custom-vince

A news release is coming soon. I shouldn’t speak out of turn. There’s an added bonus to watch for all I can say right now. News may come direct from AC or Aviator, maybe with a video, see how they go. Just have to wait and see.

Yes I notice a big difference on the thrust when flying. More so than I expected, it was surprise to me also. Chris. If you want to protect your ears, try ANR it’s the only system I found which combats the noise coming through skull vibration. It’s a simple test, put your fingers in your ears and humm. You hear yourself, much the same with plugs or defenders. With ANR, your own humm is very muffled, quite bizarre. Bose QC20 is working for me, need to shield from wind noise is all.

It is right now as it’s all I have. What ever I have handy is my go to machine. It feels big in the shed, garage, workshop whatever, when handling. On the field though, it’s nothing but normal unless stood next to a normal size one. In the air, smoother and quieter.

compression, try a little less priming. The engine is backfiring, instead of the piston going through the cycle, it has hit the top compression and reversing. Hurts like a bugger. Could always try the bungee cord method. Poor mans flash starter, but generally more reliable, not quite as effective. Be careful of your face when over the shoulder starting.

Polini 100 originally came with a standard pull starter, when new the compression could rip the handle out your hand and smack your knuckles. Once the engine had some hours it got much easier and I prefer the original starter. An upgraded starter came through, the flash starter, it did make things much easier. Treated gentle they can last quite a while. Just be vigilant, if anything on your paramotor is not quite how it should be stop, fix it, service it, dont just keep on going till it breaks as it may break at the wrong time. if it slips then you are just wearing the next part and it gets more expensive and more hassle to change 2 parts, if its not recoiling, could be the spring will break soon or just needs lubricating, if the plastic pawls are worn out, they are £5 online, keep forcing it & you wear or break the next bits, starter and cup and your at £100 or it unwinds in flight, damages your prop, airbox, carb, emergency landing and fall bend a frame, etc etc.

medium would fit. Knowing waist size helps. I am 6'2" 85kg and can fit medium or large. Currently flying a large, but thinking I preferred the medium. The large is nice for XC, the medium I feel more snug & connected on launch and throwing it around. I am at the top end of medium. 5'8" and 95kg would go for large as the wider seat helps getting seated, so there is cross over when sizing.

line wear, not at all, its barely noticeable on launch, just an observation. The slippery titanium hoop helps with a single clean join. Compare that to velcro attached netting with a fabric outer sleeve or frames where the joins are alloy piece with a tube either side making it double join and then twice per side. No i dont see any issues there. Flying in a typical sight seeing fashion, mostly cruising about at 1000ft I roughly burn 3 litres per hour. I am 85kg with 19m ozone freeride. Fuel economy is very wing and weight dependent. As you can see from the chart above, as the rpm increase so does the fuel burn. Level flight was about 4600rpm with the trims out a little, it was just normal flying. I haven't tried full slow, I could probably improve on that figure if I was to do a super eco run. Launch and climb out with gentle throttle, keep the wing on a trim the gives lowest rpm level flying, maintain a static height for the whole flight, I think I could see 2.5 lph. Theres no real point to that except chasing low numbers. Real world figures for pilots similar weight to myself 3 to 3.5 to 4 lph, larger pilot with larger wing etc.

Good question. It’s down to the different reduction ratio used. A small version of the clutched pulley has not been produced.

Ive had a few flights on the Nitro XL on a couple of different wings. Trims a little way out on my 23m I was getting 4600 rpm level flight and that fight I burned 3 lph based on my tank markings. Nitro XL is 165cm hoop and 150cm prop. The aim is increased thrust and economy while reducing noise. I have forward launched the bigger hoop a few times, I could feel the lines slide around a larger circumference but forward launching went as normal. I did feel the cage tap the back of my leg once running as it is a little longer frame behind the legs, it was a rough field and the first launch. Since then I have flown my 19m a few times and adjusted my technique. Not felt the cage since. The smaller lighter wing slips around the cage no problems and I dont really notice a difference vs a normal size frame. I am 6'2" and would suggest the XL to pilot 6foot and over for ease. Pilots of 5'7" have flown them so its not a big deal. Feelings: it feels smoother and quieter. It made me realise how much I feel and hear a prop more than an engine, oddly at 4500-4600 rpm level flight it feels like half that rpm of a normal size cage at the same rpm if that makes any sense.. Level flight feels like it is tickling along using barely any power. My normal frame at 4600rpm feels like 4600rpm, the XL at 4600rpm feels like 2500rpm because the prop reduction ratio giving a slower turning larger prop. power on the ground didn't feel that big a difference over the standard size, in the air though, i have picture that looks and feel like a 45 degree climb out. I feel on the edge of climb angle limits and respectfully do not hold full power to climb, which adds to economy. It has a lot more power in the air. I am beginning to feel the ground thrust tests could become obsolete as these high efficiency props do not seem to show their true potential until moving through the air. A short video from Easter Sunday, nothing much to show, just for entertainment. Jazzy editing by gopro quick.

