gordon_dunn

Well having had a good look at the website, that would indeed seem to hit the mark. But I wonder what resident engine tinkerer Spigot thinks of it. Practical answer to increased power, economy and reliability or unreliable bling? Very interesting! Didn't know a kit was available. The video on the site shows it installed on a Top 80 too! If it's reliable- then could be the way forward!!!! The Top80 is light enough, but if you needed to carry less fuel- then there would be an increased weight saving! GD

Basically with a 2 stroke direct injection you'd have a small lightweight compact engine that can be used in any orientation, a greater power to weight ratio than equivalent 4 stroke, and matching fuel economy of a 4 stroke.... On current 2 strokes with a tuned pipe system, upto 25% will pass straight through the engine/exhaust system unburnt when at full operating rpm. The extent of unburnt fuel varies depending on the engine setup and rpm... but generally it is accepted in 2 strokes. With an accurate metering system and direct injection, this would eliminate excess fuel entering the combustion chamber- thus making the tuned pipe redundant, and increasing fuel efficiency. On the downside- the injection system would be as complicated as the engine itself... and may end up heavy or bulky-- would also certainly need to be powered electrically..... This may be detrimental to engine reliability... GD

One of the most successful paramotor engines ever produced is the Top80, compact lightweight, good power weight ratio, etc... relatively cheap, easily serviced, etc.... 2 Strokes have many advantages over 4 stroke- in terms of simplicity, but the price to pay is fuel economy. Would be interesting to do a project to try and combine the benefits of 2 stroke with increased economy- replacing the carb and tuned pipe system with direct fuel injection- electronically controlling fuel metering and spark timing..... GD

Yep- one of those instances when you discover adrenalin is brown.....

Unbelievable!!!!

What a fantastic story!!!! Well done Paul!!!!! Airmanship!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24468371

Excellent! Very relaxing to watch.....

#2 is a 'money shot'. Like the shadow of the wing!!!! GD

I've had the Sup-air classic for 5-6 years now... great piece of kit. Only time I go without it is when it's shorts and T shirt weather- which is not that common here. Very good for keeping warm, and dry if you do get caught out in rain. The leg stirrups are essential for keeping the legs warm too. The suit is thin, and not that cumbersome- so good for summer flying too. In winter I tend to wear thermals underneath- many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer. Flying suits also make it easier to slide into the seat during takeoff.... GD http://supair.com/products/en/vetement/flight-104.html

In my mind Ken summarises the spirit of airmanship. A true legend. GD

Nice.. but almost weighs the same as my complete paramotor (frame, engine, harness, prop and engine....) Miniplane T80.... I don't think I'll be carrying this anywhere in a hurry.... GD

I've also been fed bullsh*t from another manufacturer- claiming they allow their engine mounts to bend during heavy landings/impacts.... They also used the word 'crumple zone'..... Just an excuse for a bad design in this case. GD

Wow! that's a Powerscreen Trommel screener and stockpiler at work in the foreground of the second image!!!!!

A short video/still compilation from my first 500 hours in PPG..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLfbA3FXadc GD

First check the fuel filter inside the carb- i bet it's clogged. When it's clogged it interferes with the fuel flow/ metering system. Also check the pipe that oscillates the membrane - it maybe blocked.

Just another objective achieved on the list for 'aerial video'- The ultimate convergence of hardware, software and mensware -to produce GPS telemetry overlay... View results at- [youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKSV5HSN6rY&feature=youtu.be[/youtubevideo] Overlay produced via GPX file- calibrated and merged using 'Dashware', then final edit in 'Cyperlink'. GD

I knew someone was going to ask that!..... It's a calibration mark so that I can make sure the GoPro is pointing on target when I have it forward mounted. Basically attach the camera to the mount (facing forward), then use a jig to set the angle before tighening it firmly. Put the helmet/camera on then place a laser pointer on the camera body- holding it firmly square on the body so that the beam is parallel with the central axis of the lens. When you look through the visor, place a small mark on the visor where you see the dot. Make sure you are looking at something 15/20meters away as the 'parallax' effect will change the position. When the camera is forward pointing, i can use the mark to allign the camera and hold it on objects i want to capture. You must always place the camera at a consistent angle on the gopro mount for the calibration to work. I have used a small piece of insulating tape here- dry wipe marker is equally good- but obviously wipes off easily. Placing it on the inside of the visor works best for me, as it dosen't get knocked off when cleaning the visor. The dot isn't really distracting, or even obvious- unless you are looking for it. Try it for yourself and see! GD

Considering you will be flying at a safe altitude, i really cant see the need for autofocus... I'd agree with Simon on this one... set it to 'infinity'. Perhaps worth a test- try both, but if you're more than 10m away from the subject.. then the focus shouldn't really be necessary. Keep it simple. Usually the best pictures i have taken have been totally spontaneous... the ones that i've taken time to think about, and set up were disapointing.... GD

The latest results from my GoPro experiments are now online- this time a helmet mount front extender, made from a strip of 16mm x 3mm aluminium. I left the base loose which enabled me to rotate the complete mount upwards for takeoff, and to get some 'straight down' shots. Worked well. The additional weight so far away from the front of the helmet made it a little uncomfortable after an hour... I felt my neck muscles tiring a bit.... [youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPdZ9TuF7f4&feature=share[/youtubevideo]

Nice- You're up and out early!!

Don't mount the camera to anything.. Don't even try to use zoom or the viewfinder- 'shoot from the hip', take many photos perhaps 1 in 10 will be good, and 1 in 50 will be a 'money shot'! You'll find that a compact SLR will be best- easy stowed and single handed operation. GD

Again- I spotted one from the air that isn't on the maps or anything. Just noticed different textured ring of grass on a hill top- indicated that there was a trench there at one stage. Sometimes easier to spot near sunset. Obvious from the air, but impossible to see on the ground. gd

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23203500 I'm sure paramotorists would be a valuable resource for these guys!!!

Line was approx 4.2 meters long, and attached to the training edge of the wing- one of the 'D' line loops, 5th set from the end on the right hand side. Keep it away from the centre of the wing, as there is a danger of the prop striking the camera during launch and takeoff. There is quite a lot of swing on the camera until there is enough forward motion to stabilise it. I'd recommend using pretty light line incase the camera snags on something- you want the line to break first, instead of pulling the wing back. I also used a backup safety lanyard between the GoPro and the 'L' bracket incase the camera came off the mounting during flight. GD