WINDTECH ZEPHYR Series Manual de usuario
ZEPHYR
manual
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Windtech
w w w . w i n d t e c h . e s
ZEPHYR
XS-S-M-L
flight manual
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> index
> congratulations ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5
> warning &liability ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 6
> construction &materials ––––––––––––––––––––––– 6
> certification –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7
> best glide –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7
> flight ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 8
-- launch ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 8
-- strong wind –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 9
> thermal flying –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 9
> flying in turbulence –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 9
-- asymmetric tuck ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
-- frontal tuck –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
-- asymmetric stall (spin)–––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
-- landing –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
> weather to fly ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
> emergency procedures &quick descent techniques –12
-- big ears ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 12
-- spiral drive ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 12
-- b stall ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13
> maintenance –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13
> warranty ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 14
> technical specifications–––––––––––––––––––––––––15
> line measurements ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––18
> flight log ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 19
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> congratulations
Congratulations on the purchase of your new paraglider
The ZEPHYR has been designed for intermediate and experienced pilots that are looking
for a superb all round performing wing with incredibly sweet, dynamic handling , and
absolutely minimal compromise in stability. The ZEPHYR's amazing balance of perform-
ance, ease of use and stabilty with give your flying skills and confidence a massive boost,
and take you easily to new levels of acheivement!
We strongly recommend that before you even unfold the ZEPHYR you read this manual
carefully in order to be aware of any general limitations, performance characteristics,
take off and flight characteristics, landing procedures, dealing with emergency situations
and general maintenance.
We appreciate your feedback, so please send us your comments, positive or negative, in
regard to the
Windtech
range.
You are the best feedback and support for future products, and please remember that we
are always happy to give you any help and advice.
best winds
>
Windtech
team
6
> warning &liability
This manual has been created to give the pilot help and hints to help with the correct
operation of this wing. By no means is this a substitute of a training course, or appro-
priate experience gained with years and hours of airtime, nor is this manual intended to
give pilot´s knowledge regarding flight safety.
Windtech
assumes that the purchasing pilot has the appropriate pilot's licence, has
taken a training course, and has the suitable ability and enough experience to safely fly
the ZEPHYR.
This manual cannot be used for operational purposes. The flight log and registration card
must be filled and stamped by the dealer and returned to
Windtech
in order to claim
on the guarantee.
The use of this paraglider is entirely at the user's own risk. As with any adventure sport
paragliding is a high risk activity-especially without taking the appropriate precautions
- therefore it must be absolutely understood that
Windtech
and the dealer do not
accept any responsibility for accidents, losses, injuries, direct or indirect damage follow-
ing the use or misuse of this product
> desing materials
The ZEPHYR offers total security, along with beautiful handling and incredible perform-
ance. The performance is very high due to a well-defined structure with 52 cells, with an
internal structure comprised of diagonals of different types, depending on the width of
the cell and an optimized line layout to reduce the overall number of lines.
--cloth
The upper and lower panels are made with 45 gr. Porcher Marine Skytex nylon. The ribs
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are made with stronger (slighly heavier grade) nylon of to prevent aerofoil deformation,
even after several years of intensive use. Rib (cell wall) reinforcements are made of
Dacron 310-180 gr. Line attachment points are made of polyester.
--lines
The lines are made of Superaramid kevlar covered with a polyester sheath for protection
against wear, UV and abrasion. The riser karabiners, also called "Maillons Rapide", are
made with stainless steel of. Risers are made of pre-stretched polyester.
> certification
The ZEPHYR is a paraglider of a intermediate level that has passed the tests of the EN.
level Bwith great success. This glider has successfully passed the EN shock test with a
weight equal to the maximum total (all up) take-off weight. This means that the
paraglider is certified to resist to a load of 8 (eight) times the gravitational acceleration
(8 G´s).
As regards the weight range of the glider, ALWAYS be certain that you are within the
correct weight range of the glider. To fly under-weight or over-weight can adversely
affect the stability of the ZEPHYR and flown as such it will no longer be certified.
> best glide &the speed
system
Best glide in nil wind, and still air, is
obtained at “trim” speed- that is brakes
fully released and no accelerator (speed
bar) applied. It is always best to fly with
a light pressure on the brakes, keeping a
“feel” on the wing in case of unexpected
turbulence.
When flying into (against the) wind a
better glide can be obtained by using the
speed system. The following is rough
guide line as to how much to apply.
-With around 10 km/h (6,2 Mph) of head
wind, best glide is obtained with 25%
accelerator applied.-With around 10
km/h of head wind, best glide is obtained
with 25% accelerator.
-With around 15-25 km/h of head wind,
best glide is obtained with 50%accelerator.
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-With around +25 km/h of head wind, best glide is obtained with 75-100% accelerator.
When flying downwind (wind from behind) the best glide is obtained between 0% brake
and 10% of brake.
The ZEPHYR is a EN level Baccelerated but using the accelerator system close to the
ground is not advisable and it should be released as soon as turbulent air is encountered.
Note that the glide angle is not affected by the wing loading, but that the security is.
Always fly a glider that is the correct size for you, and remember that if your flying
weight is below the stated minimum, the speed range will diminish and inflation prob-
lems may appear. Also the handling will degrade in turbulent conditions, and it will be
easier to sustain collapses. If your flying weight is above the stipulated weight range, this
will result in a higher minimum speed and faster landing speed and the stall speed of the
glider will also be higher.
