 Resources: The Gear
by Jeff Goin
Condensed, excerpts from
"The Powered Paragliding Bible"
There are many factors that go into choosing gear. Any seller that calls his gear the "Best"
doesn't understand aviation. It may be the "best" for one area or another but will not be the best at every area.
Be suspicious of sellers that don't acknowledge that fact and who will probably lead you astray in other areas also.
It is far more important to choose a reputable
school than it is to choose gear.
Wing
Certification (Maneuver Rating)
DULV, DHV, AFNOR (Now CEN) are independent agencies that put
wings through a prescribed set of tests to measure recovery from situations that
pilots might encounter. They also test wing strength and some other parameters.
Beginners should only fly certified wings. Few are tested with
motors (DULV does), the rating provides a solid foundation of knowledge as to
how the wing behaves in many situations. The most accepted ratings are 1 for the
most benign and 3 for the most challenging (used by competition soaring pilots
mostly).
Beginners and those who desire the least risk should choose
DHV 1 or 1-2 wings.
Size
Heavier people/motors require bigger wings. Higher elevations
require bigger wings.
Smaller wings (for your weight) will be faster, nimbler,
easier to inflate, require more power, require a faster launch run. Any time you
increase speed, you increases risk to some degree - a collision with anything
will be worse.
Too large a wing increases susceptibility to parachutal stall
and getting blown back. Too small makes a collapse less likely but worse if it
happens. Plus it requires a faster launch run.
Efficiency
Usually higher certification levels equate to more efficiency,
a desirable trait for soaring wings but not generally as important for motor
wings.
Speed
Wings that are known for high speed also require more power.
An efficient, fast wing will burn more fuel per hour but about the same amount of fuel per
mile.
Handling
Some wings require lots of brake input to induce a turn. These
are generally good beginner wings because it's harder for the pilot to get into
oscillations or overbrake.
Wings with good handling will require less brake pressure and
it will induce more bank. Design, small size and short lines all contribute to
"sporty" handling. Some of the best handling wings also will get into
a dive quicker and must be well managed.
Sporty, high performance wings require even more attention
because they surge (move forward) in the presence of a vertical updraft. It can
be significant.
Motor
Thrust
More thrust will generally make launch easier (up to a point)
and will yield better climb.
All motors have torque, the more thrust, the more torque. Too
much thrust can make a motor difficult or dangerous to launch. Most of torque's
effect can be mitigated through careful adjustment of the harness - see your
instructor for this.
Weight
Heavier is obviously more difficult to manage on launch. Also,
weight that pulls you back is worse than weight that allows you to balance
easily. One 60 pound motor can feel a lot worse than another 60 pound motor, you
have to try them on while talking with someone who knows how to adjust it. This
is where working with the dealer is most beneficial.
If you just "pick up" a motor and don't get to try
it on under the guidance of someone who knows how to set it up, you are doing
yourself a great disservice.
Safety
There is no evidence that suggests one motor to be
"safer" than another. Gas tank placement on top or bottom has made no
difference whatsoever in the likelihood of a fire (an incredibly rare event).
Motors where the cage extends below the seat provides some
additional protection in case of vertical impact.
By far, BY FAR, the single biggest factor in safety is
the pilot's decision to launch under the conditions at hand and fly in a
responsible manner. Make sure you have seen Risk &
Reward!
Comfort
Personal taste plays a lot, obviously, but you should be able
to sit back without feeling pressure anywhere on your body. A simulator is good
but have your instructor push you forward to feel what it will be like in
flight.
J-bars (above the arms), comfort bars (below the arms) and
other support structure endeavor to keep the risers from pressing against the
pilots chest while balancing the motor properly. They each have their own merit
and must be adjusted carefully. Don't make a judgement unless an
instructor, familiar with the machine, can have you try it.
Ease of Launch
Many factors come into play, minimizing torque is the biggest.
Too much torque can render a motor unlaunchable or dangerous to launch. It can
happen that you get in the air and torque twists you all the way around in the
risers resulting in a nearly immediate and potentially catastrophic fall.
Portability
There are several elements to this. Ultimate portability
(travels in a suitcase) also requires more time to assemble/disassemble. If
your most common trip is in a car then it may be more work to disassemble such a
machine each trip than another machine that comes apart quicker but doesn't
break down as small.
If you travel with your gear on an airliner or via shipping, then
make sure can fit in an airline-legal size. Beware
though that many airlines won't take motors of any kind even it fits into an airline approved suitcase does not means
that the airline will transport it.
If you travel with your gear mostly in a car or van, consider those
that break down just enough to fit. It may be that a machine who's
cage top comes off with just Velcro would be more ideal.
Hook-In Points
Higher hook-in points generally give the pilot less motion in
turbulence but also less feel of the wing. Sometimes special shorter risers
(motor risers) are required to fly those with the highest hook-in points.
The lowest hook-in points allow weight shift but just having
low hook-in points means it has significant weight shift. Nearly every machine
intended to do weight shift has a pivoting arm. Even on those machines where the
primary weight shift method is to tilt the entire machine, they still employ
pivoting arms to aid the process.
The hook-in point affects how far the machine tilts back. It
should tilt no more than 15 degrees. More tilting aggravates any affect of
torque.
Weight Shift
The ability to move one riser up while the other riser moves
down is weight shift. Various methods are employed and the effect is measured
solely by observing how much the risers move. If there are no pivoting arms or
sliding arrangement, the machine will not likely have significant weight shift.
Machines that do have weight shift will be "busier"
in flight since movement of the wing will be transferred to the pilot.
|
