P80 Manual
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Table of Content: 1 Performance Characteristics of the PARATECH P80........ 5 2 PARATECH Technology ................................................ 7 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14
Computer Aided Design ................................................................................... 7 Wing Shape......................................................................................................... 7 Wing Profile........................................................................................................ 7 Leading Edge Cell Opening with PAF (Permanent Air Flow) ........................... 7 Wing Reinforcement........................................................................................... 7 Diagonal Bands................................................................................................... 8 Risers................................................................................................................... 8 Main and Cascade Lines Layout......................................................................... 8 Break Lines ......................................................................................................... 8 Riser Selection .................................................................................................... 8 Materials ............................................................................................................. 9 Colours................................................................................................................ 9 Design ................................................................................................................. 9 Summary ............................................................................................................. 9
3 Suitable Harnesses .....................................................10 3.1 General.............................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Adjustment of a Harness with Variable Cross Bracing.............................. 10 3.3 PARATECH M-Series ....................................................................................... 10 3.3.1 Base Configuration ................................................................................... 10 3.4 PARATECH A Series........................................................................................ 11 3.4.1 Base Configuration ................................................................................... 11 3.5 Supplementary Modules ................................................................................ 12
4 Flight Operations........................................................13 4.1 P80 Risers with Speed System ..................................................................... 13 4.1.1 P80 Speed System..................................................................................... 13 4.1.2 Accelerated Flying .................................................................................... 14 4.2 Pre-flight Check and Flight Preparation ........................................................... 15 4.3 Take Off ........................................................................................................... 16 4.4 Turns and Spiral Dive ....................................................................................... 16 4.5 Thermaling and Soaring in Turbulent Condition: “Active Flying” .................. 17 4.6 Landing............................................................................................................. 18 4.7 Towing.............................................................................................................. 18
5 Rapid Descents at greater than 5 m/s Sink Speed ........19 5.1 5.2 5.3
“B Line” Stall.................................................................................................... 19 Spiral Dives....................................................................................................... 20 “Big Ears” and “Big Ears” with Speed System ................................................ 20
6 Extreme Flying Manoeuvres ........................................21 6.1 6.2
Deep Stall (Parachutal Stall)............................................................................. 21 Asymmetric Deflation (Asymmetric Wing Tucks)........................................... 21
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6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7
Frontal Collapse of the Canopy .................................................................... 21 Cravats or Line Over......................................................................................... 22 Spins (Flat or Negative Spins) .......................................................................... 22 Full Stall............................................................................................................ 23 Emergency Steering ....................................................................................... 23
7 Maintenance, Packing, Repairs and Retesting...............24 8 Final Remarks ............................................................25 9 Technical Documentation............................................26 9.1
Technical Data ................................................................................................ 26
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P80 Manual (Issue Date 24 May 2004)
To make you familiar and comfortable with your new paraglider we recommend that you carefully read this manual. This will allow you to get to know your new glider quickly and comprehensively. In addition to all the information with regards to flight operations the manual provides important guidelines and advice for the safe operation and maintenance of your glider. We request that this manual be passed over to any future owner of this glider. Any unauthorised alterations made to this paraglider will invalidate its air worthiness certification. The operation of this glider is entirely the risk of its user. Any liability of the manufacturer or endorsed agent of the manufacturer is excluded. The DHV type identification tag forms part of the documentation of this manual. Each pilot carries the responsibility for his personal safety and is responsible that the apparatus, which he/she operates and flies with, is checked for safety and airworthiness prior to each take-off and flight and properly maintained. The P80 may only be operated with a valid pilot license authorised by the relevant authority and under the supervision and endorsement by an authorised instructor. The PARATECH P80 may not be operated: •
Outside the minimum and maximum take-off limit
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At a pitch greater than 900 about the pitch and roll axis of the glider
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Aerobatics
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With engine, except with special endorsement by DULV
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In rain, in snow falls, in clouds or fog
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In moist and wet conditions
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In turbulent weather
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Aerobatics is dangerous and for this reason not permitted
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By pilots with insufficient experience and qualifications
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Welcome to PARATECH We congratulate you to the purchase of your new paraglider and wish you many happy hours in flying with the PARATECH P80. Please complete the Warranty Card below and forward the document to: PARATECH AG, Beim Alpenblick, CH-9057 Weissbad This will ensure your full warranty entitlement. This also allows us at PARATECH to forward to you without delay any information on new developments and if necessary current technical “NOTAMs” regarding your PARATECH P80. Paraglider development at PARATECH is designed to achieve our pilots demands for optimal quality and performance. For this reason we encourage you to forward any suggestions or critics to assist us in the development of our gliders. Should you as owner and pilot of a P80 have any need for assistance, which cannot be answered by our distributors, we would be pleased to assist you. We are always here to provide you with the knowledge you request. Please complete the form below and forward information to us for our records. PARATECH will reward your efforts with a surprise.
