Skywalk TONIC2, Pro Manual

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TONIC2
EN
7 DESCENT TECHNIQUES
PULLING BIG EARS
In contrast to the spiral, your forward speed with »big ears« is higher than your
rate of descent. This rapid descent aid is used to quickly exit danger zones by flying
straight ahead in a desired direction.
The risk of collapses in turbulent air is significantly reduced with big ears. To perform
this maneuver, proceed as follows (according to DHV teaching instructions):
> Step on the speed bar half-way, grab the outer A-lines (AIII) above the line shackle
with your palms facing outward and pull the lines down.
> Now press the speed bar all the way. Keep the brake handles and the outer A-lines
in your hands during the maneuver.
> Check the symmetry of the collapsed glider.
> To recover, slowly release the A-lines. The glider usually will reinflate by itself.
> As soon as the glider is fully open, release the speed bar.
> To speed up reinflation, pull lightly on the brakes. Another proven technique
is to first reinflate one side of the glider, then then other. This can reduce the
risk
of a stall.
Examples:
> If the pilot is surprised near a summit with little ground clearance by strong wind or a
thundercloud, neither a B-stall nor a spiral dive can help.
> If the pilot is stuck in very strong lift, it is advisable to exit the lift band with the use of
big ears and to find sinking air in which to lose altitude.
B-LINE STALL
The B-lines are pulled down symmetrically 10-15 cm. Keep the brake handles in the re-
spective hands. The airflow on top of the profile largely detaches and the paraglider de-
scends without flying forward. Pulling hard on the B-risers allows you to decrease the area
of the wing and increase your sink rate, but this also increases the risk of the wing form-
ing a rosette to the front. If this happens, recovery from the B-stall immediately!
You can exit the stall by quick and symmetric release of the B-lines. The paraglider will
pitch forward and pick up speed. At no time you may use the brakes in this case!
You can find further information about descent techniques in the enclosed “BASIC GUIDE”.
8 MATERIALS
The skywalk TONIC2 is manufactured from the highest quality materials. skywalk has
selected the best possible combination of materials with regard to resilience, perfor-
mance and longevity. We are aware that the durability of the glider is a deciding factor
in the pilot’s satisfaction.
WINGS AND RIBS
Upper sail: Porcher Skytex 38g / Dominico Dokdo 32g
Lower sail: Porcher Skytex 27g
Ribs: Porcher Skytex 27g hard
LINES
A, B, C Main lines: Liros PPSLS 180/125
A, B, C Middle lines: Liros PPSLS 125/65
A, B, C Top lines: Liros DC 60
Brake lines: Liros DFLP 200/32, PPSLS 65
RISERS
The risers are made of 12mm webbing. Stretching values, strength and stability
of this material is among the highest of all webbing products available.
The TONIC2 is also available with 6 mm Dyneema risers. The Dyneema risers do not
have trimmers.
9 HOMOLOGATION
The TONIC2 is certified to LTF II 91/09 and EN926-1, EN926-2 in the category B and C.
The TONIC2 is defined as a lightweight sport aircraft with an empty weight of less than
120kg in the paraglider category. The many homologation tests are the last hurdle in
the development of a skywalk paraglider. The homologation test flights only take place
when the test team is completely happy with the glider development.
We remark that the certification results will differ during flight in thermals or turbulent air.
The homologation informs solely regarding the paraglider performance during extreme-
flight- manoeuvres performed in stable air conditions. These extreme-flight-manoeu-
vres during the homologation process should thus not be over-valued.
Remember that certification maneuvers were carried out with a harness in the group
GH with a carabiner distance (middle to middle) of 42-46 cm. If another harness is used,
the glider may display flight characteristics that differ from those in the description.
Homologation 9 8 Descent techniques | Materials