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37
Paraglider fabric
We use a top grade polyamide cloth to
build our paragliders, which has a special
protective coating against UV radiation
and air permeability. The cloth will suffer
though; if it‟s exposed to large amounts of
UV (i.e. bright sunlight). Do not leave your
glider lying in the sun for any longer than
is absolutely necessary, only unpack and
rig right before launching and do yourself
the favour of repacking right after landing.
Modern paraglider textiles have improved
much in terms of UV durability but UV
exposure remains the deciding factor of a
paragliders' life expectancy. First the
colours start to fade, then the coating and
the structural integrity of the synthetic
fibres begins to deteriorate.
On UP gliders the coated side of the cloth
is facing inwards. This means that the
coating is subjected to less mechanical
abrasion while the porosity-limiting
capabilities remain the same
When choosing an area to lay out the
glider before launching, try to find
somewhere that is relatively free of stones
and sharp rocks. Pay particular attention
to the top surface, where it lies on the
ground.
Never step on your glider
– stepping on it
will weaken the cloth, especially if the
surface beneath it is hard or contains
sharp objects. We recommend keeping an
eye on spectators on launch. Many,
especially children, do not fully appreciate
the fragility of the lines and cloth. It is
usually easy to explain this to spectators
and parents.
When folding your wing please make sure
that there are no insects caught inside.
Many insect species contain acids that
could damage the cloth. Grasshoppers
may use their sharp mandibles to attempt
to gnaw their way out of a folded canopy,
making it full of holes in the process.
Beside they exude a dark and strong
colorant that will stain the cloth if
grasshoppers are packed inside. Shoo
them off before packing. Note that,
contrary to popular belief these
particular insects are not attracted to
any particular colours.
If the glider gets wet, then dry it as
soon as possible, but not in direct
sunlight! If you pack you wing away
wet it may grow mildewy and, if also
subjected to heat, the fabric fibres may
begin to decompose.
A new wing straight off the shelves is
often compressed hard. The
compression serves to reduce
shipping costs but should note be
repeated once the wing has been
unpacked and flown for the first time.
Also note that, in spite of it being a
comfortable seat, the glider bag should
not be used as such.
Should you accidentally put your UP
Summit XC² into seawater rinse it out
thoroughly with fresh water and dry it
slowly in the shade (see Chapter
Cleaning).
Paraglider lines
The lines used on the UP Summit XC²
are high grade Dyneema
®
and Aramid
lines from Cousin Trestec and Edelrid.
Keep the following points in mind:
The lines should be checked
regularly for damage.
Please take care to avoid
abrasion and damage to the lines'
protective sheeting
The lines should not be knotted or
bent unnecessarily.
The main brake line at the handle
should not have too many knots.
Each knot weakens the line.
After any line over-stressing (tree
landings, water landings and other
Содержание Summit XC2
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