1 Performance Characteristics of the PARATECH P80 We recommend the P80 for experienced pilots, who value fun and satisfaction as part of their paragliding experience. Also regular pilots, looking for an easy to fly paraglider, will enjoy satisfaction with the P80. With regards to glide and sink performance, as well as speed band, the P80 will match its performance with many other gliders. The handling of the P80 is direct, balanced with plenty of safety margin to spare. Despite the P80’s ease of handling, the pilots must of course abide by the rules of “Active Flying”, otherwise the flying of the P80, as is the case with all other gliders, becomes dangerous. As with all PARATECH gliders, the P80 has been developed with a high safety demand in mind. With the P80 the design team has managed a further breakthrough in flight stability combined with flight performance, flight enjoyment and forgiveness with regards to handling.
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Years of experience and intensive development work with ongoing refinement and rework of the wing have evolved in a glider, which can be rated at the forefront of currently available wing technology.
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2 PARATECH Technology 2.1 Computer Aided Design A number of Computer-Aided-Design packages have been used to develop the P80’s wing shape and profile. The shape of each and every P80 is reproduced during the manufacturing process with the highest precision employing CNC driven cutting tools.
2.2 Wing Shape The P80 presents an elegant, aesthetically shaped wing form of high aerodynamic quality combined with passive safety.
2.3 Wing Profile The P80’s profile has been researched and refined by PARATECH through intensive and demanding numerical modelling and practical trial work. A variable profile along the entire span of the wing provides for optimal lift distribution. This is only one of many reasons for the P80’s balanced combination of performance and stability.
2.4 Leading Edge Cell Opening with PAF (Permanent Air Flow) We call our newly developed Zigzag leading edge opening “Permanent Air Flow” (PAF). It is a continuation of our research in partially closed wing cells. The system allows the efficient, steady and quick filling of the cells at all “Angles of Attack” (AOA) despite the extremely small opening size. These are just some of the reasons for the P80’s good natured inflation characteristics during take-off and the high trim speed achievable during flight.
2.5 Wing Reinforcement Careful design of the P80’s wing reinforcement provides on the one hand strength in critical areas, but also plays an important role in maintaining the cell inflation at the start and quick reinflation during turbulence induced wing tucks.
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2.6 Diagonal Bands The P80 incorporates diagonal bands for cross bracing. This adaptation of ultra light weight construction techniques makes it possible to utilise a reduced number of line attachment points without limiting the number of wing cells. This achieves highest aerodynamic characteristics at minimal canopy weight. The diagonal bands provide a considerable contribution to performance potential and the aesthetics of the P80.
2.7 Risers The PARATECH P80 features 4 point risers which are also fitted with a speed system. The deployment of “Big Ears” is made easy by the inclusion of split “ARisers’’. Extremely easy take-off handling, “B-Riser” stalling, steering capability with the “D-Risers” and optimised geometry for accelerated flight, apart from the weight specific strength, were the most important aspects of the riser development.
2.8 Main and Cascade Lines Layout The cleverly designed layout of the main (principal) and cascade lines not only provides the P80 with the easy take-off handling but also with its exceptional flight characteristics. This line layout also achieves a stark reduction in unwanted parasitic drag.
2.9 Break Lines The trailing edge breaks are controlled with the break lines. The layout of the break lines is such that the P80’s handling, even at moderate break pressure, occurs without any stalling tendencies. The lines are arranged in a manner which absorbs overreactions by pilots with ease.
2.10 Riser Selection All risers used by PARATECH are pre-stretched, cut to exacting lengths and finally sawn. A precisely documented quality record of all riser lengths for each and every P80 manufactured is all but second nature to PARATECH.
