Tyrhone

Hi all, So I am training here in Guatemala, and my trainer ordered parts form PAP thinking they would fit my HE engine from Blackhawk Paramotors (the BH 125). Long story short, the piston did not and I am waiting on a piston from HE now in Guatemala. What I can't find out though is if the other parts he ordered will fit my motor or not. Basically he has ordered a clutch RP205 http://www.papteam.com/pap_tienda/productos_ing.php?submenu=9&familia=59&ver_pag=15 A starter RP409 http://www.papteam.com/pap_tienda/productos_ing.php?submenu=8&familia=57 and a breather valve RP223 http://ukppgwebstore.com/pap-breather-valve-7979-p.asp He also ordered a carb kit for a walboro 24 which I already know does not fit my carb. If anyone out there knows whether the other pieces would fit or not I would really appreciate a heads up as I would then need to get my money back from him before I leave Guatemala. Thanks guys Ty

I am still waiting for a piston to arrive here in Guatemala so my trainer Yankell can repair my Blackhawk Paramotor. The silver lining though is that I have been kiting my wing a hell of a lot more than I would have if I had been able to fly all this time. So in a way, being grounded has been good for my skill level. It also means I have had a lot of time to make little kiting videos, and I had the foresight on the field yesterday to make one about forward launching! I am of course new to the sport and do not have perfect technique, but maybe a video from a newb might help other newbs out there who still have limited knowledge of the ins and outs of powered paragliding. So here is a video of "How to forward launch for newbs!" http://tellthemisaidsomething.com/2014/05/09/forward-launching-paramotor-wing/ P.S. I could not get the video to embed on this site?!

Wow dude that helps a lot, thanks man. My parts have arrived in Guatemala and hopefully the instructor should get them tomorrow and we can repair the engine. I am a little nervous about it blowing again after he works on it, but my choices are basically limited to him and me, so going in armed with your advice means I can at least keep things in the "safe" zone so it doesn't blow again. The hard start and too lean setting, plus probably loose headbolts seem to be the culprit here. I can sort all 3 to some degree, I just gotta try and find a torque wrench in guatemala. Thanks for the advice, hopefully I'll be in the air again in the next couple days, and staying there for more than 20 minutes!

Great photos, such a uniquely limited way of shooting photographs, it's a shame they can't be sold.

Practice, practice practice. I am amazed at how quickly you get better at kiting with the aforementioned practice. So it was back to the field in Guatemala to try and get my Velocity Elektra to stay up! Unfortunately it was gusty again, but gusty makes for good Skrillex sound tracks in the attached video. Any hints or tips you guys have for an aspiring kiter / flyer I would be grateful. Cheers, Tyrhone

Training has been great (in Guatemala as I am traveling through Central America), only thing is my engine blew a piston about a week ago so waiting for parts to show up before I can continue. Still kiting though! I was just getting to that stage where I wasn't scared anymore every time the engine roars to life on your back and the wind grabs your wing, but I am hooked already so waiting patiently-ish to get back in the air. I should see him in the next couple days to clean out the engine and I will take some snaps of the chase cam for you.

My instructor (I'm a newbie) has a windsock with a metal bracket across the top of the windsock (the widest part) with a normal gopro mount riveted to the bracket and then tied by about 5 meter cable to trailing edge and he says it is perfectly stable. I am going to give it a go (once I have learned to fly safely)

After getting the all clear on my Velocity Elektra wing (thanks for the help guys), I went out to a field in Guatemala and kited the hell out of it for 3 or 4 hours, and then like all people who are ridiculously excited by their hobbies, I made a video of it! But I think it is pretty good, you can have a look here... http://tellthemisaidsomething.com/2014/04/11/kite-paramotor-wing-video/ Peace

An update on the wing. I sent the photos to aerofix.com and to paramotorcity.com, and they were kind enough to have a look for me and give their opinions. As it stands they both reckon the wing itself looks absolutely fine and that although the stitching is less than tidy, it is safe to fly, which is the best news I have had so far as I was dreading trying to return the wing. I also spoke to Mike Robinson of Blackhawk Paramotors, and he has said that the double stitching you see on a lot of wings would likely weaken the lines as they are so thin on this wing. So to sum up, thanks for all your help and advice and I think I can put this puppy to bed and just enjoy flying the wing.

