Dispatch Protocol/ Delivery Contains... Piece Check Inner Pack Sack Compression Band Accelerator Pack Sack Manual Questionnaire T- Shirt Sticker

....................... Date

................................ Signature

Manual ICARO NIKITA 2 Version: 1.01 – D, Stand: 1.01.2008 © Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders

All technical data and instructions in this manual were drawn up with great care. The company Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders cannot be made legally responsible for any possible errors in this manual.

Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders Hochriesstraße 1, 83126 Flintsbach, Germany

Telefon: +49-(0) 8034-909 700 Email: [email protected]

Fax: +49-(0) 8034-909 701

Web: http://www.icaro-wings.com

Contents I. YOUR NIKITA.................................................................................................................10 CHARACTERISTICS OF NIKITA.............................................................................................10 TECHNICAL DATA ................................................................................................................10 LINE MATERIAL / LINE STRENGTHS ......................................................................................11 CANOPY MATERIAL (SAIL CLOTH)........................................................................................11 GENERAL TESTING - BREITENERPROBUNG (BEP)..........................................................11 LEGAL POSITION OF FLYING ACRO.......................................................................................12 HARNESS ............................................................................................................................13 II. FLIGHT TIPS ................................................................................................................13 MATERIAL CHECK ...............................................................................................................13 FLYING WITH NIKITA...........................................................................................................13 FLYING USING WEIGHT SHIFT AND BRAKE APPLICATION ......................................................14 ACCELERATION (USING SPEED SYSTEM) ..............................................................................14 FLYING IN THERMALS ..........................................................................................................14 LANDING .............................................................................................................................15 TOWING...............................................................................................................................15 III. FAST DESCENT TECHNIQUES ..................................................................................16 NIKITA HAS A VERY STABLE OUTER WING. BIG AND SMALL EARS OPEN AUTOMATICALLY. ..16 IV. WHAT TO DO IN EXTREME FLIGHT BEHAVIOUR..................................................................17 TRIM ADJUSTMENT: ............................................................................................................17 THE NIKITA-TRIMMER: .......................................................................................................18 TANGLED LINES...................................................................................................................18 EMERGENCY STEERING .......................................................................................................19 CARE AND MAINTENANCE ....................................................................................................19 REPAIRS..............................................................................................................................20 CHECK INTERVAL: ..............................................................................................................20 NECESSARY EQUIPMENT......................................................................................................20 PERSONAL PREREQUISITES .................................................................................................20 INSPECTION INSTRUCTIONS ..................................................................................................21 INSPECTION REFERENCE .....................................................................................................22 IV. LAST BUT NOT LEAST ..............................................................................................22

Fly & more Handels GmbH / ICARO Paragliders ............................................................. 22 ...........................................................................................................................................22

Page 4

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING AN ICARO PARAGLIDER

For your safety:

THE USE OF THIS PARAGLIDER IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK! THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY CLAIMS! EVERY ACRO PILOT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE OPERATING CONDITION OF HIS/HER PARAGLIDER! IT IS A PREREQUISITE THAT EACH PILOT IS IN POSSITION OF A VALID PILOTS LICENCE (OBSERVATION OF BASIC ACRO RULES etc.).

Dear ICARO-Pilot, Congratulations on buying a new ICARO NIKITA! This paraglider was developed and produced with great care so that you may enjoy many acro flights. So that you feel comfortable with your paraglider right from the start, we recommend that you read this manual carefully. By doing so, you will quickly get to know your new paraglider. Apart from flight information, this manual also contains important care and operating instructions which are vital for your safety and preservation of your paraglider. Should you decide to sell this paraglider at a later date, please pass on this manual to the new owner. It is strictly prohibited to fly your NIKITA... •

outside the recommended minimum and maximum start off weight range

•

in rain, snowfall, clouds or fog

•

in turbulent weather conditions

•

with insignificant flight training and experience

Attention: Each pilot bears the responsibility of his/her own safety and must do a thorough pre flight check before each and every flight and must furthermore ensure that the paraglider is properly checked at regular intervals

Page 6

I.

Your NIKITA 2

Characteristics of NIKITA We recommend NIKITA to all talented acro pilots who already have sufficient experience in all extreme flight manoeuvres with small sized wings. Despite being a very stable wing, NIKITA requires sensitive handling during each manoeuvre. In the test phase it was proven that a pilot with a start off weight of 95 kg can fly all acro manoeuvres (including Rhythmic to Infinity) using all wing sizes. The dynamics of each manoeuvre differ depending on the area load. Loss of altitude also varies according to the area load. The higher the area load, the higher the loss of altitude whilst flying the manoeuvre. The reaction to flapping is much greater. The recommended weight ranges should help the pilot to find an optimal mix of dynamics and safety.

