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Bizzare Lamels


Steve

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As I arrived at this summer’s fly-in, I was greeted by Simon and one of the first things we did was to scoff at the nearby Zenith which had lamels fitted to the netting. Both of us sneered in the only way two arrogant know-it-all paramotor pilots can, asking the obvious question “How could that possibly work?”.

Fast forward forty eight hours and as I drive away from the fly-in I cast a glance over my shoulder into the back of my van to admire the Maverick with its collection of lamels strung about its netting.

Hypocrite? It seems so.

_MG_6724.jpg.4ba10d5c40709e089949c78ba9df131b.jpgHaving settled into the fly-in, and being camped next to Barry Rood (Baz), I took the opportunity to take a closer look at the lamels he had installed on his Zenith (the very same machine I had been pouring scorn over earlier with Simon). It turned out that Baz had researched lamels and decided to make his own version.

I had been struggling slightly with the torque from my Maverick - it’s an awesome machine but, with me being only 73 kg, when doing a macho take off the torque literally tips me sideways meaning a straight ahead launch was not an option - and as I fly from several sites which require navigating out of, this had become a problem. It was also an issue in the air, where when going to full power I would be put into a turn. But I love my Mav and was very happy to live with that … but when Baz started explaining to me that he’d found the lamels had made a big difference to his machine, I decided that there really was nothing to lose to give them a try - apart from showing myself to be the butt of my own earlier sneering.

So Baz very generously started fitting his lamels to my netting. My first reaction was that they were going to fall off and go through my prop, they just hung there looking loose and vulnerable. But each one connects on two axes, so they were more secure than they looked  - or at least I hoped so.

So, what is the principle on which the lamels work? Each lamel has an aerodynamic surface over which air is drawn by the prop and which produces a force in the opposite direction of the torque. The idea is to attach sufficient lamels to ensure that this force is close, or ideally identical, with that of the torque. The trick is to use the correct amount to cancel out the torque steer. 

I had assumed that you’d have had to fly the machine to gauge how close you’d got it, regarding the amount of lamels needed, although I was pleasantly surprised to find that the difference was immediately noticeable when running the machine under power on your back. However, the real test is by flying.

So I went flying. The previous day I’d flown and gone into my usual lift off and bank right without trying, so I wasn’t sure what to expect now. I launched and as I applied a good handful of power I found that I continued to fly straight. No right bank. I went for a trip down to the nearby motorway - by flying in a straight line with no corrections. I went to full power for thirty seconds and was still heading in my chosen direction, with just a little right drift at WOT.

_MG_6727.thumb.jpg.8b7807a0e274e5a417759c1ae2429bfd.jpgI was seriously impressed. I looked over my shoulder to check that the lamels weren’t hanging off and waiting to do an impression of the the old kid’s game of pegging a piece of card into the spokes of your bike. But they were fine, happily sitting there and it was clear that they were secure under the pressure of the air being drawn over them. I was smiling and very happy to be a convert and a hypocrite. These things are amazing.

I was keen to test the lamels in one of my tighter launch fields back home in the Brecon Beacons. It’s only flyable if you can actually properly control the machine, as it has power lines on two side and trees on another. If you get torque steer on launch, then it’s too iffy to use as a site. And I was amazed and delighted to find that in a light wind the Mav took off in what must be the most direct and straight launch I’ve even known, it was flying to my launch visual target without deviating.

_MG_6729.jpg.6fadb7bbc0ccf33c3fd66e5e811ed723.jpgI was left with one or two questions - firstly, I cannot understand how enough force to counter the torque of the paramotor can be delivered through something attached to flimsy netting. I’ve wracked my brains but it’s beyond me. All I know is that it works, and, as far as I can see so far, there is no stress or damage to the netting.

The second question is whether the lamels make a noticeable increase in drag. I think they do, it’s not massive but I can feel a very slight reduction in power when climbing. Or can I? The Moster delivers so much oomph that it could all be fantasy and I’m just looking for something to balance the amazingly positive results.

Finally, I’d like to thank Baz for taking the time to show me the lamels and to show me how to fit them on the netting (It’s not complicated). I’d also like to thank him for letting me take them away and use them whilst refusing to take payment. He put a lot of time into making these, so he is my hero of the month. 

Obviously, the lamels are commercially available but, to my knowledge, they are only available from the USA where you can buy them from Aviator PPG for about $200 for a set of 20 lamels (you use as many as you need with it being unlikely that you’ll need more than 20 - I used 12).

All paramotors develop torque and all modern motors have designs to cancel this out to some degree. However, for lighter pilots with powerful motors more can be needed, and these lamels appear to be the answer. They have taken my already awesome Maverick and moved it even higher in terms of being the ultimate lightweight paramotor, in my opinion. 

 

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Curious... what kind of forces does each one take on? It wouldn't be too difficult to model and 3D print these but the question would be if the 3D printed part would be strong enough. 

Good post though! I've seen these dotted around on different sites/videos and wondered what they were for!

