PAPILLON BODYGUARD 7, Руководство пользователя

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M A N UA L | PA P I L LO N | B O D YG UA R D 7 38 | 39
The BODYGUARD 7 is the latest develop-
ment in the upper EN-A segment. The
balanced flight and material characteristics
distinguish it as a particularly well-suited
companion from the first high altitude
flights to thermal flying and the first cross
country experiences.
Thanks to the lightweight fabric, its launch and
reverse launch characteristics are definitely
among the best and easiest in paragliding. At
the same time, the leading edge and upper
canopy are robust through the use of 5g/m2
heavy fabric and therefore also suitable for trai-
ning or frequent groundhandling.
Glide performance of the B-Class
In the air the BODYGUARD 7 impresses with a
glide ratio that until 2015 marked the B-Class.
In thermals it turns flat with very little sinking
and without dipping away. This is confirmed by
the test pilots, who have been the highest in the
test areas at all times. The reason for this is the
reduction of the minimum sink rate by 0.1 m/s
due to a larger surface area of approximately 2
square meters, which improves the climb perfor-
mance by around 10% compared to most other
gliders of almost all classes.
Its take-off speed is low, which is an enormous
advantage in the alpine terrain with little wind.
Landing is also much easier for beginners. The
trim speed is 33 - 36 km/h - depending on the
suspension weight - enough to safely fly against
the wind in a difficult meteorological environ-
ment. When the wind is increasing or during
cross country flights, the speed can be increased
to 44 to 48 km/h, depending on the load, using
the speed system.
Extreme flight conditions
Extreme flight conditions are also extremely rare
and can occur practically only after weather-in-
duced overburden. In principle, the profile of the
canopy is considered to be one of the most sta-
ble so far (see DHV Safetyclass Emotion 3, (same
profile)). Even if it did collapse, the wing reacted
with low overall dynamics in countless tests.
In collapses it turns away between 90° (and
only with large collapses) up to a maximum of
180°, dives moderately forward and has got my
personal best marks for collapses in the lower to
medium weight range due to the low sink rate.
Even simpler behaviour in collapses was only
observed with lower performance paragldiers
(see “Fluglehrerpraxistests Papillon”). Frontal
collapses immediate re-open occurs after a
moderate dive forward. All in all, the dynamic in
frontal collapses is also low.
Rapid Descent Methods
The B-stable is reliable and easy to fly compared
to its predecessor models Bodyguard 1 to 3. The
wing tilts slightly backwards during the intro-
ductory phase, begins to sink and remains very
stable, even with asymmetrical operation. The
sink rate is slightly lower due to its larger sur-
face area of 10 m/s compared to other models.
The recovery is immediate without delay. The
most common rapid descent method is using
“Big Ears”. The outer lines are very well marked.
They allow a simple entry for relaxed flying with
a higher descent rate, which can be increased
from 2.5 m/ s to 3.5 m/s with the use of a speed
system. The recovery is immediate. I have only
flown the spiral with the BODYGUARD 7 a few
times. The wing has comparatively longer lines,
which leads to slightly higher centrifugal forces
in the manoeuvre. Therefore, this manoeuvre
is only acceptable with training. For sink rates
above 10m/s, an active flying style is required for
the recovery to avoid further turning. However,
active flying is the basis for flying spirals, which
are regarded as the most demanding rapid
descent method. In the upper weight range, the
glider is very manoeuvrable, which also means
increased dynamics in all exceptional flight con-
ditions due to the lower roll damping. Talented
pilots can experience their first stalls, flightbacks,
helis and sats on the BODYGUARD 7. I had great
fun, because all manoeuvres remain slower and
thus also suitable for older test pilots ;)
My conclusion
The BODYGUARD 7 is the first recommendation
our average customer profile due to our safety
requirements and our claim to promise the most
balanced * flying characteristics.
– Andreas Schubert, Papillon Paragliding
* Greatest measurable glide performance with the safest
tested extreme flight characteristics
BODYGUARD 7: THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN THE
UPPER EN-A SEGMENT.