the 4 steps vs 15-20 will be a lot down to technique, ask your friend to fly your motor. the plus also has more thrust than the classic.

I weighed and measure fuel in and out when I first made markings. I am happy to go by my markings. On the XL nitro with 19m freeride, me currently at 82kg, I burn 3lph, flying gently. The tornado is not an XC machine, its for slalom, big guys wanting a light weight motor anyone wanting big power in a light package. bigger CC will burn more fuel than the nitro. If you really want XC, consider the XL nitro. Its a way to get more thrust and economy at the same time from the existing engine. Majority of pilots I know fly 1-2 hours max. per flight. most are not brimming the fuel tank unless some special circumstance, competition, large xc etc.

There is lots of BS on facebook. I dont believe the manufacturer itself has put out any power or thrust figures as yet, all hear say and chinese whispers. As for the actual price, I dont know that yet either, just a guide. Why more expensive? Its an engine specifically engineered for paramotoring. Not an engine which still has scooter mounting holes etc.. I would before even trying the tornado expect the thor250 water-cooled engine at 22.8kg (dry) to have more thrust than an 11.4kg 280cc air-cooled engine. (Thor250 electric start is 24.6kg). Different products aimed at different pilots, I typically dont compare these two engine due to the weight differences. I would compare to blackbull, simo evo and bullmax. The design brief is about lighter weight, reliability & power delivery more than all out total thrust. I do still expect to see some good thrust figures. Air Conceptions lighter weight harness made by supair, based on EVO is more expensive than standard harness, lot of specifically made parts not mass produced makes some items more expensive yet lighter in weight. All said it will still be a 280cc paramotor complete and ready to fly at 20kg, In that it will weigh less than a just Polini Thor250 engine alone. If you want a water cooled power house and dont mind the weight, the thor 250 seems a good engine. The Nitro will continue the Tornado is not replacing it, it has more power than most pilots need. The nitro replaced the 130cc as it is suitable for a wider audience, flying lower in the rpm range it is easier for a lighter pilot to fly the nitro than the 130cc as there is less of a power band, almost non existent on the nitro, you have to really look for it to find it. The 130cc is a great little engine, it was designed to kick out some power for its size, it will tandem and larger pilots are happy with it, if you are sub 65kg, you can find your self below the power band where the engine 4 strokes. The nitro doesn't have this. The 130cc happily hits 10,000rpm where as the nitro will give a more thrust but at 7400rpm which is nicer to fly, better for reliability and cooling etc. A lot of pilots are seeing max temps on the nitro as 205c, thats significantly lower than other engines I have flown. My moster would hit 260-280 which is why I made cooling shrouds. It run fine like that but does cause extra wear.

The Tornado has not been designed for record breaking attempts or up mosts per thrust. Like the Nitro it has been designed for the wider audience, accessible power, user friendly, owner friendly if you like. Aimed at light weight and reliable with more than enough power.

12 minutes 50-2200 meters test. Plus Track log https://paramotors.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:Lemur/14.3.2018/11:55

no I did not, sorry.

Power to weight. its 20kg machine not 33kg machine. Its the equivalent of the pilot loosing 13kg body mass. 97kg pilot flys like 85kg pilot. So that 80kg pilot is like a 67kg pilot flying a thor250 33kg paramotor. Sort of... its an example. To climb fast is not always steep. Its going to be fun climbing on full speed bar.

