The current weight of the Defiant is the only thing holding me back from getting one. I currently have a Nitro 200 specifically because of the weight, 49 lbs with reserve in side pocket. Reducing the Defiants weight by 2 lbs will still make it to heavy for us old guys that have been flying for 20 years and weight means a lot.
If you’re curious, find a place that will offer an introductory flight whether it’s just a glide or a tandem flight. They exist at a reasonable fee and you can then determine if it’s for you. I did this 1.5 years ago and currently I’m in training along with my son in Lake Wales. Recreation like this can be life enhancing.
You know while paramotors that you have are great what I appreciated about this video and I'm sure many will chime in his that you did not bash other instructors or other equipment you simply stated what your preference was and the features that each one had that you are appreciated. It's hard to find a paramotor video nowadays like yours I really appreciate that fact alone. There was no yelling or carrying on about other equipment that was perfect thank you
Thanks for sharing the Gravity Paramotor with us. I was stationed in El Paso so when you mentioned the Franklin Mountains I got excited. I found out about paramotors a couple years ago and I would say that the Gravity is the leading candidate to get my money. I even chatted with someone there on Facebook for a little while today and had a good conversation. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. I would love to see you fly through the mountains between Hatch and Silver City. I used to ride my bike out there a lot when I was stationed at Bliss.
That Weight is a real deal breaker, I weigh 165 and have a Power to Fly LOF with Atom80 and a Top80 and they have plenty of power for me, once you get use to 42 pound Paramotors, you never want one of those heavy beasts on your back again, Nice honest review of both units, Thanks
Hearty video my man! Having just entered the sport, I put in ridiculous amounts of consideration and research on both of these frames. I did get the defiant primarily for cost consideration and secondly for quality/support included in that cost. Super happy I got the defiant as a beginner, there were two moments where I would have certainly bent my Maverick frame. Instead, I have a frame that doesn't bend under 115 kilos of weight.
@@macflyguy5166 I do like the swing arms themselves coming from paragliding. The integrity of the fixture is a concern though as your flight is dependent on this single bolt holding. I checked them before every flight to ensure they are firm. I intend to put a line of fingernail polish across them to ensure they aren't loosening on me. So far so good.
Thanks brother! I seriously look forward to reading your comments. You say you've had two incidents... I had so many. I like my Maverick a lot, but it has looked HORRIBLE after wrecks. 😂 I had to ordered many new parts that broke.
I'll tell you what Anthony....The Maverick has it's swing arms built integral with the frame. If the allen bolt that holds those swingarms on come loose or fails the swingarm should still stay on the frame in it location and your stay flying and safe...Now with the Gravity defiant, if that fixture fails, your going into a spiral!!! Just an observation from watching the video. I have not seen nthe Gravity defiant upclose to discern clearly how well those swingarms are installed. But one thing I know is you don't want the swing arms to fall off or come adrift in any way. I might be totally wrong but have 60 hours on a Mav and was reassured by that feature. Otherwise they are both great units. The hoop on the Gravity defiant and built in fuel tank are great features.. Great video as always Sandy
Don't know if the Gravity has a safety strap in case the arm does come loose. Didn't see it in the video. I think most paramotors have it. Mark Huneycutt did a hang test with a loose arm. I know every system is different but in his case, it didn't seem it would be unrecoverable. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2vB7KCqLTcY.html
If you go to the gravity youtube channel, they have some videos how the swing-arm is attached, it is a multiple redundancy system with a strap and a bolt pin with lock. They also posted a video where they stress tested it under load, and it seems that it is definitely not going to be the fail point. As long as you attached and locked the pin with the strap it should not be something you should have to ever worry about from what I have seen.
I always look forward to reading you're sincere comments, Sandy! I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous. Unlike most paramotor pilots, I am quick to admit that I get super anxious while flying. Like, PIT-IN-MY-STOMACH scared. I do not believe there will ever be an instance where one of the swing arms will come out of the Defiant unintentionally. God forbid it were to, the strap will keep the arm attached. I don't think the glider will enter a spiral; Perhaps a turn, but it will be controllable. To be fair, I do not know for certain. Seriously appreciate your comments, Sandy!