The ZEPHYR has a brake of medium
weight resistance (from 1.5 to 3 kg of
force) for the majority of manoeuvres. To
reach the stall (never recommended on any
type of paraglider), requires more than 9kg.
> flight
Each and every glider has a checklist note
passed though our strict quality control in
the factory. This included line measure-
ment, ground inflation and flight testing.
Contact your distributor for more informa-
tion about this, and if your glider has not
been pre-inflated ask him to do so for you.
Every glider should be test flow before it is
sold.
Note that each glider has a unique sticker
attached to the centre airfoil with the seri-
al number, type of glider, size and weight
range.
We recommend that your first flight on
your new glider be on a gentle slope in
calm conditions before making your any
further higher flights, just to check the glider and for you to get used to flying it. We also
recommended that you use a harness that has an ABS cross strap system.
For you own safety, we strongly recommend the use of back protection, helmet and
Wind-SOS reserve.
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-- launch
Choose an open space free of any obstacles, especially trees and power lines.
Open your glider in a slight horseshoe arc (semi-circle) and thoroughly check that you
have no knots or line twists. Make sure your helmet is securely fastened and clip into
your harness making sure all straps are securely fastened.
Connect risers to your harness making certain that your karabiners are fully closed and
you have no twists in the risers.
-- strong wind
We do not recommend taking off, or flying, with a wind speed higher than 25 km/h (15,5
Mph); this may change depending of pilot´s experience, but we remind you that flying in
poor weather conditions is the single greatest cause or accidents in free-flying.
We recommended that the reverse launch is the
best technique when the wind is strong at take off.
There are many reverse launch meth-
ods/techniques which the pilot can learn. To
progress well with your flying, and to be a good
pilot, it is necessary to master at least one of the
techniques. If you can achieve 100% control your
glider on the ground then you will be a better,
safer pilot in the air and this will also help you to
understand the dynamics of a paraglider in flight.
-- thermal flying
The ZEPHYR is truly a pleasure to thermal with. To achieve the best sink rate the pilot
should use around 35% of inside brake (on the turning side) and 25% of outside brake
whilst using weight shift to help maximise the efficiency or turn.
Easing off on the outside brake can change the steepness of the turn, and help with the
your efficiency in the thermal. This is a more advanced technique and should be prac-
tised with an instructor and/or experienced pilot to perfect it.
With the harness chest strap pulled tight weight shift is less effective but the security
will be increased and the wing feel more “solid”, and vice versa.
> flying in turbulence
Most pilots want to enjoy the pleasures of thermal and coss-country flight.
One thing to always consider is that normally these flying conditions are rougher, stronger and
sometimes unpredictable and more difficult to handle which can lead to unstable situations
such as collapses. There will always be some level of turbulence associated with thermals.
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If you progress at a nice steady rate, and keep safe, you will find thermal flying will
become a pleasure. With qualified instruction you will actually learn faster, learning how
to optimise your thermal skills. A safety (SIV) course is something to consider, as these
teach you how to deal correctly with unstable situations such as collapses, rapid descent
manoeuvres, stalls ands spins, and so you will get far more from your flying.
With the correct technique and qualified instruction the pilot can learn to help stop col-
lapses by flying “actively” and recover the wing more quickly, by the giving the correct
input, when collapses occur. Remember, the glider is tested to recover and so it is always
better to under-react than to over-react. Over reacting to a situation can prevent the
glider from self-recovering, and recovering air speed, and cause it to enter further unsta-
ble situations.
-- asymmetrical tuck/collaps
An asymmetric tuck / collapse is when part (one side) of the wing ( say 20% or even any-
thing up to 90% of the span) tucks or collapses, usually induced by turbulence but some-
times also though poor pilot control in turns and wing-overs.
The ZEPHYR is tested and certified to automatically recover without correction by the
pilot, but with the correct input the pilot can minimise any turning, and height lose, and
help the glider recover more quickly.
There are 3 basic steps to follow immediately if you have a collapse:
1: Weight shift to the flying side of your glider (away from the collapsed side). This helps
stop the rotation and increases pressure in the wing in the inflated side.
2: If needed apply the correct amount of brake to the open (flying) side to slow any rota-
tion (spiral) induced by the collapse. Be very careful not to use too much brake as its pos-
sible to stall the flying side of the glider, and enter further unstable situations which may
be harder to recover from than the collapse itself.
3: Once the glider has straightened out, or the spiral has slowed, smoothly pull down the
brake on the collapsed side, with a long stroke/pump, and the deflated side of the glider
should re-inflate. As the glider re-opens release the brake immediately but progressively.
With instruction and experience the above will become a reflex action, and the correct
input to give will become second nature to the experienced pilot.
-- front/symmetrical tuck collapse
A front tuck /collapse is a symmetric tuck of the leading edge of the wing, starting from the
centre of the canopy to the wing tip. This can be either a tucking of just the central part of
the leading edge of the glider, which can sometimes cause a front 'horseshoe' or 'rosette-ing'
of the glider, or even a complete 'blow-out' of the whole canopy in extreme situations.
When flying, a front tuck may occur while leaving a strong thermal, or more often while
using the speed system in turbulent air, or sometimes whilst flying down-wind of anoth-
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