MAC PARA MacJet, User Manual

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17
FLYING THE MACJET
Flight
Once in the air after take off at a higher angle of attack it some gliders may have a
tendency to roll under full power. The torque and gyro moments lift the pilot to one side;
you then drop back only to swing up again. Generally such roll oscillations usually occur
with greater engine output and propeller diameter, lower wing loading. The more brake
input the bigger the roll tendency. In this case the safest way to deal with this is to
throttle back a bit and release the brakes. Novice paramotoring pilots tend to be
especially prone to overreacting. Do not forget - release the brakes.
The MacJet can reach speeds of 39-43 km/h on neutral setting depending on the weight
of the pilot. Always fly with sufficient clearance from the terrain. With power off the
MacJet glides best with open brakes, descends best with lightly applied brakes and
trims closed. We recommend that, to give yourself the chance to get used to it, your first
flights should be made on or just below the neutral range of trim settings, where, the
glider will feel more familiar, like a conventional wing. With this trim, try to fly with a
small amount of brake - at the point where they just begin to feel heavier. In turbulent air
fly with brakes lightly applied (10-15 cm) to maintain some internal pressure and avoid
canopy collapse. If the canopy pendulums forward, this should be corrected by prompt
application of the brakes. A pendulum movement of the canopy backwards is corrected
by easing the brakes in good time. When you have become fully confident in your wing,
try experimenting with slower and faster trim-settings, weight-shift and speed bar and
enjoy the extra speed and security the MacJet offers you.
Different trim settings
The MacJet has a wide speed range in flight by virtue of the different trim
settings. This may demand higher pilot attention in flight. Anyway once used to
it you will appreciate the abilities of the wide speed range.
With the trims fully open (trim buckle over the white line) the wing’s speed increases
(good for long transitions). The canopy becomes stiffer and is less sensitive to
turbulence and its stability improves. On faster trim settings or when flying on speed bar
the brake forces rapidly increase and the handling decreases. When the trims are fully
opened and you are not flying close to the ground we recommend steering with the wing
tip steering handles. It is the special feature of the reflex profile - the faster you fly, the
safer your glider is. Some pilots with free-flying experience may have a tendency to
keep the brakes slightly applied at all times. Such a technique, while quite reasonable
on a free-flying wing, is not advisable for reflex gliders. When you apply the brakes with
released trims, the wing loses its reflex characteristic (and the advantage of stability)
and may be more prone to collapse.
On the slower settings (trim buckle under the white line), sink rate improves
and handling becomes lighter, whilst giving you an improved climb rate for
thermaling and shorter and slower take-offs and landings. Do not hesitate to
use thermals in order to gain some altitude and save fuel.