IMI Top Line Wing Wheel vs SoaringXX Wing-Walker

[Steve Minar]

I need to replace a wing wheel for my ASW27B.

I'm considering the IMI Top Line and the SoaringXX Wing-Walker.

I've seen the IMI Top Line in person, but haven't used their swiveling/shock absorbing version. I've not seen the SoaringXX Wing-Walker in person.

Would love to hear from those with hands on experience before taking the plunge.

Thanks,

Steve

[Cliff Hilty]

I own a IMI top line and its very fuctional and can lock or swivel. Its heavy which is good for the ballasted glider wing but bad for the line crew. I have an older asw one that doesnt swivel that I use as well. Undecided on which I like better but the swiveling is really nice. 

Cliff

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[Richard Pfiffner]

The Soaring XX Wing Wheel works well is reasonably priced, swivels, is adjustable and folds nicely.

https://www.craggyaero.com/ground_handling.htm

Richard

www.craggyaero.com

[christopher behm]

I also have a Soaring XX wing wheel that swivels and has that spring. I like it, no complaints at all. 

Regards,

Chris Behm 

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From: rasp...@googlegroups.com <rasp...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Richard Pfiffner <hand...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 4:07:25 PM
To: RAS_Prime <rasp...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [RAS_Prime] IMI Top Line Wing Wheel vs SoaringXX Wing-Walker

 

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[Pat Jordan]

I’ll echo the kudos for the SoaringXX Wing Wheel. Well constructed and functional. 

[Ryszard Krolikowski]

Same here with XX.

Ryszard

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[krasw]

I have used 2 years SoaringXX wing wheel (metal version).

- Reasonable price for build quality, which seems to be excellent.

- I love the swiveling wheel, track perfect always.

- Metal version is heavy enough to keep wheel on the ground even in windy conditions.

- Height is perfect, wings are level and there is no need for wing stand during ballasting.

- Folds easily.

- The location of the part that grabs wing leading edge does not fit LS8 wing at all, it sits way too low. I do not understand what kind of wing shape the wheel is designed for, LS8 profile is hardly exotic. I guess this could be modified with moderate violence. 

- I absolutely hate the fabric straps. They are fine for skiing boots, not for a wing walker. IMI seems to have proper metal hardware.

Hope this helps. 

[Matthew Scutter]

I have a SoaringXX and it works well.

I have not found the mythical universal wing that universal wing walkers fit, I have always sculpted a little bit of yoga mat foam in with contact adhesive to get a perfect shape.

I like to put some foam on the trailing edge too so if something goes really wrong I have a safety blanket for the aileron from the latches.

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[Armand Charbonneau]

I bought the IMI Top Line for my Ventus 2c and now use it on my Ventus 3M.  I recently bought a SoaringXX wing wheel for our Club Discus CS.  I prefer the IMI unit for the following reaseons:

The IMI unit is easy to lock/unlock.  I cannot figure out how to lock the Soaring XX wheel.  Unlocked, it is difficult to push the glider forward

The IMI unit fits and locks well on both Ventus wings.  The locks are secure metel latches  The SoaringXX unit fits less well on the Discus.  Most crucially, the SoaringXX unit has very short plastic strips for the locking mechanism making it difficult to lock and I expect they will break soon.

If SoaringXX improves the latching mechanism and I can figure out how to lock the rotation and get the right wing fit, it would be fine.  Otherwise, if buying another wing dolley, I would spring the extra bucks for the IMI unit.

[SoaringXX]

Hi everyone,

Toni here — owner and manufacturer at SoaringXX.
First of all, thank you to everyone for the kind words and positive feedback!

About our Wingwalkers:
We were the first to develop a 360° rotating wingwalker — unfortunately, it was copied about two years later. Despite that, we keep improving and optimizing our design. Since this is a niche market, we can’t produce in large series, but every piece is built with passion and precision.

As a glider pilot myself, I create these products first and foremost out of love for soaring, while keeping them as affordable as possible. That’s why we offer two versions:

• Aluminum – more budget-friendly, about 1 kg heavier.

• Epoxy – lighter, more premium in finish and look.

Both perform equally well.

Locking mechanism:
We prefer using helmet-style plastic straps, which are easy to replace after a few years and much safer for your ailerons. (Plastic simply can’t scratch.)
For those who prefer, we also have a metal locking version, although we don’t advertise it much. 😉

New release:
Just a week ago, we introduced our newest innovation – a Wingwalker that’s completely AILERON/FLAP-FREE — no rear attachment needed!
Currently available for speed-profile gliders such as JS3, Discus 2, Ventus 2, ASG, and similar.
If you’re interested, feel free to send us an email.
Hopefully, we won’t be copied too quickly this time. 😅

Thanks again for your support and for flying with our equipment!

Best regards,
Toni

[Armand Charbonneau]

Toni, the SoaringXX wing wheel is good quality.  Thanks for pointing out the Helmet straps are easy to replace.  We may just need to get some longer ones.  Also, is there a way to lock the wheel from rotation?

Armand Charbonneau

469-236-8224

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[Steve Minar]

Thanks for the great input everyone. Greatly appreciated!

I have been impressed with the offerings of both IMI and SoaringXX. IMI gear seems more common in my region, but I have a couple of SoaringXX wing stands which I really like. A few of our locals have IMI wing wheels, at least one has the Top Line version. The owner with the Top Line version wasn’t super positive about his experience with it and went back to using an older wing wheel. I can’t recall the specifics that led him to do so and he’s out of the country at the moment. I believe he wasn’t super happy with the profile fit and the extra care required to manage the metal latches to ensure no damage to the glider. Latch management isn’t a problem for a careful owner, but is a worry with ground crew. I helped him launch a few times and didn’t find it difficult to manage the latches. It was simple to lock the latches in the open position such that the buckle was out of the way and less of a scratch and dent threat.