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Just get a nitro. I have no problem at all with torque steer at take off or in flight. This machine is clearly very well set up. After much discussion with some who use those little plastic flappy things our conclusion was that if you have a well set up machine and don't do acro, then you will never notice what those do for you. If you do extreme acro moves then they do make  a difference.

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On 11/08/2018 at 21:22, AndyB said:

Just get a nitro. I have no problem at all with torque steer at take off or in flight. This machine is clearly very well set up. After much discussion with some who use those little plastic flappy things our conclusion was that if you have a well set up machine and don't do acro, then you will never notice what those do for you. If you do extreme acro moves then they do make  a difference.

Much as I value the opinion of someone who has never used lamels despite 'much discussion' with people who mysteriously use them despite the fact that they don't notice the difference - and calls them 'little plastic flappy things' - I refer you to the first paragraph of the article.  

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They are available in the UK if you contact virus PPG. They have a UK distributor: Marek Kraus, mail him on kraus.marek@gmail.com if you want the original ‘flappy plastic’ lamells.

I’d be interested to hear others’ experience of these...?

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3 hours ago, Steve said:

Much as I value the opinion of someone who has never used lamels despite 'much discussion' with people who mysteriously use them despite the fact that they don't notice the difference - and calls them 'little plastic flappy things' - I refer you to the first paragraph of the article.  

And I say again...with  a Nitro, where is this torque steer problem? Why don't I have it. What I am doing wrong? Maybe I haven't been taught right. :)

 

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Well there's your answer. Buy a better machine that does not need them. :)

ps. I flew the zenith last summer and did have quite some torque steer on full power, needing much more left brake to keep me straight than I was used to.

 

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I don’t get why you have to shit over the post with inane comments about nitro’s Andy? It isn’t helpful and it kills the thread. There are a lot of members who don’t post and it’s hardly any wonder the response they get sometimes from apparently senior members. Can we drop the ego’s and discuss the pastime we love with a little more respect for each other maybe? The forum would surely benefit as would our knowledge of new tech. Not just the amazing zero torque from the nitro, which I think you covered at least three times...

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I have them on my Maverick and can attest to them working. I can do full power launches with no toque steer at all. At cruise it flies dead straight with no input at all. BTW,  MR Nitro, why did Aviator PPG use them on their Nitro's and why did they rave about them so much? I will tell you why. Its because they really do work. In fact Aviator still fit them to their paramotors regardless of make.

 

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On 13/08/2018 at 15:07, AndyB said:

And I say again...with  a Nitro, where is this torque steer problem? Why don't I have it. What I am doing wrong? Maybe I haven't been taught right. :)

 

Interesting that Vince uses them on his Nitro. 

SW :D

 

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I have a set of those and have been a tester. I can't tell any difference because I guess I just got used to leaning slightly left when on full power, which is all that is required to go straight. With the vector blades I don't have to lean. Slightly bigger difference with my Tornado, which is where I have them now. :) I know other machines have much greater issue. Both the Parajet V3 (Polinin 200) and the Parajet Zenith (Moster) that had, pulled quite hard to the right and required a good bit of left brake on full power. Both the Nitro and Tornado do not require brake to be pulled in order to go straight. So, I agree with Vince, his vector blades are like the icing on the cake and make both the Nitro and Tornado dead straight under any power!  :)

 

 

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On 27/05/2019 at 04:30, AndyB said:

I have a set of those and have been a tester. I can't tell any difference because I guess I just got used to leaning slightly left when on full power, which is all that is required to go straight. With the vector blades I don't have to lean. Slightly bigger difference with my Tornado, which is where I have them now. :) I know other machines have much greater issue. Both the Parajet V3 (Polinin 200) and the Parajet Zenith (Moster) that had, pulled quite hard to the right and required a good bit of left brake on full power. Both the Nitro and Tornado do not require brake to be pulled in order to go straight. So, I agree with Vince, his vector blades are like the icing on the cake and make both the Nitro and Tornado dead straight under any power!  :)

 

 

You have to lean slightly left when on full power? Why don’t you just buy a better machine?? 🤔🤷‍♂️

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I was in exactly the same school with regards to tiny bits of plastic flapping like caught tiddlers in the net until I read your post. How can such flexible, loosely fixed items work against the power of torque? Logic and instinct says they can't but your post-cynical conclusion is very persuasive. My Wasp with EOS150, plus my immense bulk" doesn't give me any torque problems but if ever I manage to lose the flab perhaps I'll be sending off for a pack?

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I have a Maverick and i seem to be getting quite a torque to the right and have been using my trimmers out more on the right than the left to compensate the somewhat 

just a thought the spacers that connect the maverick to the engine is it possible that the two on the right could be made slightly longer to eliminate this 

I have been looking at the lamels and although i get the principle of it i like the aesthetics of the maverick as its a beautiful looking machine and also have the theory that having bits of plastic fitted to netting could potentially be an extra issue in flight i dont know please let me know your thoughts.

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