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2.11 Materials For the upper canopy surface and the cell walls a specially coated water repellent nylon material of highest quality is used. Apart from its excellent durability, it features a high colour fastness. It excels in resisting diagonal stretching and in its ability to be worked without bias. For the lower canopy surface, PARATECH uses an extremely flexible nylon material with exceptional ripping strength. For manufacturing rib walls a specially woven nylon fabric was used to accommodate loading characteristics of these ribs. The P80’s main (principal) line material consists of a HMA core (High Molecular Aramid) and the cascade lines have a Dyneema core, which has excellent durability and buckling characteristics. All lines are protected by a polyester sheath. A combination of line strengths with varying diameter from 1.1mm to 2.1mm and tensile strength between 100daN to 240daN are used. The lines are characterised by their extremely low creep elongation and precisely definable elasticity modulus combined with high flexibility and long lasting durability.
2.12 Colours The PARATECH P80 can be purchased in several attractive colour combinations.
2.13 Design The new design presents a clean and modern look without losing its heritage. One is always able to recognise the well known asymmetric tail symbol but with the new design it is now possible to observe it from all perspectives that is from left, right, from above and from below.
2.14 Summary Many months of intensive work has been invested in the development of the P80. The smallest detail has been carefully considered and incorporated. PARATECH has achieved with the P80 a modern glider, which will provide its owner with many hours of pure joy and satisfaction while flying. The P80 pilot can with confidence tackle any situation in the knowledge of being in command of a glider of highest stability and proof flown and tested by PARATECH’s own development team in all possible extreme flying conditions.
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3 Suitable Harnesses 3.1 General The following harness certification is applicable to Germany and Austria: The P80 can be flown with all current harnesses not incorporating fixed cross bracing (i.e. all harnesses of DHV certification GH). Harnesses with fixed cross bracing (i.e. all harnesses of DHV certification GX) are less suitable for the P80, as these could adversely influence the handling and behaviour within the operational safety margins of the glider. For this reason these harness types (only a limited number of harnesses are still available) have not been included in the DHV certification for the glider. Also not permitted for use with the P80 are special purpose harnesses manufactured for type specific gliders (e.g. fixed harnesses). Identification of the harness type can be made by checking the “Type Identification Tag” attached to the harness. As of 1993, practically all harnesses manufactured are of the type GH. Listing of DHV certified harnesses and their classification can be obtained from the DHV.
3.2 Adjustment of a Harness with Variable Cross Bracing The tighter the cross bracing is adjusted by the pilot, the less tilting of the pilot in the harness can be observed in turbulent conditions. By loosening the cross bracing the pilot has an increased ability, through weight shifting, to assist the steering of the glider.
3.3 PARATECH M-Series For the P80 we recommend the use of our M-Series harness. The “Module” in its basic configuration is fitted with everything needed, highlighted by its flexibility to position the reserve chute, the comfortable seating position and in the detailed functional design.
3.3.1 Base Configuration •
Self closing buckles for leg and chest straps
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•
Safe-T-Bar , the fallout protection in case of unintentionally opened leg straps
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Alternative reserve chute positions: behind, either side or in front of the harness.
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Backpack to store the AIRBAG back protection, the glider bag, etc. The AIRBAG back protection is included as a standard accessory.
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Twist-Lock automatic karabiner
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Large rear pocket
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Stretch band activated automatically fitted shoulder straps
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Entire harness manufactured from CORDURA to achieve optimal quality and durability
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Two point harness attachment for reserve chute with integrated “Klett” guides
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Pulley and eye guidance for speed system
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In flight adjustable seat inclination
3.4 PARATECH A Series Also recommended is the PARATECH A Series of harnesses, which is in its basic configuration is fully operational with unparalleled seating comfort and functionality
3.4.1 Base Configuration • •
•
Self closing buckles for leg and chest straps Safe-T-Bar , the fallout protection in case of unintentionally opened leg straps Backpack to store the AIRBAG back protection, the glider bag, etc. The AIRBAG back protection as well as side protection panels are included as standard accessories.
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•
Twist-Lock automatic karabiner
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Large rear pocket
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Stretch band activated automatically fitted shoulder straps
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Entire harness manufactured from CORDURA to achieve optimal quality and durability
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Neoprene side panels, each incorporating a pocket
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Two point harness attachment for reserve chute with integrated guides
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Pulley and eye guidance for speed system
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In flight adjustable seat board length
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Rear pocket with integrated reserve chute container and shoulder position for the reserve chute handle.