I have a Maverick and it is my second one. I love this unit so much and it is my perfect cross country machine. You mentioned about a 17 liters tank. However, mine has a 25 liters tank. There is a guy in South Africa that produce the 25 L tank and it is really made solid and high Quality.
"Mmmmm.... It's that good!" LMAO, your a trip bro! Great vid btw.... Leaning towards the Defiant but was surprised to see it's 7lbs. heavier and looks so much lighter
i'm leaning towards the Gravity due to being in the U.S.A. and being able to get parts if needed. i need to complete my training that i started and will most likely need to get a recap on everything i was shown from the first trip. The weight might be an issue, not sure. I guess i need to get some experience before spending the $$$. Great videos and congrats on the lifestyle man!
@Anthony Vella I'm a bit confused. You and Mitch both are saying the Defiant costs around $5500, But on their site the bare bones is $5899 and that's with the 185 Silent. In this video you reference yours as if we will be able to get that setup for $5500. The 185 Plus, Custom Gravity EVO Harness, and ACS/DFS Flight System are ALL upgrades and bring the total to $6948. That's now back up in the more expensive range. Your sacrificing ALOT to get down to even the base price of $5899. Wasn't sure you were aware was all as is seems you and Mitch are saying we can get an almost identical machine to what you have for $5500 but its actually $6948 (Without tax and shipping). Love your guys videos though keep em coming!!
Hey Anthony. Great name, BTW. It was $5500 with the Moster silent. I’m not sure if it still is because I don’t work for Gravity. The numbers were the cost of the base models at the time that I was putting the video together. In the video, I also mentioned the base cost of the Maverick. I have a few upgrades in it, like the xl tank and carbon fiber air box. I totally get your comment though. I will do my best to clear up any price changes in an upcoming video. Once again, great name. Lol
I count to 3 when I refuel my motor ever since taking a 2 stroke bath when standing up with the cap off. 1 - cap off motor 2 - cap off fuel can 3 - open fuel can vent Count to 3 twice and theoretically you won’t miss it. had to wash my coat 4 times to get the smell out. Would love to try that puck system some day, looks interesting.
Please find a super light trike that comes ready to go, that will not roll over, that will break down tiny for transport-- with your favourite engine and a super safe glider. I´m too old to run around with a motor fuming away and i ´m tired of bad reviews too ! Very good videos your videos :-) And please never forget that old pilots like myself do not care for acrobatics or taking any dumb risks, just the beauty of flight that´s why/how we get to be old.
I went with the Skymax Star. It has a soft odorless fuel bladder allowing me to keep it in the living room or transport it in the back seat of a car, 15l standard. Titanium hoop and spars with aluminum mid section that they offer annodized. 5 minute fold up time ( spars, netting, prop). With a 6k price tag. And just over 40 lbs with an atom.
I must admit a five point harness safety exceeds a 4 point harness. A friend of mine had an engine failure and did a heavy landing in rough country. The frame stopped and he slid forward. Yes his harness was loose, a four point and had a secondary strap across his chest but he ended up over stretching his neck and broke his coccyx . They said if he’d hit the ground any faster he would have broken his neck and spinal damage.if it had been five point, he would not have had such a severe injury that took four months in hospital to recover. Unfortunately his body took the impact, not the frame.
@@AnthonyVella im currently looking to get trained by March 2021.....I found your Gravity reviews and after a unhealthy amount of research I am strongly leaning in the Gravity direction....ive heard you will change ur mind after flying many types of machines ...anyone recommend a good east coast training facility?
not sure if you'll see this comment, but today literally I got an interest getting into a new hobby, Paramotor flying, looking into something thats not to expensive id say my budget is under 10k, not knowing absolutely anything about this hobby my question is, is schooling important to attend to be trained? how did you learn how to fly?
