is no tendency to horseshoe or buckle. The glider pressurizes easily and has no tendency to hang back. In fact, I have noticed that the Roadster likes to sit a little bit forward from above your head in kitable winds. At this position, it does not want to overfly or frontal, it just felt slightly more forward than the previous model. At my loading on the 24m, slow launches were a breeze. There is plenty of brake range to get deep and gain lift.

The Spyder takes the inflation characteristics to a new level. You will especially notice this in zero wind conditions. If the glider does come up asymmetrically, the Spyder gives you more ability to recover. With >5mph of wind, the differences become minimal. If you do a lot of zero wind inflations, I recommend the Spyder. If you fly from the beach where there is often wind, then I would recommend the Roadster.

In Flight Handling

I was slightly concerned that the new winglets would take away from the handling of this glider. You definitely notice the effects of the winglets right away. In straight and level flight, the glider feels so locked in. It feels like autopilot wants to hold your heading, even in turbulence. I really like this feeling, as it makes the glider so easy to fly.

As you engage brake and initiate a turn, you do feel a slight resistance initially, as the glider wants to continue to fly straight. However, once you start cranking and banking, the effect of the winglets is no longer noticeable. The Roadster builds energy nicely and the handling becomes more dynamic. I was very pleasantly surprised by how this glider felt in wingovers. Sometimes, it is tough to maintain enough energy on a larger B glider to get fully over the glider. With the Roadster, this was no issue. I was able to get big 270 degree wingovers easily. The glider was predictable and tracked very well through the maneuvers. Barrel rolls were also surprisingly doable and SATs were easily achievable with a wrap. I have to give Ozone props here. Out of everything, the handling of this glider is something I really think they improved and nailed on the Roadster 4.

Trim speed was as you would expect. Ozone advertises an increased top speed by 3kmh or 1.9mph. Pretty insignificant and I’m honestly glad this is not a feature they’re pushing. Top speed is rarely achieved and honestly doesn't matter much to me. The Roadster is fast enough to keep up with the majority of gliders on the market and that’s all that matters. On a Mojo or Moxie, you will definitely be falling behind in a pack. On the Roadster, you can trim out and keep up. With the trims released, the glider feels even more locked in.

Climb rate was very respectable. At my loading on the 24m, the glider feels very efficient and climbed better than my smaller, but more efficient slalom gliders.

With the trims fully released, you are allowed to use the main brake. However, if you add any more speed with the speed bar, you must only use tip steering.

I think a lot of pilots are concerned with the factory brake length of their gliders. Most find them too long and shorten them. I made it a point to keep this glider perfectly stock. Obviously, maneuvering was no issue with the stock brakes and I actually prefer the lower, more relaxed, hand positioning for cruising. You can certainly shorten the brakes to your preference, however, you do have to be very careful not to shorten them too much. Short brake lines can cause a catastrophic collapse if they are engaged at full speed.

Safety and Collapses

Previously, I had tried some collapses on the Spyder 3 and was surprised with how spicy it was. I deemed most collapses unsafe to pull over hard ground, on a motor, with one reserve, at my skill level. When the Roadster 4 came out, I saw many pilots pulling collapses with no issues. I decided I had to try it myself to see if it was true.

From my testing, I concluded that the Roadster 4 is absolutely difficult to collapse. The amount of force required was incredible and hurt my hands. Truthfully, I probably would have needed dedicated collapse toggles to really get the full effect. Regardless, the reaction to the collapses I did achieve were absolutely more benign than the collapses I experienced on the previous model. The glider didn’t want to surge hard at all. It didn’t want to change course either. The only way I was able to get it to change course was by holding down one set of As.

Obviously, these induced collapses do not translate perfectly to real world collapses. That being said, I would feel very confident flying this glider in trashy conditions. It feels like it strikes a very good balance between being absurdly resistant to collapses, but simultaneously being very docile when a collapse happens. I have never felt this way about a glider before, it’s usually one extreme or another. This is the second thing I have to give Ozone props for. I noticed a big difference in the passive safety of this glider when compared to the previous generation.

Landing

Landing the Roadster 4 is easy as can be. The lack of oscillations is great for the beginner pilot as it flies itself on final. The flare is powerful and it never gives up at the end. Exactly what you would expect from a glider like this.

If you are transitioning from a Mojo or Moxie, be prepared for more power in the flare. You may have a tendency to over flare in the beginning.

All of my landings were done at the suggested neutral position and stock brake length. There was plenty of travel to get a powerful flare, but you also do not have to worry about hitting the stall point if you fully bury the brakes.

Trike Use

I did not have an opportunity to test the Roadster 4 on my trike, however, I believe it would perform very well. The symmetrical inflations, straight tracking, and maneuverability would make this a very fun and easy trike wing.

Free Flight Use

The Roadster can be used in a free flight environment, but I would say it is not the most ideal choice. Something like the Kona is more purpose built for that environment. If you do any freeflying on the Roadster, it is recommended that you pull the trims all the way in to the slow position to achieve the best safety and minimum sink rate.

Advanced Skills

The Roadster is really a great platform to learn wingovers on. A lot of pilots want to jump on a more advanced glider before they can fully handle something like the Roadster. I would encourage every new pilot to get really good at wingovers on the Roadster first. It will keep you safe and teach you the skills you need to handle the more advanced gliders.

Cons

It is honestly tough to pick out cons. I mentioned that it feels like the glider sits slightly past directly overhead. I can see how this might trip up a newer pilot. You may need to add a touch more brake than you’re used to while launching in higher winds to keep the glider from overflying. I do not like that the Easy Bags are no longer included. I think every pilot uses an Easy Bag so it is just an item that increases the overall cost.

Conclusion

The Roadster is a very well rounded, versatile glider. The biggest improvements I noticed were the handling and passive safety. I am sure the Roadster will continue to be one of the most popular gliders in Ozone’s lineup and I will continue to recommend it for students that have just completed training.

Roadster 4 Official Review