Steven Pearson <<Steve>>
writes:

The Alpha is a new model that looks like a lower aspect ratio
Falcon (less wing span, more area), and is intended for flight schools and for
pilots who value light weight, convenience, slow flying and easy take-off and
landing above other performance attributes. The Alpha 180 has about the same
span as a Falcon 4 145 but more area than a Falcon 4 170.

The Alpha 210 has about the same span as a Falcon 4 170, but more area than a
Falcon 4 195. The Alpha 180 uses the same size control bar as the Falcon 4 145,
and the Alpha 210 uses a control bar size between that of the Falcon 4 170 and
Falcon 4 195.

The Alphas fly very slowly, and are very docile and easy in handling, take-off
and landing, and yet they have exceptionally good soaring performance – better
in fact in very light lift and small thermals than a Falcon. Unlike the Condor,
the Alpha is a fully airworthy, utility class glider, and can be sold to new
students or experienced pilots.

The Alpha will be a better first purchase glider for most new pilots than a
Falcon, and almost as easy for first training flights as a Condor. In some ways
they will be easier – because they are smaller gliders, they are easier to
ground handle if there is wind.

Their launching speed will probably not be quite as slow as the Condor, but it
will be very close. The minimum flying speed on the Alpha 180 is within 1 mph of
that of the Condor 225, and the minimum flying speed on the Alpha 210 is within
1 mph of that of the Condor 330, and almost 2mph slower than that of the Condor
225.

Since the Condor is only approved for flight within a few feet of the ground,
anyone who is going to progress beyond the first day of training will need to be
able to adapt to launching something other than the Condor, and the Alpha is, by
far, the easiest next step, and quite a bit easier in every respect than a
Falcon.

The video
here.