3.5 Supplementary Modules •
Water ballast container
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Instrument cockpit
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4 Flight Operations 4.1 P80 Risers with Speed System
4.1.1 P80 Speed System Prior to take-off the speed bar lines are attached by quick links to the speed system fitted to the risers. These lines are installed in the harness through internally mounted deflection pulleys and eyelets to connect the speed bar with the speed system. The length of the speed bar lines are adjusted either side of the speed bar, such that with fully extended legs the speed system is fully activated, i.e. both rollers fitted to the risers are in contact with each other. Equally, when fully released, the risers must be completely extended and there must be no binding between the seat cushion and the raised speed bar. These adjustments are best made on the ground with the help of an assistant by suspending the harness from a suitable support. While sitting in the harness and with all straps and buckles closed the risers are fully extended by the assistant and the length of the speed bar lines adjusted and checked. Most of the time while flying the speed system is not activated. At the speed of “Best Glide” in clean air, the flying is done without any breaking and without the need to activate the speed system. The speed system is used, when it is
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desirable to fly at a higher speed than at the speed of “Best Glide”. This is mainly the case when a better glide angle in headwind or downdraft is required. To rapidly reduce altitude the speed system can be operated in conjunction with “Big Ears” (refer Section 5.3, page 14). The P80 flies at “Minimum Sink” speed by applying approximately 20 to 30cm of brake. To further reduce the flying speed in thermal conditions, presumably to achieve better climbing performance, makes little sense and can lead to dangerous conditions (stalling of the wing). The speed system operates as follows: The full activation of the speed bar results in a lowering of the “A Risers” with the “B Risers” being shortened via a pulley arrangement to 2/3 of the “A Riser” shortening. The “C Risers” shorten to ½ of the “B Riser” shortening, while the “D Risers” remain unaffected. These changes to the riser setup result in a reduction of the Angle of Attack (AOA) over the entire wing and, as a consequence, in an increase in air speed. The stability of the P80 remains, even with increased speed, relatively unchanged due to the geometric setup of the speed system. This is an important factor for the practical use of the speed system throughout the P80’s speed range.
4.1.2 Accelerated Flying Flying with the integrated speed system should always be done in a controlled and measured manner, i.e. with increasing turbulence and reducing altitude, less and less acceleration should be used. The speed increase during accelerated flight is considerable and should not be underestimated. Danger: It not only doesn’t make sense but it is also very dangerous to activate the speed system (accelerate) and apply breaking at the same time! Due to the reduced Angle of Attack (AOA) the leading edge of the wing becomes increasingly sensitive to turbulent airflow. By breaking the wing at the same time, the Centre of Lift (CoL) moves towards the trailing edge of the wing and the support pressure at the front of the wing reduces making it less stable. During turbulence induced instability of the accelerated wing the speed system must be disengaged in a controlled manner and only after the wing has achieved normal flying speed (unaccelerated) should breaking again be applied to control the speed of the wing.
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4.2 Pre-flight Check and Flight Preparation A careful pre-flight check is required for any flying apparatus and the P80 is no exception. For a paraglider the following checkpoints are of importance: 1. During the unpacking of the wing the canopy and the cell walls are examined for damages. Even though the glider was checked during the last packing, it can’t be discounted that during storage or transport the glider has not been interfered with and damage has occurred. 2. A visual check must be made to ensure that none of the lines are twisted or knotted (looped). At the same time the lines are checked for damage. At regular intervals the line lengths should be checked against the line layout plans of the wing to monitor the stretching or shrinkage of the lines. 3. Also to be checked are the steering control lines (break lines) to ensure their clear passage to the canopy. Check the attachment (knotting) of the main break line. Both break lines must be of equal length. The exact length of the main break line, between the junctions and the break handle, can be obtained from the line layout plan and must not be changed under any circumstances. 4. Check your harness to ensure that all buckles are properly closed. 5. Check that all shackles and karabiners on the harness are closed and that straps and risers are not twisted. 6. Fly only with a suitably certified helmet and proper footwear. Following unpacking and spreading out of the wing the following checks must be made: 1. The wing should be spread out in such a manner that during inflation the “A Lines” in the centre section of the wing are being pulled before the corresponding lines towards the wing tips. This will help inflating the wing and provides directional stability during this phase of the take-off. 2. Observe the direction of the prevailing wind to ensure symmetrical inflation of the wing.
