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Pilots Manual

Summary of Contents for ALPINA 4

Page 1: ...Pilots Manual ...

Page 2: ... flying 10 Landing 11 Advanced Flying Techniques 12 Big ears 12 B line stall 12 Spiral dives 13 C riser control 13 EN v1 1 July 2019 Incidents 15 Deflations 15 Cravats 16 Parachutal stall 16 Flying in the rain 17 Caring For Your wing 18 Caring Tips 18 Packing 19 Storage and transport 22 Cleaning 22 Repairs 22 Maintenance checks 23 Modifications 24 Ozone Quality 25 Summary 25 Technical Specificatio...

Page 3: ...ts we fully understand just how big an investment a new paraglider is We know that quality and value for money are essential considerations when choosing a new wing so to keep costs low and quality high we manufacture all of our products in our own production facility During production our wings undergo numerous rigorous quality control checks that are fully traceable this way we can guarantee tha...

Page 4: ... parachutes that are free from modification and use them only within their certified weight ranges Please remember that flying a glider outside its certified configuration may jeopardise any insurance e g liability life etc you have It is your responsibility as the pilot to verify your insurance cover Make sure you complete a thorough daily and pre flight inspection of all of your equipment Never ...

Page 5: ...deal of experience both flying paragliders and designing harnesses Between them they bring a wealth of knowledge ideas and experience and work closely together in the design development and testing process Mike Cavanagh is the boss and multiple winner of the UK XC league when not out flying he generally keeps control of the mayhem He is helped by Jean Christophe Skiera JC who manages our distribut...

Page 6: ...e handling can be exploited at all times even in the strongest roughest thermals The cohesion of the sail coupled with this solidity is confidence inspiring It reduces the demands on the pilot allowing you to use the full XC potential of the day A new riser control system allows full control in accelerated flight Acting on both the B and C risers this innovative system offers direct efficient angl...

Page 7: ... bow in them to guarantee no deformation of the trailing edge when accelerated There must be a minimum of 5 10cm of free play before the brakes begin to deform the trailing edge This prevents the trailing edge from being deformed when using the speed system Risers The Mantra M7 has been designed with 3 risers per side The A risers are covered with coloured webbing for easy identification and split...

Page 8: ...alified tow operator with proper certified equipment and make sure all towing regulations are observed When towing you must be certain that the paraglider is completely over your head before you start In each case the maximum tow force needs to correspond to the body weight of the pilot Limitations The Mantra M7 has been designed as a high performance solo XC competition wing and is for experience...

Page 9: ...Fully extending the lower loop of the speed bar will accelerate the wing to approximately half its accelerated speed range For full speed hook your heels on to the upper bar and smoothly extend your legs maximum speed is when the pulleys on the risers overlap Once set up test the full range of the accelerator in calm flying conditions and ensure that both risers are pulled evenly during operation ...

Page 10: ...igns of obvious damage The general rule is if it looks OK then it is OK however if you have any doubts please get advice from an experienced pilot or your local dealer or instructor To familiarise yourself with the glider it is a good idea to perform practice inflations and small flights on a training hill This will enable you to set up your equipment correctly Take off checklist 1 Check reserve p...

Page 11: ...launch Reverse Launch Light to Strong Winds Lay out your wing as you would for the forward launch However this time turn to face it passing one entire set of risers over your head as you turn Now you can inflate the glider with your body weight and the A risers Once the wing is overhead release the risers brake gently if necessary turn and launch In stronger winds be prepared to take a few steps t...

Page 12: ...ou feel a reduction or loss of pressure quickly apply the brakes until you feel normal pressure again Once you have normal pressure raise the hands back to the original position Avoid flying with continuous amounts of deep brake in rough air as you could inadvertently stall the wing always consider your airspeed The brake inputs can be symmetric or asymmetric you may have to apply both brakes or j...

Page 13: ...u are able to step onto the ground In light winds zero wind you need a strong long and progressive flare to bleed off all your excess ground speed In strong winds your forward speed is already low so you are flaring only to soften the landing A strong flare may result in the glider climbing upwards and backwards quickly leaving you in a vulnerable position If the glider does begin to climb ease of...

Page 14: ...e outermost C line on each side CR3 then pull out and down until the wingtips peel backwards Keep hold of the CR3 lines to maintain the ears directional control while using the C3 ears should be with weight shift To reopen the ears release both CR3 lines at the same time the tips will automatically return to normal Once the C3 ears are engaged you can further increase the sink rate by pushing on t...

Page 15: ... circumstances unsuitable chest strap setting too tight total weight in flight outside of the certified weight range or being in a very deep spiral at a very high sink rate 14m s You should always be prepared to pilot the wing out of a spiral dive To do so use opposite weight shift and smoothly apply enough outside brake until you feel the wing start to decelerate the glider will then start to res...

Page 16: ...riser control is very effective up to about speed however during the last few cms of speed bar travel C riser control on its own becomes less effective and can lead to a collapse When flying faster than speed we recommend to control the pitch of the wing actively using a combination of the speed bar and C riser input If you feel the nose of the wing start to collapse or pitch forward whilst accele...

Page 17: ...he glider turning towards the collapsed side of the wing you must be very careful not to stall the side of the wing that is still flying If you are unable to stop the glider turning without exceeding the stall point then allow the glider to turn whilst you reinflate the collapse If you have a deflation which does not spontaneously reinflate make a long smooth progressive pump on the deflated side ...

