SurfBird

Does anyone have any first hand experience or information they can pass on regarding this wing? The marketing sounds like exactly what I love doing...low level cross-country while cutting turns around trees, water towers, grain silos and anything else more than a few feet high. Of course that's marketing. What's the real story? My typical good weather flight is 30-50km "down on the deck" with some periods up around 500m to check location and give my arms a rest.

Thanks Morgy. I've read the manuals for the Speedster and Hadron since I'm considering them also but couldn't find the GTX infor. Appreciate the clarification.

Since Paramania hasn't gotten around to posting the manual for the GTX, can someone tell me how the trimmers and speedbar work together? Is it like the Speedster and Hadron where they are basically the same thing? Pushing the speedbar gives the same result as letting the trimmers out. Or is it like my Revo2 where you can't use the speedbar unless the trimmers are at least half out? I found the videos Vince but thanks for posting. They are pretty interesting.

Vince. I see in the video that it looks like you transport your paramotor fully assembled on a bicycle carrier? Is that correct? I have the same paramotor but was worried the carbon spars would break supporting the whole weight like that. Have you had any problems? Driven on any rough roads or at highway speeds? Love the light weight and compact size when disassembled but my primary flying field is only 5 minutes from home and I'd love to not waste time assembling and breaking down every flight. Oh yes. Thanks for the video as the GTX is on my short list to replace my Revo2 and I'm looking for any info I can get.

Just checked my climb with the new 130cm Helix prop. Trim set to near full slow (-4) I got just over 550 fpm. I think that equals about 2.8 m/s. More than adequate for my needs.

I have been flying one for a year now and am very happy with it but I'm in the U.S. Extremely light weight, folds up small enough to carry in the trunk of my car and has all the power I need.

I'm 105kg counting everything but the wing and flying a Revo2 23m, Air Conception Ultra 130 with 125cm prop. I average about 400 ft/min with my normal take-off trim of -1 to the slow side. I keep meaning to check things like speed and climb at different settings but seem to always forget to do it. Guess I'm having too much fun to remember.

You presume correctly. While the brake handles are easy to reach the little tip steering toggles are definitely a reach for me. There is no way I can reach the stabilo lines to pull them. Guess if I had a low hangpoint harness I'd take them off but I don't. Of course, then I'd have to adjust my brakes up or they would be too low.

Not sure how you got that it's a tandem from the name but no it isn't. Since I last posted on this in May I've added about 60 more flights and am very happy with my Ultra 130. The very light weight allows me to take my time on preflight since it isn't tiring to wear. Of course one should always do preflight carefully but it is easier to actually do if you aren't feeling the strain on your back. No reliability problems with over 40 hours airtime so far. It folds up enough that the entire paramotor with wing fits easily in the trunk (boot) of my sedan. I did get it trimmed out so that it flies perfectly straight at cruise throttle and has a small amount of torque at full throttle which is easily compensated with a little weight shift. I get about 3.5 ltrs/hr cruising trimmers out on a 23m Revo2 with an all up weight of around 120kg. My only real complaint is that the Air Concepcion paramotor manual is in French and the Ventor engine manual is in Polish while I don't read either. Oh well, I figured it out eventually.

Wow! And here I thought the states was anal about such things. Makes me wish I was in Brazil or any other country with a little less concern for things that aren't their business anyway...

I have only had trouble adjusting the trimmers on my 23m Revo2 the first couple of times. Maybe they loosened up a bit or maybe I just lucked into a great technique but I've got about 30 flights on mine now and always adjust with 1 hand on each trimmer. Letting them out is easy. Just squeeze the cam and lift up. To take them in I wrap my hand into a fist around the trimmer right up against the cam. Then I rotate my fist down and back using the cam as a kind of brace. The trimmer moves pretty easily. The key is to keep your fist levered against the cam. If I just pull straight down all that happens is that the whole riser pulls down. The "dual fist" method lets me take them both in at the same time pretty quick and easy. Works for me anyway.

I realize the question was asked over a year ago but I have had mine for a few months now and really like it so far. I'm in my 50s and only weigh 75kg so I really appreciate the light weight. Even the throttle is carbon fiber and very comfortable but has no cruise feature. Frame is titanium and simple but solid. The cage is carbon fiber rods with a titanium rim that assembles very much like the Miniplane. It's strong enough to use considerable power during inflation. I use just enough thrust to help me keep moving forward. Basically, it is the Miniplane design only made of stronger materials throughout. Whether the extra cost to do that is worth it only you can decide. The Ventor engine seems to have plenty of power. Haven't had it long enough to say much about reliability yet. Electric start and a clutch are a winner to me. I have the 125cm prop and it is well inside the cage diameter but has no protection for the propeller if you "turtle". The harness is minimal but functional and reasonably comfortable. Haven't quite been able to eliminate the torque twist at full throttle yet but it's manageable.

If cage size is my only worry then I should be fine at 6' with long arms! I want the extra thrust of the 132cm prop but want to know the downside before purchase. Why do most people seem to choose the 125cm? I've only had a few flights so far but takeoff was easy once I got the wing up (forward launch needs more work). All my flights have been on a Nirvana Rodeo. It had no problem tossing my skinny self into the sky like a rocket but I want to go lighter! Should the prop size discussion be a separate thread?

Just found this thread covering the same subject on another board for anyone who might be interested... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/top80/message/4233

Not to hijack my own thread or anything but since you brought it up... I still have to decide on what size prop and am having trouble finding information. I know that, in general, a larger prop generates more thrust so can turn at lower rpm and better fuel economy. Sounds great right? What's the downside? Why doesn't everyone run the biggest prop they can hang on their engine? Is it the larger cage size causing difficult launches or what? Thanks for the useful replies everyone. John

Excellent info! That's just the sort of examples I am seeking. I have been reading this forum for some time and really appreciate all the great input from you. I don't expect to spend much time on speedbar so I can live with a "high speed slow decent" if needed. Just don't want to burn out the engine by running full out most of the time. Anyone else?

I'm considering buying a Top 80 based paramotor and friendlier reflex wing such as the Revo2, Thrust HP, etc. but am concerned about the motor running at full speed to maintain level flight with trimmers out. Add the speedbar and how much thrust will I need? Is there a formula to calculate x thrust counteracts y sink rate? If I knew the thrust required for a given sink rate then I could make a decent guess at the throttle setting for a given engine's max thrust/rpm. Does anyone have a first-hand example? Maybe you weigh 72kg (me) and fly a Miniplane with an Ozone Roadster that can maintain altitude with 3/4 throttle or something like that? I can buy gear once but don't really have the money to screw it up and have to live with something I hate. John