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3. Carefully separate the lines and arrange the risers. All lines must be free running between the risers and the canopy without any looping. Equally important is to ensure that the break lines are clear and cannot snag during the inflation of the wing. 4. Observe that the control (break) lines are clear and run through the rollers of the “D Risers” to the trailing edge of the wing. 5. Ensure that no lines cross under the canopy. A “Line Over” occurring during the take-off could lead to an uncontrollable situation.
4.3 Take Off Grip the “A Risers” and the control lines with your hands after completing the pre-flight check. With the lines held taut and the arms straight in extension of the “A Risers” / “A Lines”, make a couple of backwards steps and then quickly accelerate to inflate the canopy, utilising the inertia of your body for assistance. In this way the wing of the P80 will reliably inflate each time and the canopy will quickly rise above the pilot. Continue to have the arm straightened in line with the “A Risers” / “A Lines”. As soon as the tension in the lines reduces (the canopy at this stage is straight above the pilot) apply a measured amount of breaking. Glance at the canopy above you to verify that the entire wing is fully inflated. The final decision for a take-off can now be made with the P80 awaiting to be accelerated by the pilot. After a few positive steps, with the pilot leaning forward to accelerate the wing, release the breaks in controlled manner and the wing will lift off. After becoming airborne apply breaks to reduce the wing speed to fly at minimum sink. This is the same break setting which allows the P80 to be most stable in turbulent air.
4.4 Turns and Spiral Dive The P80 is agile and responds to steering input instantly and without hesitation. Both flat turns with minimal loss in altitude as well as steep spiral dives with rapid loss of height can be initiated. A combination of weight shifting and applying inside break works best in all situations of turning, with the size of the turning circle being controlled by the inside steering input. With strong, one sided breaking applied the P80 assumes a steeply banking attitude to allow steep high speed turns, which can be extended into a spiral
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dive. A spiral dive can be initiated by the pilot through weight shifting and application of inside break. The bank angle is controlled by the amount of inside break being applied, either by increasing or decreasing the break tension. Attention must be given to the altitude loss to maintain a safe recovery height. Recovery is done slowly. The P80 has no tendencies for assuming stable spiral dives. With high vertical (sink) velocities or with massive weight shift in the direction of the turning centre, a turn overrun can be entirely possible. For this reason active flying must be mastered to disengage from a spiral dive. Should under adverse conditions overrunning of the spiral dive occurs the turn must be actively terminated. Danger: Abrupt application of breaking, i.e. too hard and deep (long break travel) could lead to negative spins. During the initiation of a steep turn the outside break must not be applied and must be completely loose.
4.5 Thermaling and Soaring in Turbulent Condition: “Active Flying” In general the P80 requires little breaking inputs applied to the outside wing during turns. It is recommended during thermaling to steer the partially slowed wing by the application of inside breaking and loosening of the outside break by an amount equal to half of the inside break travel (cross steering). In turbulent air the P80 must always be flown with a slight amount of breaking. This achieves a slightly increased “Angle of Attack” (AoA) and provides increased wing stability. The pilot can continuously monitor the break pressure and with that the flying condition of the wing. This allows the pilot to immediately apply, if required, more breaking inputs to minimise or prevent “tucks”. Break inputs depend on strength and duration of the turbulence and may involve more than 100% of the available break travel, where 100% break travel represents the amount of breaking applied to initiate, under steady conditions, a “Full Stall”. During entry into strong or broken thermals care must be taken that the wing does not lag behind the pilot and enter a stalled condition. To prevent this from occurring the entry into a thermal is done with reduced break input and thus at increased speed. The opposite must be followed, i.e. the wing must be slowed down through breaking, when flying into a downdraft or exiting a thermals. Increased flying speed (by activating the speed system) is used to traverse downdraft areas or countering headwinds. This flying technique is called “Active Flying”.
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The P80 is inherently stable, however, active flying in turbulent conditions as described above adds substantially to the safety of the pilot and tucking or collapses of the canopy can mostly be prevented.