Technical Data NIKITA Wing Area Flat Wing Area Projected Wing Span Flat Wing Span Projected Aspect Ratio Cells Starting Weight +- 10 kg Speed (Trimmer) Max. Speed Risers

m² m² m m A/R kg km/h km/h

19

18

17

Spec.21

19,45 16,91 10,37 9,02 5,53 57 90

18,40 15,99 10,09 8,77 5,53 57 85 43 55 4

17,31 15,05 9,79 8,51 5,53 57 80 43 55 4

20,95 18,21 10,77 9,36 5,53 57 110 43 55 4

43 55 4

NIKITA is available in the colour combination green/black/white. The new NIKITA is the consequence of continued development of the original NIKITA, with which the “against the grain” team won the VERTIGO World Cup in 2007. Xandi Meschuh made it to overall third place flying solo with the new NIKITA 2 in 2008.

Nikita can be flown in the various weight ranges. The flight manoeuvre RhythmicInfinite and all Heli-to-whatever connection manoeuvres are possible with a area weight load between 4,5kg and 6kg per m².

The construction and materials used in the new NIKITA were adapted to withhold the load in Infinity Tumbling. The line geometry was changed in such a way so that the greatest possible pull keeps the risers apart. This reduces the dangers of twisting in Mc Twist and other similar manoeuvres. In spite of being a very stable wing, NIKITA is not suitable for Freestyle and Acro beginners. NIKITA was made for professionals and opens the way for new dimensions of dynamics.

Line Material / Line Strengths The lines used for NIKITA are dimensioned so as to ensure maximum strength during all dynamic manoeuvres. To keep air resistance down to a minimum, we only use thicker lines where the greatest strain builds up in flight. The line radius continually decreases outwards. The line materials are as follows: Line Core: Main Lines – Kevlar coated Line Core: Gallery – Kevlar uncoated •

Diameter 1,8 mm

-

breaking strength 229 daN

•

Diameter 1,1 mm

-

breaking strength 114 daN.

•

Diameter 0,9 mm

-

breaking strength 125 daN.

Canopy Material (Sail Cloth) For NIKITA we use sail cloth Porcher Marine NCV 9017 E85A, E77A and D70 in different colours. Selected for its durability and resistance to UV-damage and it also reduces weight.

General Testing - BREITENERPROBUNG (BEP) NIKITA does not have an official quality testing stamp. The canopy was officially load tested.

Legal Position of Flying Acro „In Germany, any flight situation where the angle of inclination is more than 90° over the pitch or longitudinal axis is defined as aerobatic flying. Paradoxically, manoeuvres such as SAT, Misty Flip, Mac Twist and Helicopter are therefore allowed, well behaved manoeuvres such as Wing Over or even Asymmetric Spiral are not. Tumblings, Infinities, Inversions are illegal! However, the German legal system allows the acrobatic beginner to practise Full Stall, Negative Turns and the other manoeuvres mentioned above. As these manoeuvres are legally not valid as aerobatic, theoretically they can be performed above solid ground in every flight area, as long as no third parties are endangered. The pilot has to go to a neighbouring country merely to practise advanced manoeuvres.

When brought into consideration that the majority of accidents occur in learning the Helicopter manoeuvre, this rule seems strange if not downright absurd. It must also be taken into consideration that there is no flight area in Germany for training aerobatics with sufficent altitude above water. The situation is almost the same in Austria. However, the local authorities are more tolerant. Not only did they verbally agree to allow recognised acro pilots to train under safe conditions, they also allowed the Acro World Cup to be held in Zell am See by letting the competition run under the title of “Air Sport Event”. Furthermore the Austrian association is consistantly trying to change current laws to regulate training for acro pilots. Aerobatic flying is not explicitly forbidden by the legal system in Italy, Switzerland and most other countries. As long as a pilot fulfils all the necessary requirements for “normal” paragliding, then flying acro is also permitted. However, the owner of the flight area can forbid the performance of acro manoeuvres or even admittance to the flight area, if third parties are endangered. Insurance is a much more difficult situation. If an accident obviously results from an acro manoeuvre, then no insurance company will reimburse any damages caused. Acro is exempt from insurance policy protection. The problem is that if acro is not specifically allowed by the insurance policy, then the term “negligence” will be applied even in countries where acro is not actually forbidden and at least part (if not all) of the compensation will be withheld by the insurance company. According to information from GFF insurance company, they will pay for any damages occurred, even if incurred as a result of a legal acro manoeuvre. L It gets even more problematic for German and Austrian pilots if they fly with gear that has not been approved by the LBA. There are no high quality acro wings available at the moment with official certification and there will not be any in the near future as the requirement are completely conflicting. Many pilots use the smallest size of certified wings and totally overload it. However, the paraglider is being used completely outside its certified limitations and is therefore no longer under the protection of certification. The question in the case of any damages caused is, would an insurance company pay compensation? Normally and especially in the case of accident insurance, the policy holder is required to stay within the law otherwise the insurance company refuse payment. If it can be proven in court that the accident was not a direct result of invalid or non existent certification, then the court can oblige the insurance company to make a part payment. Third party insurance is similar: if it is not stated explicitly in the insurance policy that the pilot is covered without certification the insurance company may refuse payment and the pilot will have to go to court.