Page 18: ...chute immediately whilst you still have enough altitude Deep Stall Parachutal Stall It is possible for gliders to enter a state of parachutal stall This can be caused by several situations including a very slow release from a B line stall flying the glider when wet or after a front symmetric deflation The glider often looks as though it has recovered properly but carries on descending vertically w...

Page 19: ...oided at all costs If you are accidently caught out in a rain shower it is best to land immediately If your wing becomes wet in the air it is advised to maintain accelerated flight using the speed bar and or releasing the trimmers even during the final approach DO NOT use big ears as a descent technique big ears increases drag and with a wet wing this will further increase the chances of a parachu...

Page 20: ... car will significantly increase the chances of premature ageing If you fly with a wrap you should regularly undo the twisting that appears on the main brake lines By twisting the line become shorter and you can end up with a constant tension on the trailing edge Change your main brake lines if they are damaged When groundhandling be careful to not saw the brake lines against the risers or main li...

Page 21: ...the concertina folds near the B and C tabs Packing To prolong the life of your wing and to keep the plastic reinforcements in the best possible condition it is very important to pack the wing carefully We recommend to use the concertina packing method exactly as shown so that all of the cells rest alongside each other and the plastic reinforcements are not unnecessarily bent It is also good practi...

Page 22: ... Once the LE and TE of the wing have been sorted turn the whole wing on its side Step 5 Strap the Folding Pillow below the LE at the point of the first fold The pillow reduces the angle of the fold and helps preserve the plastics Next fold the TE over the LE being careful to not fold with tight angles ...

Page 23: ...PORTANT Do NOT lay the wing flat on the ground before packing the glider this will cause abrasion damage to the top surface as you pull the glider towards the middle ALWAYS pack from a mushroom or lift the wing off the ground when gathering the wing and grouping the leading edge IMPORTANT Do not fold the glider in the centre you will bend the plastics instead pack the wing with a full concertina m...

Page 24: ...s the surface If you land in salt water you must first rinse it thoroughly with clean fresh water Dry the wing completely preferably out of the sun in the wind Never use a hair dryer or other sources of direct heat Wing Repairs Always let a registered dealer professional repair centre or the manufacturer carry out any major or complex repairs especially those near seam margins If you damage the sa...

Page 25: ...ensions of the lines tend to move during the first part of their life it is therefore recommended to have a performance trim check within the first 50hrs of use To ensure the correct trim the lines should be measured and adjusted to the published values as necessary Loops in the C lines along with loops attaching the B risers are in place to make the trimming process easier During the life of the ...

Page 26: ...e to the minimum value calculated the professional should give a period after which the strength test should be performed again Lengths of the lines The overall length riser lines mid lines upper lines has to be checked under 5Kgs of tension The difference between the measured length and the original length should not exceed 10mm Compliance of the test sample s suspension lines brake lines and ris...

Page 27: ... to the dangers around us To achieve this we must fly as regularly as we can ground handle as much as possible and take a continuous interest in the weather If you are lacking in any of these areas you will be exposing yourself to more danger than is necessary Every year many pilots get hurt launching don t be one of them Launching is the time that you are most exposed to danger so practice it lot...

Page 28: ...10 5 Flat Span m 11 2 11 6 12 1 12 5 12 9 13 3 Projected Aspect Ratio 4 7 4 7 4 7 4 7 4 7 4 7 Flat Aspect Ratio 6 5 6 5 6 5 6 5 6 5 6 5 Root Chord m 2 17 2 27 2 35 2 44 2 51 2 6 Glider Weight kg 4 59 4 86 5 2 5 45 5 62 5 99 Approximate Control Travel cm 50 50 55 60 65 76 Certified Weight Range kg 60 75 70 85 80 95 90 105 100 115 110 130 Certification EN LTF D D D D D D XL S MS ML L XS ...

Page 29: ...s Cell Openings Riser Lines Middle Lines Upper Lines Stabilo Line Brake Lines Upper Surface Lower Surface Butt Hole TECHNICAL DRAWINGS EN 27 Non Accelerated Accelerated Pulleys axis axis A 550mm B 550mm C 550mm A 395mm B 473mm C 550mm ...

Page 30: ...AR1 AR2 AR3 CR1 CR2 CRL3 K1 KMU1 KMU2 KMU3 KMU4 KMU5 KMU6 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 KML1 KML3 KML2 KRL1 KRU1 B13 B14 CR3 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 CMU1 A Riser C Riser Brake handle A2 Riser AM7 CMU2 CMU3 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 B Riser CM1 CM2 CM3 CM5 CM4 BR1 BR2 BR3 AR4 BM5 LINE DIAGRAM 28 Individual and linked line lengths can be found online ...

Page 31: ...face Dominico 30D MF Lower Surface Porcher 7000 E71 Internal Ribs Dominico 30D FM Porcher 7000 E91 Leading Edge Reinforcement 2 5 1 8 1 4mm Plastic Main Line Set Riser Lines Edelrid 8000U 90 130 190 230 Middle Lines Edelrid 8000U 50 70 90 130 Edelrid 9200U 30 Upper Lines Edelrid 8000U 70 90 Edelrid 9200U 30 Risers and hardware Shackles Maillon Rapides Riser webbing 12mm zero stretch polyester webb...

Page 32: ...1258 Route de Grasse Le Bar sur Loup 06620 France ...

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