With the wing wheel that I currently have, I feel a need to be REALLY careful about exact position on the wing in order to avoid aileron damage. I’m looking forward to a solution that’s safer and more forgiving.

I suspect either of these would work fine, but I’m leaning towards the SoaringXX solution and look forward to learning more about the new aileron/flap-free model.

Crazy idea, but I’m wondering if there’s a way to utilize the wing wheel as part of a tie down solution. I’m still wrestling with good ways to tie down the ASW27B and like the idea of using the wing cradle to attach a tie down rope. Perhaps folding the wheel up and using a wing stand alongside the wing walker would be a suitable solution. I do see that SoaringXX offers a wing tie down cradle that appears to be the wing walker without the wheel. Mulling options…

Best,

Steve

[SoaringXX]

Hi,

Apologies for the late reply.
Yes, we’ve also added an option to lock it, but honestly, I don’t see much advantage in doing so — in fact, I see a lot of potential issues.

We’ve had a similar experience with our tail dollies that have suspension and directional locks: about one in ten customers forgets to unlock them, which often results in damage to either the tail dolly or the entire suspension system when towing the glider with a car. I believe the same problem could occur with the wingwalker.

Best regards,
Toni

[John DeRosa]

My research and thoughts about the three wing wheels I know of.  

Sorted by price.  Let me know of any other comments, pros, and cons.

- John (OHM)

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Manufacturer: Cobra (I owned)

Cost*: ~$445

Seller: Cobra - https://shop.cobratrailer.com/epages/COBRA-Shop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/COBRA-Shop/Products/29

Weight: 13.2 lbs / 6.0 kg

Construction: Aluminum and fiberglass.

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Pros: Lightest.  Least expensive (from $250 to $404 less). Folds nicely.  Secure metal wing latching mechanism.  

Middle Ground: Weak fiberglass cradle (broke on mine and had to repair).

Cons: Non-castering tire can "scrub" on pavement if not perfectly aligned with wing possibly damaging the wing.  Need to add extra weight to prevent wind guests allowing the wing to rise (I saw this happen at an event which caused the opposite wing to hit a runway light which swung the tail around into the tow vehicle which broke the horizontal and vertical stab).

========================================

Manufacturer: SOARINGXX (Friend owns)

Cost*: ~$695

Seller: Craggy Aero - https://www.craggyaero.com/ground_handling.htm

Construction: Aluminum and fiberglass

Weight: 26.5 lbs / 12.0 kg

----------------

Pros:  Casters. Folds nicely.

Middle Ground:  Cannot lock caster.  Non-metal wing latching mechanism.

Cons: Heaviest. Cost.

========================================

Manufacturer: IMI (I own)

Cost*: ~$849

Seller: Wings and Wheels - https://wingsandwheels.com/imi-wing-wheel-basic.html).

Construction: Steel, aluminum and fiberglass

Weight: 24.3 lbs / 11.0 kg (I weighed mine)

----------------

Pros: Castering locks/unlocks (IMHO: why would you lock it?).  Folds nicely.  Secure metal wing locking mechanism.

Middle Ground: Uses heavy (but strong) steel components.  Castering locking mechanism can be "fiddly".  Cumbersome to drag around the flight line when uncollapsed, and castering (I helped this issue by adding two simple "modifications" shown below - then locking the caster and collapsing it).

Cons: Costliest. Heavy.

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-.  

* Cost from retailer's web site not including shipping, taxes, and possible tariffs. 

- John (OHM)

==========================================

Modifications to my IMI Wing Wheel ...

1) Handle (Kayak) on upper steel bar.

2) 1" Velcro Strap from lower steel bar to capture the collapsed wheel.

[christopher behm]

Hi John. 

One "pro" not mentioned for the SoaringXX unit, that i have come to appreciate, is the smaller diameter wheel and tire. 

It takes up less space in my trailers' front box, making things noteably less crowded. 

Also, the tire is not pneumatic. And that's a plus also. Where I fly, the fields have these "thornhead" spikes which will quickly flatten a bicycle tire and tube, and also flattened my tail dolly tube. The tire on the SoaringXX can't get a flat. Yay. 

The SoaringXX unit is also available from Paul at Cumulus Soaring as well as Craigy.

Kind regards, 

Chris 304DD

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From: rasp...@googlegroups.com <rasp...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of John DeRosa <jhde...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2025 3:17:11 PM
To: RAS_Prime <rasp...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [RAS_Prime] Re: IMI Top Line Wing Wheel vs SoaringXX Wing-Walker

 

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[Pat Jordan]

I would add that SoaringXX has great support.  I had a question about adjustments and Toni responded immediately with instructions and pictures.

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[Ryszard Krolikowski]

I like to have on my  XX plastic  latches.

Metal latches scratch delicate flaperons.

Ryszard

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[krasw]

On Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 9:12:32 AM UTC+3 Matthew Scutter wrote:

I have a SoaringXX and it works well.

I have not found the mythical universal wing that universal wing walkers fit

Happy to report the mythical profile has been found, I believe this is the less known Boermans banana-series laminar profile: 

 

[Steve Minar]

Just wanted to reach out and say thanks to all of the thoughtful responses.

I'm going with the SoaringXX offering. After I get some experience using it, I'll reply back here with my impressions.

Steve