Ya, the mav has one big issue for me. The netting is crap! Secondly the hoop is soft. On the gravity, i don't like that the tank makes contact with the ground as a foot, I don't like the "engineered play" that's in the swing arms, but I do really like the spars and swing arms. The cnc pattern and shape makes them look very sexy.
One thing that could be interesting to get your opinion on is the arm rail system since it is something that you pay extra for, how much is the weight shift affected as it is pushed out, and do you feel less twist due to the lines being pushed out further, aside from just fitting larger individuals what are some of the reason you decided to pay the extra bit to get the adjustable rails instead of the fixed ones. Great videos as always. 👍
You seemed to be critical of how the Maverick fared in your crash. In the interests of making a fair comparison, please can you stuff the gravity into the ground and see how well it fares? Thanks
Is it fair to ask me to crash a paramotor? Obviously, it’s be ideal to have data for both. However, the component that was compromised on the Maverick was the hoop section because of the material it was made of. I agree that it’d be most fair to have data for both, but I’m sure you can understand why I’d include information that I have available for the viewers.
I’m very happy to hear you don’t want me to crash. Stick around on this channel long enough and I’ll likely have a comparable mishap with my Gravity Paramotor. Haha. I will report the damage at that time.
Tricky tricky tricky! Haha. Both are awesome. I’d get the Defiant and a Hadron 3 for the cost of the Maverick. I may or may not get a tiny discount on Dudek gliders... let me know if I can get you both for the same cost as the Maverick. Lol. Bold statement... may not be possible. Might be though! 😂
Man torn between the defiant and an x4, both units require assembly. I wish I could see swing arm failure tests on the x4. You NEED to get your hands on an x4 yo
I'd love to look into the x4. Definitely weigh all options! I really love Defiant, so if you're considering it, it wouldn't disappoint. Thank's for chiming in dude.
Thumbs up! I like the breakdown Anthony... Well done and edited. It did seem however that your mic on this video was a bit too close and loud. (I could hear the gleeks..lol). I fly a 130 eprop on my maverick no problem. The maverick also now comes with the newer better riser clips. Love the dudek harness much more than the flattop or sky angel harness but I do miss the single point disconnect for water landings... of which i have used before ;-). (I like your "big boys" comment)
People say you shouldn’t buy equipment before training but that’s exactly what I plan on doing, I can’t afford everything all at once, and I don’t want to train and wait months and months and months, which one of these two would you suggest to a noob?
I like the way you think! The engine is what I care most about. Both of these paramotors cost the same amount. The harness is the next important part. Both have great harnesses. The Defiant is stronger than the Maverick so its better for a noob in that sense. The Maverick is a few pounds lighter, but I honestly don’t notice the difference between my paramotors. Gravity is a veteran owned American business; may not be cool to some, but I like to support vet owned businesses. They’re both fantastic. One cost $3000 less. If it were me, I would get the Gravity Defiant, but you’d certainly love either. Hope this helps!!! 😁
On the other hand there’s plenty of fun to be had with just a wing. Kiting is a therapeutic challenge that can grow. Some schools allow payment plans for training and gear. More important, don’t be too impatient. This sport involves altitude, spinning blades, and plenty of money which means mistakes can be costly in many ways. Check out some of Tucker Gott’s crash videos explained so you can see soberly how frequent and serious mishaps can be.
Hey Anthony, I'm just about buying Maverick and they're including free travel bag and a 17L gas tank upgrade. I know it's $3,000 more but I don't know why I have this gut feeling that's the way to go.
This was a great video, liked it a lot. Does the paramotor come as a kit or assembled? I am currently going to buy a motor and trying to make up my mind between the defiant and the Evo Rebel 2RS
Nice video 👍 gotta say after flying with a heavier unit 7lbs is a huge difference. It's like a nill wind launch with 5litres of fuel or 10ltrs. The maverick is built like no other paramotor. Attention to detail is amazing. All hand welded titanium. It's made to be light and small. That costs money. Its delivered ready to go and the after care is fantastic. I had crack in exhaust and the throttle had an issue. Both where sorted with 1 phone call and had the parts in a few days!! Any issues you just contact them and they are more than happy to go through it with you. I dont think you can compare it to a home built alternative. Also who really flies with more than 10 litres ? 5-6 is plenty for an hour or so?