4.6 Landing The P80 is easy to land. During the straight, into the wind, final glide the wing is flared using increasing break pressure and the pilot straightens up. At approximately 1m height the pilot applies full brakes (full break travel) and assumes a slightly forward leaning position until touch down. In strong headwind the amount of breaking is reduced proportionally. Landing while exiting a turn and rapid changes in direction prior to landing should be avoided to minimise the pendulum effect. Danger: Allowing the canopy to overshoot the pilot after the landing must be prevented, as the leading edge openings of the still fully inflated wing impact with the ground. This can result in damaged cell walls due to the sudden pressure increase (paper bag effect).
4.7 Towing During towing with the P80 attention must be paid that the wing prior to the take-off is straight above the pilot. During the take-off phase high towing line tension must be avoided to allow the pilot to assume a shallow climb angle. Line tension in excess of 90kp with the P80 ML and the P80 L are not permitted. For the P80 SM a maximum line tension of 70kp must not be exceeded. In any case the maximum line tension must not exceed the body weight of the pilot. In Germany towing with paraglider is only permitted, if the pilot is endorsed (licensed) for towing, the towing master (operator) has a license to tow paraglider and the winch and the towing hook has been certified for its use as a towing device. In principal, local towing regulation must be abided by and towing should only be done with experienced teams and equipment.
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5 Rapid Descents at greater than 5 m/s Sink Speed The P80 is capable to descend at more than 5 m/s using “B Line” Stalls, Spiral Dives and “Big Ears” with or without using the speed system to assist a rapid descent.
5.1 “B Line” Stall A “B Line” Stall is initiated by gripping the “B Lines” above the riser attachment and pulling the lines downwards. With more than 20 cm of “B Line” travel the P80 wing easily transitions from a flying condition into a “B Line” stall. The travel of the “B Line” attachment points can be for the full length of the “B Line” risers (without applying any tension to the “A Risers”). Sink velocities up to 8m/s can be achieved by this method. To exit a “B Line” Stall both risers are quickly released at the same. During exiting this manoeuvre the P80 regains, without hesitation and smoothly, again flying speed and easily transitions to a normal flying condition. Should the wing continue to be stalled the condition can be corrected by active flying, as described under “Deep Stall”, by forward pushing of the “A Risers’’ to reduce the Angle of Attack. We recommend that the pilot, in preparation to exit a “Deep Stall”, positions his / her hands on the “A Risers”. A “B Line” Stall must at all times be exited at sufficient altitude to allow the recovery from a prolonged “Deep Stall”. Danger: Incorrect entry and exit procedures from a “B Line” Stalls can lead to dangerous situations. The following mistakes must be avoided at all costs: •
Too slowly initiated exit procedures
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Releasing of risers without upwards guidance of the risers
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Breaking immediately after or during the exit from a “B Stall”
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Over extension of the “B Risers” with consequent shortening of the “A Risers”
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Inadvertent pulling of the “C Risers” in lieu of the “B Risers” could result in extreme forward surging of the canopy during the exit from a “B Stall”
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Training flights which are used for the purpose to explore stalling conditions should only be undertaken with a sufficient safety margin in altitude, with a reserve chute and if possible above water.
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5.2 Spiral Dives Refer to Section 4.4 Turns and Spiral Dive for information.
5.3 “Big Ears” and “Big Ears” with Speed System Pull down, both sides at the same time, the external “A Risers” (lines leading to the wing tips (A2), refer Section 4.1, page 7) of the P80 without releasing the brake handles. Allow the risers to run through the palms of your hands using the hands as deflection devices (it is recommended that gloves be used for this manoeuvre).The P80 forms “Ears” with the sink speed increasing to up to 5m/s, however, without increasing the forward speed. The purpose of this manoeuvre is to be able to descend during lift conditions, e.g. to allow the landing at the take-off point or to reduce the glide angle when landing in a shortened landing area. Before landing the “A Risers” are released to resume normal landing speed. During this manoeuvre the break handles, as is the case for a “B Line” Stall, are held. In this way it is possible to use up to 2/3 of the available brake travel. Sink velocities in excess of 5m/s can be reached, if the speed system is used at the same time. The wing is again fully inflated by raising the wing tips and if necessary any remaining tucks can be removed by symmetrically pumping of both brakes. During flying with “Ears” directional changes can only be made with weight shifting. This is especially successful if the harness cross bracing is loose.