I never thought I would need to be a mechanic as well, I should have, I just didn't think outside of the box enough and got carried away by the awesomeness of flying. But I guess I can try and look at this as just another nifty aspect of the sport to get involved in. I am writing down everything you guys tell me and when we clean and rebuild the engine in a couple days will check on all of it and try and remember how the thing goes together. Hopefully it will make more sense to me once I have seen its guts! Thanks everyone

Cool, that sounds great, I am waiting for my instructor to order the parts from HE and then will likely have to wait about a week to get them and have the engine running again, but as soon as I do I will do that test. Spigot I am looking back on everything now and thinking that we probably didn't need it open to 3 turns, that the engine flooding likey caused the hard start, and that we compensated with 3 turns of the carb, which is obviously a no go (damn that hindsight). Also I should mention that I have 2 practice areas, one is at 1500m and the other is at sea level, so I believe the carb needs to be adjusted for both. Such temperamental little bastards these engines, but I guess you learn how to finesse them with time. Once we get the engine back together I will do that test and take photos of the spark plug, thanks for the suggestion.

Now that is some purdy stitching... Yep Velocity and Paratoys are US based, and if the internet is to be believed (and who doesn't believe the internet right), they are the biggest providers of Paramotors in the US, and their wings are supposed to be really good. I have very little to reference off with my very limited experience, but the wing did feel great to fly, it is just very hard to find reviews (impossible pretty much) that don't come from the manufacturer. Blackhawk have actually gotten back to me and are addressing my concerns with the wing and frame, so I am waiting to hear back from them once the Velocity wing factory people have a look at the photos on Monday. I will keep you all updated and am extremely grateful for your advice.

Yeah bummer, it is a long way to send a wing to get checked and likey to cost a fair bit, what with this and the motor blowing I am steadily running out of cash. So I am not being unreasonable in thinking the manufacturer should do something about this? Something like take back the wing and refund me considering it was a $3200 wing and is faulty from the get go and getting worse. I am just not sure what sort of response I am going to get from Blackhawk paramotors (none so far) with the request for a refund. I am sad to think I have to return it, but glad to see I am not just being ridiculously cautious. So what is the quickest way to Swindon form Guatemala? I am actually a Londoner myself, well South African with a British passport. Wish I had of known about the sport when I was living over there.

Yep it is actually coming loose, starting at the ends yes, but steadily working itself down one stitch or more at a time. Again I am really hoping that it is even sloppy workmanship and nothing to worry about safety wise, but the more I look at it the worse it seems. So Simon you think maybe I am just being a bit paranoid? I truly hope so. I thought Velocity (paratoys / blackhawk) made good wings, was I mistaken? Or is this just a paranoid anomaly? "myusername" I will send aerofix an email thanks for the suggestion

I would like nothing more to be wrong as I actually really love the way the wing flies, and having to send it back to the states (if that is even an option) would cost a lot of money, time and heartache. So the more opinions the better! Thanks spigot

But so many loose threads? Normal?

So aside form blowing a piston on my engine. I have this potential issue with my new wing. I have had the wing (Velocity Elektra from Paratoys) for about 2 weeks, and used it on about 5 days for a few hours max each day, so pretty much brand new. I have been training on grass and sand, and although it got muddy once (sand mud), I cleaned it out and dried it right away. Also the wing already had most of this loose stitching when it came fresh out of the packet, being a complete newbie though I thought it was normal until my instructor pointed out that it is not. So I wanted to check with you guys, is it normal for a brand new wing to have so much of the stitching coming loose? This is happening mainly on the lines (like all the lines) and also in other places like the loops that attach the lines to the wing, and the velcro stitching on the trailing edge. I have attached an image of only a small portion of the wing to show how much loose stitching there is. I have sent Blackhawk Paramotors an email asking what is to be done about this, actually asking to return the wing considering how it can be in such bad shape right out of the proverbial box, and am yet to receive a reply. But I wanted to hear from people who know, and who aren't affiliated whether I am being paranoid, or whether this is unacceptable. As always appreciate any advice. Cheers Tyrhone

