XIX PARAGLIDES SMILE, Owner'S Manual

Page: 6 / 16

Owners Manu
al
XIX SMILE
6
IMPORTANT : it must be possible to release the
speed bar at any time and it should not be able to
be snagged on anything. In the ‘off‘ position the
speed system should have at least 5 cm of slack
for safety reasons
(check this!) . Get a friend to
help you by holding up the risers when you install
the speed bar.
If you activate the speed system, the lengths of
the various risers are altered in relation to each
other. This reduces the angle of attack, and con-
sequently the drag and lift, which causes the glider
to fly faster until a stable point of flying is reached
again at a higher speed.
With the speed system activated, you can fly
out of sink zones more quickly, improve your
glide angle when there is too much head wind
or simply fly faster. Always bear in mind that the
tendency of any glider to collapse will increase
with higher speeds because the angle of attack is
reduced. If you are not completely comfortable,
return immediately to normal-speed flight .
If you are flying at speed, pay careful attention
to the leading edge – ease off the speed bar to
avoid a collapse if there is any deformation in the
leading edge, if the A-risers ease or if your legs
sense reduced pressure in the speed bar. It is pos-
sible that the leading edge will vibrate slightly or
become misshapen at higher speed, but this is no
cause for concern.
Never use the speed system close to the
ground or in turbulence especially not just
before landing.
It is much safer to fly backwards than to fly at full
speed where there is ground turbulence. Glider
collapses occur more frequently at speed, the gli-
der reacts more quickly and more experience is
required to bring the glider back under control.
If your paraglider collapses at speed, release the
speed bar immediately and use the brakes to re-
gain control of the glider.
Altering the brake
lines
Unfortunately the brake lines are often altered
but this is
1. not permitted and
2. not recommended under any circum-
stances, as there can be serious draw-
backs.
When we manufacture a paraglider, we set the
brakes to the optimal length and obtain certifi-
cation. Shortening or lengthening the brake lines
affects extreme flying and performance, especially
when flying at speed.
Lengthening the brake lines also has a detrimental
effect on handling.
We therefore strongly advise that you do
not alter the length of the brake lines.
Quick descent
Never let go of the brakes during the following
manoeuvres - you will then be able to react
immediately if any problems arise during these
moves, which are demanding at the best of times
You are probably already familiar with several ra-
pid descent methods.
‘Big ears‘
The best descent method is big ears because only
the wing loading and the sink rate increase and no
stall occurs. Sufficient forward speed is maintai-
ned and reduced manoeuvrability is possible
though weight-shifting.
The sink rate is not as high as with other descent
methods, but maintaining forward motion allows
you to fly out of a lift band.
The
SMILE has a split A-riser system. This makes
big ears easier because you do not need to spend
time looking for the right A-risers. To carry out
this manoeuvre, grab the outside A-risers and pull
them down towards you.
The sink rate and forward velocity can be incre-
ased by using the speed system. This is a very
stable flying position. You will only be able to turn
the glider by weight-shifting. The sink rate increa-
ses to approximately 4-5 m/s.