24
Section 5
Flying the APUS RS
4. Does the weather, in particular wind
direction and strength, allow a safe
flight?
5. Are the airspace and launch area
clear?
Launch
We recommend a forwards launch if there is
little wind. Pull up the glider with the lines
stretched. It is not necessary to use any
momentum to launch the APUS RS and/or
to start running with slack lines.
While the glider is rising, guide the A-risers
evenly
upwards
in
an
arc,
without
shortening them. Avoid pulling hard on the
risers. The APUS RS launches very easily
and is easy to control. Launching is even
easier if the canopy is arranged in a half-
moon shape.
The APUS RS is suitable for reverse-
launching from wind speeds of 3m/s. The
pilot turns around to face the glider with the
updraft coming from behind. Pulling on the
front lines makes the canopy start to rise
above the pilot, as in a forwards launch. The
pilot should turn around into the direction of
flight when the canopy reaches its highest
point, and can then begin to run and take
off.
This method of launch makes it easier for
the pilot to control the rising of the canopy
and to carry out fine-tuning, so is therefore
recommended in strong winds.
WARNING
The pilot must work actively to keep the
glider on the ground in higher wind
speeds (from approx. 6 m/s), otherwise
the glider may rise above the pilot
unintentionally.
PLEASE NOTE
When reverse launching or when ground-
handling, be careful not to loop the brake
lines through the risers because this can
damage the risers.
Level flight
When the brakes are open, the APUS RS
’s
flight is stable and level. The brake lines can
be used to adjust the speed according to the
flight situation, to ensure the optimum level
of performance and safety.
The best glide speed in calm air on the
APUS RS is achieved with the brakes fully
open. Minimum sink is reached by pulling
approx. 10 cm of brake. If the brakes are
pulled more, the sink does not reduce any
further, the control pressures increase
noticeably and the pilot reaches minimum
speed.
Turns
With the APUS RS, SWING has developed
a glider which reacts immediately to steering
input and is extremely responsive. The
APUS RS performs best in turns when it is
flown with sufficient speed and weight-
shifting. Too much braking increases the
sink rate.
The APUS RS has extremely low negative
tendency, so it can also be turned in a tight
area by carefully pulling the inside brake
line.
If the brakes are applied more, the bank
attitude increases and the glider will fly a
WARNING
Flying too slowly close to stall speed
increases the risk of an unintentional
asymmetric or full stall. This speed range
should therefore be avoided and used
only on landing.