It is interesting to note that police officers and not flight instructors or flight area owners are entitled to check the correctness of gear. Many acro pilots are registered as team pilots for their sponsor. As “official” test pilots they are covered by insurance. However, the maximum number of test pilots is limited by the DHV to 5 pilots per manufacturer. It is also interesting to note that jumps from a helicopter, balloon or ultra light airplane are legally treated as parachute jumps. The pilot requires a valid parachute licence and the corresponding insurance policy. In some countries the pilot also requires a valid certification for his parachute.

The reason that D-Bag jumps have been tolerated so long might be due to the fact that the event organizer has a special sanction from the LBA or the responsible state authority and perhaps also due to a lack of knowledge of the executive”. (Nesler, Meschuh; Acrobatics 2006, pg. 8.)

Harness We recommend using an „acro harness“when flying with NIKITA. These special harnesses have been adapted to the enormous strain of an Acro flight manoeuvre. Furthermore, an Acro harness has two pockets for rescue systems for double safety.

II.

FLIGHT TIPS

Material Check NIKITA must be checked for wear and tear after every acro flight. When folding your NIKITA (cell on cell) please check the loops and seams along the leading edge for any visible damage. Please regularly check the lines for wear and tear.

Flying with NIKITA NIKITA starts off well in spite of relatively small opening vents. However, the higher the area load the faster the take off speed – much more so than in normal paragliders. The steering paths are kept short so that all manoeuvres can be flown with unwrapped lines, with exception of McTwist. The point of stall is approximately at the same level as the karabiners. In Full Stall bring your hands to just slightly under the point of stall. Never pull your hands down fully in Stall. NIKITA is a very stable wing but nevertheless it needs a sensitive touch. Severe shooting and rapid turning away are the result of a cravat or flapping. We recommend to only fly acro manoeuvres with sufficient altitude. The safest way to learn the flight characteristics of your NIKITA is to practise over weather and wearing a life vest.

Flying Using Weight Shift and Brake Application Extreme precision is necessary to fly an impressive sequence of Acro manoeuvres. „Less is more“is our motto. NIKITA reacts to every little steering impulse. The slightest change in pressure from the thighs to the seat board is noticeable. For utmost success, we recommend a „neutral“seating position during the manoeuvres. To enter dynamic SAT manoeuvres, short but harmonious movements are necessary.

Acceleration (using Speed System) NIKITA can achieve a speed in excess of 60 km/h with maximum weight load and using full acceleration. The Speed System should only be used with care and sensitivity in turbulent conditions. Attention: It doesn't make any sense – and is actually quite dangerous – to simultaneously accelerate and brake. The front part of the wing reacts sensitively in thermals due to the smaller angle of attack in accelerated flight. Simultaneous acceleration and brake application shifts the lifting forces to the rear part of the wing and the front part of the wing is unnecessarily relieved.

Flying In Thermals Flying thermals with NIKITA is fun in spite of its high area weight load. The secret is to keep the wing as flat as possible and to fly tight circles. A slight weight shift to the inner side of the curve is sufficient. If the outer brake is not applied during rotation, then the wing will go into a steep spiral motion. Application of the outer brake will hinder the steep boring movement of the wing. If this technique can be mastered then long thermal flights are the reward, in optimal weather conditions.

Flying Acro In Thermals The behaviour of the canopy in turbulent conditions is unpredictable. It is impossible to predict the shooting momentum from a Full Stall exit if you suddenly hit a thermal. The forward momentum is completely different depending on where the canopy meets an up-wind, a down-wind or a wind shearing. When you manage to fly out of one thermal, try to fly straight ahead for at least 15 seconds without entering the next thermal. You can begin a manoeuvre in this „quiet“ parcel of air but keep in mind that the next thermal may only be waiting 100m below. Basically we do not recommend flying acro in turbulent conditions.