Thank you. That Maverick does have very nice welds! On topic of weight, it's worth mentioning that the Gravity Defiant can be configured in a way that brings the weight down to even less than the Maverick. I would assume that the Scout Carbon is built like no other paramotor. Only teasing, Rick! I love the Parajet Maverick. I like mine. I simply could not justify spending thousands more for something that does the same exact thing.
@@AnthonyVella yer see where your coming from, but just cant see who its aimed at? Not like it's a kit car, this is an aircraft and there is enough going on up there than to be worrying if you built it right just as you drop into a big wing over!! Bad enough flying just after replacing an engine part!!! Gotta say your flying is looking sweet, it's the flow through your manoeuvres, 👍👌👌
Great videos, I just found you on RU-vid and I enjoying your content very much. So I am new to this hobby. So New infact that I am not flying yet! LOL.. But I have paid for my schooling and will be going to learn to fly with Aviator in August! I am SUPER EXCITED!! I do have a concern regarding the Gravity Defiant and that is using a plastic as the main structural component of the paramotor. Not only that but the fact that the plastic also houses the gasoline. I would like to understand more about the strength of the plastic compared to steel or titanium. I would also like to know what effect gasoline will have chemically speaking on the long term integrity of the plastic. Lastly, will the frame accept other motors? Could I put a Polini 250 Thor on it? Thanks for the great videos! Keep up the good work!!!!
i currently fly rc airplanes ... im 57 and im really thinking of taking up the hobby , but im worried about my own safety ,, ie injuries affecting geting to work etc ... the sport really seems fun .... but my concerns are my problem ... cheers mark ...
Anthony, very informative! Nice review...you hit all the spots I'm most interested in. I would go with the Maverick because of the Dudek harness and lighter weight (bad back) 7 pounds means a lot.
Bad back?...I've been holding off because I've been recovering from exploded disc. Been 2 years and I don't think ots gona get much better. Been wondering how hard it is on your back...flying...landing...taking off...etc. driving hurts me after 30 mins..tho I still do drive 3-6 hrs when I have to. Just isn't fun
I am 6"1 260 lbs, Would either be expectable? I just started looking for a unit. I realize I would need a larger shoot than you but is the motor big enough for me? What would you suggest? Are you in AZ? @Anthony Vella
I would be leaning toward the Defiant, but the weight is an issue for me. I'm still hoping to get an electric paramotor. Got to find them first, and see how much they really weigh. On an E start, do they also have a pull start.
I've actually put some thought into this. Very rough brainstorming: Use a capped hose extension from the tank to allow for in-flight manipulation. The support pilot will lower a bladder that can be detached/reattached to the weighted line. Simple, minimize risk. Now good luck with weather, fatigue...
@@wardified8566 Tucker did an air to air refuel during his 2019 Iceland trip. But for that they had to fly in formation for about 5 minutes to let all the fuel drain to him.
Hi Anthony, really a nice and informative video. As I did not find a diameter of the Defiant or other technical data: Can you provide such information? Greetings from Germany, Marc
That one seems really cool too! I feel really good about buying the Defiant. If I put my Dudek Power Comfort Seat on it, it will be perfect for me. I heard they will have it as an option starting next year.
@@AnthonyVella Mitch G did a good review on the Defiant and he doesn't seem to mind the SupAir (is that what it's called) harness. (I can just imagine the spy jokes when you get an actual Russian as a guest on the podcast)
I agree. They upped the price Way more than 1K ! Sorry guys... That's just too much too soon! I think they are getting big enough to be a bit greedy. The package with the dudeck seat and the 185 was attractive to me; but I'm over it after seeing the price jump and the harness being dropped.
