2003 Parastars Thrust Test

Many thanks to the tireless efforts of Eric Dufour and Raynald Tremblay who ran the thrust test machine and to Steve Boser of Sensenich Propellers who got prop RPM's, recorded thrust and provided the table below. Steve cautions to avoid putting too much faith in these readings owing to how quickly recordings were made, the gusty conditions, and other random factors. He stresses that these variables likely leave an error  margin around +/- 2.5 pounds in the thrust measurement. While efforts were made to ensure accuracy, this was done for fun and represents only a very general comparison for the models tested.

RDM 100L is the newer RDM Light. “Belt” or “Gear” refers to the prop reduction. Propeller numbers represent length in inches first and pitch second. Pitch is how far forward the propeller would travel in a frictionless fluid after one revolution.

Also thanks to Elisabeth Geurin of Fly-By Ranch for helping with the thrust test information. Her compilation (some minor interpretive differences) can be seen below.

#      Owner        Paramotor                 Engine & Redrive             Prop                                                     RPM         Thrust

1      Aerolight     Fly Pwr Gold 130      Simonini mini 2 plus          Fly wood 2 blade 51”                          3140        169

2      Paralite       Paralite  Skycruiser   MZ belt                             Powerfin comp 3 blade 48”                 2623        169

3      Aerolight     Fly Power Gold 130  Simonini mini 2 plus          Fly wood 2 blade 51”                          3130        166

4      Aerolight     Fly Power Flash       Sky 100 Water                 Helix comp 3 blade                              2600        115

5      Paratour      SD RDM lite               RDM 100L belt                  Fresh Breeze comp 2 blade 48”         2450        118

6      Paralite        Paralite Skycruiser    RDM 100L belt                  Powerfin comp 3 blade 48”                 2330        113

7      Paralite        Paralite Skycruiser    Top 80 gear (3.6)             Sensenich wood 2 blade 46” x 23      2650        94

8      Indiv            WalkerJet (modified)  Raket belt                         wood 2 blade                                      2700        73

9      OhioPPG     Airfer Titan Mini          falcon 120 belt                 Aerobat wood 2 blade 39” x 37          2740        85

10    indiv             Explorer                    Hirth 312 belt                    Powerfin comp 3 blade 48”                 2516        155

11    OhioPPG      Airfer Tornado          Corsair M21Y belt            Aerobat wood 2 blade 39” x 26          3590        120

12    Indiv             Explorer                    Hirth 312 belt                    Powerfin comp 3 blade 48”                 2520        150

13    Indiv             Explorer 115              Solo 210 belt                    Geo Killey wood 2 blade                     2560        115

14    S.Skies         Fresh Breeze FB      Solo 210 belt                    Fresh Brz wood 2 blade 45” x 42       2370        111

15    OhioPPG      Airfer Tornado           M21Y belt                         Beres/Hirsh wood 2 blade 39” x 26    N/A          121

16    Indiv             Mark Maupin              Hirth 312 belt                    Powerfin comp 3 blade 48”                 2450        155

17    OhioPPG       Airfer Titan                Falcon 120 belt (3.4)        Aerobat wood 2 blade                        N/A          121

18    Indiv             Paralite Skycruiser    RDM 100 gear (3.84)        Sensenich wood 2 blade 48” x 32      N/A          114

 
# Owner Paramotor Engine & Redrive Prop RPM Thr #
1 Aerolight Fly Pwr Gold 130 Simonini mini 2 plus Fly wood 2 blade 51”  3140 169
2 Paralite Paralite Skycruiser MZ Belt Powerfin comp 3 blade 48" 2623 169
3 Aerolight Fly Power Gold 130 Simonini Mini 2+ Fly wood 2 blade 51" 3130  
4 Aerolight       2600  
5 Paratour       2450  
6 Paralite       2330  
7 Paralite       2650  
8 Indiv       2700  
9 OhioPPG       2740  
10 Indiv       2516  
11 OhioPPG       3590  
12 Indiv       2520  
13 Indiv       2560  
14 S.Skies       2370  
15 OhioPPG       N/A  
16 Indiv       2450  
17 OhioPPG       N/A  
18 Indiv       N/A  

This compilation is courtesy of Elisabeth Geurin of Fly-By Ranch

Notes from Elisabeth: "Steve Boser has sent us all the results.  Bruce Brown and Jeff Goin have seen the chart sent from Steve, but not all the original results, since they are written by hand.  From what I can count on the documents Steve sent us, there were at least 25 reported tests on engines, some times on the same PPG, but in a different time or day.  I have put in the chart the best results of each model only.  Those tests have been done in open air with various windy, often in very gusty conditions, with a various number of spectators around, moving from a place to another.  These tests were made more to entertain then to give exact results."

PPG make

Model

Engine

Propeller

Prop RPM

Thrust (lbs)

Paralite USA

Sky Cruiser MZ 100

MZ 100

Powerfin composite 3 blades 48’’

3140

168-170

Fly

Power Gold 130

Simonini mini 2 plus

Fly wood 2 blades 51’’

2623

168-170

Fresh Breeze

Monster

Hirth 312

Fresh Breeze composite 4 blades 48’’

2244

164

Airfer

Bimax

Cors-Air M21Y

BeresHirsh wood 2 blades 48”

3280

155

Xplorer

Xplorer

Hirth 312

Powerfin composite 3 blades 48’’?

2450

155

SD

SD RDM light

RDM light

Fresh Breeze composite 2 blades 48’’

2450

123

Airfer

Tornado

Titan

Aerobat wood 2 blades, 39’’

3590

121

Airfer

Titan Mini

Falcon 120

Aerobat wood 2 blades 39‘’

2740

117

Fly

Power Flash

Sky 100

Helix composite 3 blades

2600

115

Xplorer

Xplorer 115

Solo 210

Geo Killey wood 2 blades 48’’?

2560

115

Paralite USA

Sky Cruiser 100

RDM 100

Sensenich wood 2 blades 48’’

?

114

Paralite USA

Sky Cruiser 120

RDM 120

Powerfin composite 3 blades 48’’

2330

113

Fresh Breeze

Fresh Breeze 122

Solo 110

Fresh Breeze wood 2 blades 48’’

2370

111

Paralite USA

SkyCruiser 80

Top 80

Sensenich wood 2 blades 48’’

2730

104

Fresh Breeze

Fresh Breeze Radne

Raket 120

wood 2 blades   

2510

99

WalkerJet

WalkerJet

Raket 120

wood 2 blades

2700

73  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes from Elisabeth: Steve Boser has se