Landing The NIKITA is very easy to land. However, please keep in mind that a small Acro wing has a much higher trim speed. NIKITA can be brought into stall very quickly because of the shorter steering paths. Please avoid doing this above ground. Warning: "Shoot Over" If you leave the inflated leading edge bang on the ground, this can cause the cell walls to burst! Please always keep check of other pilots in the air so as to avoid a collision.

Towing When towing NIKITA, please ensure that the canopy is directly over the pilot. In the starting phase make sure that the pull is gentle so that the pilot can take off at a flat angle. A towing force in excess of 100 kg is generally not permitted. However, it has been shown that a pull of 125 kg is optimal for such a high area load. Towing is only allowed in Germany if both the pilot and the person towing have certification to do so. The winch must have an approved quality mark and has to be certified that it is suitable for towing paragliders. Generally speaking, local rules and regulations must be observed and please ensure that you use an experienced towing team and proper towing gear.

III.

Fast Descent Techniques

The most effective method to decrease altitude with NIKITA is to use Spiral Dive. Just coax the wing into a spiral dive by moderate weight shift and slight application of the inner brake. The sink rate can achieve an excess of 20m/s. NIKITA remains in a stable Spiral Dive until the pilot actively exits the manoeuvre with the outer brake. NIKITA has a very stable outer wing. Big and Small Ears open automatically. We do not recommend B-Line Stall because of one-sided material stress. Beautifully flown manoeuvres are the most elegant way of decreasing the altitude of an Acro wing.

ICARO-Test Pilot Xandi Meschuh with NIKITA II in Infinity over Lake Ossiach, Austria.

IV. What to do in extreme flight behaviour Warning: Learning new Acro manoeuvres is dangerous. Please practise above water wearing a life vest which inflates on contact with water and make sure that a well equipped life boat is on stand-by. Furthermore, the pilot should read up on technical literature before he ventures out. (Book recommendation: Acrobatics -Küng, Meschuh, Nesler and Öchsl)

Trim Adjustment: After about 200 hours of flown Tumblings, certain lines have been severely stretched. This is noticeable when the pull during the Tumble is not quite the same as it was in the beginning. Another indication for overstretched lines is a tentative approach in Helicopter. The lines have to be shortened in order to restore previous flight quality. For safety reasons, the trim adjustment should be done at the loop on the canopy and not on the line lock, as usual. Kevlar lines may buckle under extreme strain at the loop position. Buckled Kevlar lines may break at this point as a result.

The NIKITA-Trimmer: The trim adjustment is done directly at the canopy. The following main lines must be removed as well as the corresponding line level: A1, A2 and B1. The first level above this (first fork of three lines) is also removed and stored in such as way so that afterwards each line is restored to its original place. You can now work on the gallery lines on the under sail that have to be adjusted. Each line is removed and when reinserting the lines each is wrapped twice around the loop on the canopy. Do this carefully to each gallery line. Then put all the other lines back in their original place. After this adjustment, you can fly another 400 Tumbles. At this point, at the latest, it is time for a complete new set of lines.

Tangled Lines Tangled lines may be the result of a mistake made during a manoeuvre or after an unsuccessful D-Bag initiation. NIKITA turns away very fast and can be stabilized using the outer brake very sensitively. If there is sufficient altitude (500 m above ground) then try the following: •

Pumping on the tangled side

•

Pulling the Stabilo-Line

•

Folding in and reopening the tangled side

•

If none of these tips work, then there is still the possibility of opening the tangle with a Front Stall.

During these „repair attempts“ please keep your actual altitude in mind so that you have enough time to activate the rescue system if necessary. Do not presume that you have more time above water to activate the rescue system. You do not! The impact on the water surface can be fatal.

Emergency Steering Should it become impossible to steer the NIKITA with the steering lines (for whatever reason) then use the D risers for steering and landing. Please note that the steering paths are much shorter and the steering power moderate.

V. Care, Maintenance and Repairs Care and Maintenance •

Even with good care and maintenance, just like with any other paragliders, your NIKITA can wear out after a certain amount of use. This can change flight behaviour and safety. We recommend a regular safety inspection of the canopy and all lines.

•

If you wish to clean your NIKITA it is best to use warm water and a soft sponge.

•

Store your glider in a dry and dark place, ideally between 5° and 30° C. Do not store it near chemicals.