Cost is competitive, aiming to be way cheaper than current electric offerings which are expensive due to specialist parts used, using off the shelf parts brings the cost more inline with a basic 2 stroke paramotor. Energy density and storage. 8x 10k lipo batteries = 9.5kg and expected 20minute conservative flight time at about £600 Its light weight so there is room to add batteries and keep it acceptable. Andy mentioned sudden power failure. That is being looked at, 4 motors gives us options of redundancy and get you home on 3 and even on 2. Noise, yes its not going to be silent electric, smooth yes, think large quad copter. I like the idea of solar roof panels on a motorhome and a paramotor charged and ready to go in the locker.

I’ve been assisting where I can and keen to have a play. I like the modular design.

Eric Dufour pushing the climb limits. Scary to watch, but he knows what he’s doing.

theres a reason for that. With the Nitro they can only produce so many engines in a certain time frame, those engines are all sold as quick as they make them, it will be the same with Tornado. Better to sell complete paramotors than supply the competition with best engine. A sound business strategy allows for refining the complete product, frame, harness, props, tanks etc.

I see they have finally released the EOS 150. If it proves reliable, i think this could fit a maverick better than a moster. No more sticky out exhaust like the moster. The eos would be neater. This engine has been testing for some time now. Thrust quoted looks to be as expected for a 150cc engine, less than moster or nitro but more than 110, 125 engines, more akin to the thor130. EOS 150 is 11.4kg it should make a 21.5kg maverick which is more in keeping with competition to ac nitro. better than polini thor130 which is about 15kg from memory.

I used the mounts that come with the tufftalk. Im not using the tufftalk myself it was made up for someone else. I have heard good things from others who use them. Loud and clear. Comfortable. Neat.

That makes great sense but then from a past experience of mine, I would have not chosen a wing I owned and enjoyed had I based an experience on a demo flight, so it goes both ways. Some years ago I moved from a Dudek Re-Action 29 to a Paramania Fusion 29. With none about to try, I took the plunge and just ordered it. First flight, I thought I had made a big mistake, it jiggled, wobbled, felt every bump, every movement of the air, fidgety was my conclusion, it set me on edge the whole time and i didn't enjoy the flight. Having laid out the cash, I flew it a few more times and got it and me dialled in. I quickly grew to love that wing and those feelings of jiggly wobbly fidgety etc soon all faded and become feedback, welcome feedback. I really enjoyed it. Before selling my old re-action I gave it another flight to compare. It felt dull, heavy, combersom, not refreshingly solid, no just dull, I couldn't tell what was going on the brakes were heavy, I was happy to sell it and get back onto my fusion. My point is if I had just demoed the wing, I would no way have bought it. Also vice versa. If I had demoed the re-action after the fusion, I would no way buy that either. Yet both were good wings. The re-action felt like a Ferrari after the synthesis 29. Its amazing how different a wing can feel, sometime s they feel wrong but they are not, sometimes they feel right immediately but then your not moving forward or exploring new designs. Sometimes you need longer than a demo flight to try out wing. I have based buying on advice, if a number of people are all saying its excellent then, if it fits your flying, it may be excellent. It comes a full circle. How to decide if a wing suits you, well a demo is the only way but bear in mind it can feel very strange at first, thats not always a bad thing.

Heres another. Cheapy ebay bike rack £18. claimed to be rated to 30kg, takes my 85+kg. Simply grips the swan neck or other type towball. Ebay Bike rack which grips swan neck towball. by Surfer Vince, on Flickr Ebay Bike rack which grips swan neck towball. by Surfer Vince, on Flickr It can even ride reverse cowgirl Ebay Bike rack which grips swan neck towball. by Surfer Vince, on Flickr

Let me know who gets cheap ozone’s, I don’t. I have been making the move to ozone’s myself. I like their designs and direction they take. The 2nd gen of shark nose has really impressed me if that is what is creating all the lift and economy from such a small wing. I don’t hear Aviator saying anything bad about Dudek. That are impressed with Dudek wings also, but more impressed with Viper4 and now Freeride. After they got tucker to fly the Freeride and viper he moved from Dudek to ozone. I’m sure if something special came out of Dudek he would move back or to who ever is producing the best wing for him. I wouldn’t loose respect for him unless he was blatantly unessaserily slating another brand, which he does not. Just shouting about what he likes and sells.