Triox 2 Review

What is the Triox 2?

The Triox 2 is a purpose built tandem trike glider. It has a massive weight range, winglets for stability, and a reflex profile with a large trim range that is perfect for covering a lot of ground.

Who is the Triox 2 for?

If you are looking for a glider to match with your tandem trike, look no further than the Triox 2. This glider is fast. It will keep up with or pass heavily loaded Freerides at the neutral trim setting. This means you can take your tandem passenger for actual long distance flights and not just laps around the LZ. It is a little power hungry so it is best to fly it on a larger displacement motor. If you are looking for a slower, more efficient option, the MagMax 3 would be a better fit.

Price, Colors, Options, and Sizing

For a tandem glider, the Triox 2 is actually pretty affordable. The 35m is $4,800, the 38m is $4,900, and the 41m is $5,000. It comes in three colors with the updated Ozone scheme. All of which have a white bottom skin, but you can have a colored bottom skin if you choose to do custom colors for $250 extra. There are no special options.

There is so much variability with sizing this glider as you can use it on a number of different trikes, flown solo or tandem, and with a variety of tandem passenger weights. As you may expect, the efficiency improves and the handling deteriorates towards the bottom of the weight range. At the top of the weight range, the handling is much more dynamic but it does become more power hungry.

Risers, Lines, and Cells

The risers on the Triox 2 are a little busy but extremely well built. It uses a 4 liner system with a reflex profile. New for the second version, Ozone has incorporated 2D steering with a TST handle. This is a huge improvement as the 2D steering makes handling more effortless but you can also still grab the TST handle to make convenient course corrections. The trim range is long on this glider and they use the nice roller trims. There is a lower red line to denote the neutral take off position and an upper red line to denote when you are no longer allowed to use the main brake. The As have an attachment point for A assist which is super convenient on a trike. There is no speed bar, as this is a trike specific wing. 

The toggles are large with two different grip positions. I will normally use a normal grip on the bottom of the toggle for launch. Then you can transition to the upper grip which gives you more authority.

The lines are unsheated and extremely beefy. They have certified this glider to 8Gs which is awesome. It is great to have peace of mind while flying with a passenger.

The Triox 2 has a flat aspect ratio of 5.1 and a cell count of 48. It uses shark nose technology and a pretty aggressive reflex profile.

The winglets were a very welcome addition for this glider. I never had oscillation issues with the original Triox, but the second version definitely has better tracking. This is ideal for flying with a passenger. You can confidently fly hands off and stress free.

Inflation and Launch

The inflation on the Triox 2 is predictable but not super fast. The only time I have had issues is while flying with a smaller power plant (Moster 185) with a passenger and in no wind. Once I upgraded to the 303, I have no trouble with inflations. It just needs sufficient power to pull up such a large glider.

The inflations are typically symmetrical with no tendency to overshoot. The winglets keep it super stable during the taxi phase. Because this glider is pretty quick, I like to ease up on the brake pressure as I accelerate on take off. Once you feel your speed increase, I then get back into the brake pressure for a smooth liftoff.

In Flight Handling

The handling was one of the biggest improvements on the second version of the Triox. Adding the 2D steering really reduced the required brake pressure and improved the roll authority. In flight, it feels similar to a Sirocco or Speedster with tip steering in terms of handling. As this is a tandem reflex glider, the brake pressure is still pretty strong. I did notice a significant increase in efficiency in the second version as well. Obviously, handling and efficiency will be very dependent on your wing loading. I do notice that the climb rate and efficiency goes down at the top of the weight range. If you plan to fly it at the top of the weight range, I would make sure you have enough power. Something like a Polini 303, Cosmos, or bigger.

The speed range is phenomenal. As long as you have the power, trimming out gives you a huge increase in speed. Using the TST handles at the bottom of the risers makes course correction super easy.

Fuel burn on my 303 has been very reasonable. I get about 4l/hr while flying at the neutral trim setting.

Safety and Collapses

In turbulence, the Triox 2 is rock solid. It almost feels like flying a rigid wing, especially when loaded heavily. It doesn’t want to oscillate and just plows through turbulence.

Landing

When loaded heavily, the Triox 2 likes to dive and come in hot. The brake range is still super deep so you can get it slowed down easily. The stability of this glider really makes all aspects of flight stress free. Touch and goes are a pleasure to do even with a passenger.

Trike Use

Obviously.

Free Flight Use

I wouldn’t.

Advanced Skills

When flying on a trike, especially a tandem trike, I don’t like doing big wing overs. I will normally keep it to half of the glider below the horizon, but that’s just my personal preference for tandem flights. I have seen people doing tandem trike barrel rolls on the Triox 2 which is super impressive.

Cons

The only con would be how power hungry this glider is at the top of the weight range. I originally was flying my Triox 1 with a Moster 185, but felt like I wanted more power. It is doable for light trikes and light passengers, but if you want to get the most out of this glider, I would suggest a bigger motor.

Conclusion

If you need a fast, strong, well mannered tandem trike glider, the Triox 2 is for you. With tandem trikes gaining popularity in the past few years, I am very grateful Ozone designed a glider specifically for this purpose.

Triox 1 First Impressions