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6 Extreme Flying Manoeuvres Danger: Extreme flight manoeuvres should only be undertaken in the context of an official and competently supervised safety training and above water. Preconditions for such exercises are the availability of a rescue boat in the exercise area, the pilot is fitted with a “faint proof” safety vest and radio communication, which allows the Safety Officer / Instructor to issue instructions and guidance during the exercise. A reserve chute is a must for such training.
6.1 Deep Stall (Parachutal Stall) The P80 has generally no tendencies to remain in a “Deep Stall” condition. The wing is self recovering from a “Deep Stall” initiated by the pulling of the rear riser, when these risers are again released. Actively exiting a “Deep Stall” with the P80 is possible by pushing forward both “A Risers” or by activating the speed system. These procedures may be required under certain circumstances, as is the case with all paragliders.
6.2 Asymmetric Deflation (Asymmetric Wing Tucks) As with all other paragliders, flying in strong turbulence may lead with the P80 to collapses on one side of the wing (asymmetric collapse or deflation). These are under normal circumstances non-critical and reinflation will occur in most cases without any pilot input. Though, as earlier described under active flying in turbulent conditions, the pilot must at the latest at this point lightly activate the breaks. The reinflation of the wing is assisted by firstly arresting the rotation of the wing by opposite break inputs until the wing resumes a straight forward flight. If the tucking persists, the wing can be reinflated by pumping of the wing on the collapsed side. If a wing tuck occurs during the acceleration phase, with a fully engaged speed system, the speed system must be disengaged to assist the stabilisation of the canopy. The reinflation is then initiated as previously described.
6.3 Frontal Collapse of the Canopy A paraglider may experience a leading edge stall (frontal collapse) by too strong application (pulling) of the “A Risers” or when entering a strong downdraft zone. The leading edge over the full length of the wing suddenly tucks under the - 21 -
canopy. By applying a measured amount of breaking the back and forth pendulum effect can be minimised and recovery from the collapse can be sped up. Under normal circumstances a recovery from a frontal collapse with P80 occurs without any pilot inputs. The reinflation of the wing can be assisted by applying quick brake inputs (pumping of both brakes at the same time).
6.4 Cravats or Line Over This flying condition could not be established during any of the flight testing of the P80. However, it can not be discounted that for one reason or another the canopy could become entangled between lines due to a partial collapse induced by turbulence or pilot error (the latter could occur during poor sorting of the lines prior to take-off). The pilot must stabilise the wing through break inputs. Without any corrections by the pilot the wing will enter a stable spiral dive. To clear “Line Overs” a number of possibilities exist: •
Pumping of the breaks on the side of the snagged wing section
•
Identify snagged line(s), pull gently to untangle the snagged line(s).
•
Induce a wing tuck on the side of the snagged wing section and then initiate recovery from tuck.
•
If the above measures are unsuccessful it may be possible to clear the problem by entry and safe recovery from a “Full Stall”.
Danger: The manoeuvres described above should only be attempted by experienced pilots with “Extreme Flying Manoeuvre” experience and with sufficient altitude available. Should these recovery procedures be unsuccessful or these demands exceed the ability of the pilot, the deployment of the reserve chute must be immediately initiated.
6.5 Spins (Flat or Negative Spins) Generally it is not advisable to induce a paraglider to spinning. The curriculum of many safety courses include spins above water with safety vests and rescue boats at the ready. The purpose of this training is to explore the limits of laminar airflow over part of the wing and to familiarise oneself with its characteristics. The recovery is done by releasing of both break lines. The P80 will immediately recover and normal flying conditions are restored. During PARATECH’s test flying and during Certification Flights for DHV classification by the DHV, the P80 has never experienced a stable negative spin tendency.
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Danger: These manoeuvres are associated with extreme loss of altitude!
6.6 Full Stall Danger: It is important to understand, that if the break lines during the recovery phase are released at the wrong moment or only partially the danger exists, as is the case with all paragliders that the pilot can fall into the canopy. Due to the high aspect ratio of its wing the P80 has a tendency to fold back the wing tips during a rapid initiation of a “Full Stall”, which could lead to snagging of the lines (“Line Over”). To prevent this from happening, the P80 should first be slowed down to minimum flying speed. After the wing tips have started to deform (moving backwards), the breaks are momentarily released before full application of the breaks to initiate the stall. The recovery from a “Full Stall” is only initiated after the canopy has stabilised, i.e. after the deflated canopy is again positioned above or slightly ahead of the pilot. At this point the brakes are released and the P80 resumes normal forward speed. The canopy will tend to surge forward and this is corrected by a measured application of breaking. Danger: If during the initiation of a “Full Stall” the canopy surges backwards the brakes must never be released. By releasing the brakes at this point of the manoeuvre would position the pilot ahead of the canopy. This will result in the pilot suddenly dropping downwards, the canopy would accelerate to full forward speed and the pilot propelled in a circular motion to above the canopy. I an extreme case this could lead to the pilot falling into the canopy below him.