Have they made any improvements to the Gravity Defiant since this video was made? Any updates we should know about? (I think it was Anthony that mentioned they were going to make the giel tank less thick to save more weight since some of the early ones were overly thick. Did they ever do that?)
Anthony, I am considering the Defiant because of the cost but wonder if you could install a Dudek Power Comfort quick-release harness sold by Andrew Fuller? I also wish the Gravity web site wasn't such a POS. Thanks for the continued review of this product.
Their website definitely needs work! 😂 Looks great, but doesn't function well. Fortunately, the Defiant kicks ass. I feel confident that it'll be a good site sooner than later. I think they're up to their necks in orders. My understanding is that they will have the Dudek Power Comfort Seat available in 2021. If Andrew can hook in up in the meantime, DO IT! Andrews is CRAZY smart. I appreciate the comment bud! 😁
Hi Anthony, I’m planning of getting into paramotoring. Can u advise the appropriate paramotor and wing for me? I have zero hour, around 177 lbs weight and 5’8” height. Is there a paramtotor & wing that is good for a beginner single person and is also able to be used on tandem flights? Thanks in advance.
You mention loving the Moster Plus, but you don't mention them in comparison to other motors you have flown. Have you flown other motors? What was it like to try to "comparison shop" before settling on a motor?
When you can clearly see that the majority of individuals are purchasing a Moster 185, it speaks volumes. Granted, people should still do their research on other brands. To put it into perspective, there wasn’t anyone locally with a functioning non-Moster engine to show in this video. I’ve flown air conception engines, and I spoken on that in a different video on a different paramotor with a different engine. I’ve also flown Corsair engines. I get why people want the Moster 185. For me, it’s the power and long-standing reputation for being relatively reliable.
@@AnthonyVella I appreciate the detailed reply, thank you! Have you had the chance to play with other frames as well? I hear a lot about the Defy, but also the Scout I'm also curious about the torque compensation the Scout has and wonder if other manufacturers have torque compensation designs that are worth looking at, and how the Defy, Parajet, and others that don't have clear torque compensation systems handle. It's clear you can have just as good a time without torque compensation built into a frame, so is likely more just about increasing fine control at the cost of weight. Curious to know if you have had the chance to do comparisons in this space. I really enjoy your measured and detailed approach in your videos, thank you!
It appears that the Gravity costs an extra $500 for the adjustable swingarms shown in this video. And the harness you get for $5500 is a very odd 'split' harness that I'm unfamiliar with, so add another $500 for Dudek harness.
I don’t think that’s correct. The paramotor comes with the supair harness shown in the video. The swing arms that come with paramotor are adjustable. They can be widened or narrowed. The part that costs extra is the horizontal movement component that are referred to as pucks. If I’m not mistaken, mine cost $60 more... I’ll have to check.
@@AnthonyVella I got the info from Glidersports.com ... Base Model Specs: Apco Split Leg Harness (S-M, L-XL) Basic torque offset with goose-neck swing arms. Upgrades Available: Harness Options Patented Adaptive Comfort System, borrowed from the Defy Patented Dynamic Flight System, borrowed from the Defy "Adaptive Comfort System Adjustable swing arm width 15.5 - 20″ $499.00
Wondering which paramotors have you reclined back in level flight, and which paramotors have you sitting more upright in level flight. I think you said in a recent video that the Scout Carbon has a reclined seat position in level flight. I prefer a more upright seating position. Not sure which machines sit more upright. Thx Anthony.
Hi Mike! I’ve never flown the Scout Carbon so I couldn’t tell you. I’m definitely sitting upright on my Defiant though. I prefer to be upright as well though.
I weigh something like 145 lbs. Once Gravity reduces the weight a bit more, I’m totally sold! Aren’t they working on reducing the weight of their moldings to bring the total empty weight to 55 lbs.
@@AnthonyVella Thanks Anthony. Their videos are helpful but sometimes I get information about their product from your videos that I don’t get from their website or their own videos. Super helpful. Thanks!