•

If you will not fly for a longer period, store the glider releasing all compression straps and take it out of its back pack so that the material is not under tension, creased or stretched and so that air can circulate.

•

If the glider has become wet, lay it out so that air can get to all areas of the fabric.

Warning: It may take several days for your glider to dry out completely especially the lines, which take longer than the fabric to dry. Do not fold and store your glider prematurely if it is not completely dry. If you do you risk the danger of mildew damaging your glider and the performance of a wet glider can change significantly! •

Excess exposure to UV- radiation reduces the stability of the sail cloth. For this reason, do not leave your wing for any longer than necessary in direct sunlight. When you are finished flying, pack it away in its pack sack.

•

Warning: Avoid storing your glider for days at a time in a car exposed to direct sunlight!

Repairs Repairs must only be carried out by the manufacturer or by an authorized person. Small holes in the canopy can be repaired by the pilot using self adhesive sail cloth on both sides of the perforation. Damage to the lines or any other repairs should be carried out at an authorized ICARO centre.

Check Interval: Your NIKITA does not have an official quality stamp. Therefore it does not have to be checked at any official time, which is normally after every 200 flight hours. However, if the flight characteristics of your NIKITA have changed and adjustments to the trim do not help, then please contact the ICARO office. We would be happy to be of service.

Necessary Equipment In order to obtain authorization to check your NIKITA yourself, you must have the following: • • • • • • •

Standardised inspection report Porosity meter Spring scale Equipment for measuring line lengths Equipment for line breaking strength testing Big, clean and bright room Technical specifications about your glider (type, serial number, size and year of production). Please contact Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders for more information.

Personal Prerequisites A three week course at Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders, specified to a glider type and a legal flight licence are the necessary prerequisites for permission to inspect ICARO paragliders. For questions about costs and times of paragliding inspection courses please contact Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders.

Inspection Instructions 1st Step: Record Information Spread out the paragliders in a big dark room and make a note of Information such as model, type and serial number. 2nd Step: Porosity Test Use the porosity meter to perform porosity check at 4 different places on the upper and lower sail. The insults must be recorded in the inspection protocol and are to be evaluated according to internal guidelines. 3rd Step: Line strength test In order to test the strength of the lines, a complete set of main, middle and gallery lines on both the A and B level are removed, measured and submitted to a strength zest. The breaking value of the stressed line must be noted in the inspection protocol. 4th Step: Visual control of the risers and lines Check the risers, trimmer, the stitching at each line loop, the brake lines, all seams and line contact points. Each line must be measured and inspected for kinks. 5th Step: Visual control of the canopy Hang up the canopy so that a thorough visual check of the canopy is possible. Check for perforations in the upper and lower sail cloth, damaged stitching between the cells and damage to the leading/trailing edge reinforcements. Each cell must also be checked. 6th Step: Line measurement Measure every single line while stressing it with a defined traction force. Compare the results with the line plan. The results are recorded in the inspection protocol and are to be evaluated according to internal guidelines of the workshop.

7th Step: Assessment The measurements of all procedures are to be noted in the inspection protocol. When all facts have been recorded, the technician must make a general assessment. Check the backpack for any damage to the zips, seams and straps and repair if necessary with a sewing machine.

General Remarks Any other repairs, corrections etc. to the general condition of the paragliders must be evaluated. A copy of the results of each inspection of an ICARO paragliders must be sent on to Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders. If the glider is not in great condition, the technician can decide to shorten the inspection interval time from 24 to 12 months. The technician must report any unusual faults to Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders within 3 days.

Inspection Reference Only an authorized technician who has been officially trained by Fly & more Handels GmbH, ICARO Paragliders is allowed to sign and date the glider certification label and sign the manual.

IV.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST ...

Again, we would like to congratulate you on purchasing your ICARO NIKITA 2. Team ICARO thank you for your trust in our brand and should you have any questions, ideas or criticisms, please contact us. This paragliders has been developed and produced by modern technology and will give you years of pleasurable and unforgettable flight experiences. However, never forget that every flying sport is potentially dangerous. Your safety depends on you! ICARO NIKITA 2 has a safety potential to the highest standards but it will not protect you from the dangers of rash flight manoeuvres and weather changes. Your ICARO-Team. Fly & more Handels GmbH / ICARO Paragliders Hochriesstraße 1, 83126 Flintsbach, Germany Telephone: +49-(0) 8034-909 700 Fax: +49-(0) 8034-909 701 Web: http://www.icaro-wings.com Email: [email protected]