6.7 Emergency Steering In circumstances where it becomes impossible to guide the P80 with the control lines, the “D Lines” can be used to successfully steer and land the glider. It must be remembered that the control throws are now considerably shorter and the control forces are much higher.
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7 Maintenance, Packing, Repairs and Retesting As with all paragliders, the P80 despite all care in looking after the canopy and also with regular maintenance will experience wear and tear symptoms, which may affect its flight and safety performance. A regular programme of retesting of the canopy, risers and riser lines is required. From time to time, especially with heavy usage of the wing, the porosity of the wing cloth must be checked. During packing care must be taken to ensure that cells are placed on top of each other in such a manner that the rib reinforcement, at the leading edge entry, are positioned as flat as possible on top of each other and are not buckled. Repeated buckling, especially of the reinforced sections, can lead to early wear and tear. If the P80 needs to be washed, this is best done with luke-warm water and a sponge. Storage of the glider should be done in a dry and dark area, ideally at temperatures between 5 and 300 Celsius and never in the vicinity of chemicals. Prolonged exposure of the wing to UV Rays affects the material properties. For this reason the wing should not unnecessarily be exposed to the sun light and should be packed immediately after flying. Danger: Placing the glider during hot days in the sunshine or storing of the glider in locked cars should be avoided. Should any repairs be required these must be undertaken by the manufacturer, importer or other authorised agents. 24 months after purchase (as per DHV) or after 12 months or 200 flights, which ever comes first (as per SHV), the glider must be retested. Such testing will be undertaken by the manufacturer or the importer of the paraglider. Without such testing the type certification will become invalid.
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8 Final Remarks The P80 is at the leading edge of paraglider development and research. The P80 will provide ongoing satisfaction with regards to safety and enjoyment during flying; provided it is properly cared for and due respect is given to the demands and dangers of flying. It must not be forgotten that every aspect of sport flying has inherent dangers and that the safety ultimately rest with the user. We strongly recommend that flying is done in a conservative manner. This includes the selection of flying conditions and safety margins used and applied during any flying manoeuvres. Always exercise paragliding with approved and tested equipment and a reserve chute. Finally, it should be remembered that flying of a paraglider is at ones own risk and the safe preparation for flight and the condition of all the equipment is the responsibility of the pilot.
See you in the sky
Your PARATECH Team
Our Address for further information:
PARATECH AG Ferhlen 16 CH – 9057 Weissbad E-Mail:
[email protected] Web Page: www.paratech.ch Phone: Fax:
+41 (071) 787 30 31 +41 (071) 787 30 32
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9 Technical Documentation 9.1 Technical Data Technical Data Projected Wing Area Actual Wing Area Actual Wing Span Actual Cord Width Line Length Cell Number Legal Take-Off Weight Optimal Pilot Weight Weight Minimum Speed Trim Speed Maximum Speed DHV Certification Non-Accelerated/Accelerated
P80 XS
P80 SM
P80 ML
P80 L
20.59m2 23.4m2
22.36m2 25.3m2
24.02m2 27.3m2
26.22m2 29.8m2
11.49m 5.65m
11.96m 5.65m
12.42m 5.65m
12.98m 5.65m
6.68m
6.94m
7.21m
7.53m
27/60 60 – 80kg
27/60 75 – 100kg
27/60 85 – 110kg
27/60 105 – 130kg
40 – 60kg
55 – 80kg
65 – 90kg
85 – 110kg
5.6kg 21 km/h 38 km/h
6.0kg 21 km/h 38 km/h
6.5kg 21 km/h 38 km/h
6.9kg 21 km/h 38 km/h
49 km/h
49 km/h
49 km/h
49 km/h
2 / 2 GH
2 / 2 GH
2 / 2 GH
2 / 2 GH
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