Thanks Simon, Really hoping not to have too many more problems as I have a long way to go (all through Central and South America) and can't imagine repairs being an easy thing to get done in some of these countries. As such you guys are my life line, lucky you huh

To add to the above. I believe my engine (bh125) has a WG8 walbro carb. Everything I have seen says close then open about 1.5 turns. It seems to me like having it open 3 turns is going to make the mix very lean and therefore very hot, could this be a likely cause of the blown piston? Also once rebuilt I am going to tune the carb, and bear with me here bacause I know this might be a ridiculous question to most, but... Do I turn the long screw all the way clockwise to close, and then 1.5 turns anti-clockwise to open, and that should do it? I am googling it, but no one has that basic answer because no one thinks it is an askable question I would guess. Thanks for bearing with my ignorance

Thanks Simon and ptwizz, very helpful. Well I am going to make sure that when the engine is repaired I will use maximum 2% Motul oil, and I will set the carburettor to 1.5 turns instead of 3 (as it sounds like the mixture was too lean), and the rev screw to whatever is required, I guess about 1 turn. I have this from the engine manufacturer (it is an HE engine): You can set the carburetion at the desired revs. By the long black downward screw C. By turning it anticlockwise you rich the mixture, while the opposite you lean it. The basic setting is between 1,5 and 1,7 turns from the shut position. The C screw must be turned very gently, always verifying the cleanness of the "passage" (the point where the nozzle of the idle enters the nozzle of the full, at about half revs.) in revving up. If the engine pops, you tighten it; if it abates you loosen it. The D screw sets the revs at idle, by opening the butterfly valve (for additional information please contact your local distributor). If the idle is high, turn the screw in an anti clockwise direction. If the idle is low, turn the screw in a clockwise direction. ptwizz, how would I go about changing an over or retarded ignition? I have seen many a post about it around Google so won't complain too much as I know the reasons, but it does still amaze me how unreliable these things seem to be. In the future maybe I will try and go for a 4 stroke, the only viable option of which seems to be the bailey. But for now I just have to learn how to read these engines better. Any where you guys could point me for basic 2 stroke or even paramotor maintenance courses would be great. As for a motorbike shop mechanic, well my trainer is a mechanic and has been flying and working on paramotors for a decade, of course more opinions is always better in my mind, but I am in Guatemala and wouldn't know where to even begin looking for a second opinion. So if it is OK, you guys are kinda taking that place

Thanks for the help everyone. I am trying to make up a list of info from your comments and from the HE pdf for this engine. Unfortunately some of what is here is greek to me, and I don't speak Greek! cas_whitmore what do you mean "avoid turning the needle jets in and out"? Also I don't know what cylinder studs are or what to do with them, and what should I do about the carbon around the sealing ring? I am going to suggest to Yankell that we try the 2% mix, that we turn the carburetor screw down to 1.5 turns. Anything else I should suggest for during or after he installs the new piston thingy? I wish I knew more about this stuff, and I am definitely going to learn, but for now I appreciate all the help I can get to prevent this happening again. Thanks all

So should I be dropping the amount of oil? even though it is still under 10 hours?

Ah thanks Hann, Well the mix is at 3 percent with Motul 710 as the engine is still under the 10 hour mark. I wish I knew more about motors so I knew how to check for those things you guy mention, as it stands I have to have faith in the skills of others, something I have never been particularly fond of doing.

Thanks for the replies guys, the hole is in the top, I have attached an image but it doesn't seem to be working. That is interesting and good to know about the sand not being a likely culprit, being completely ignorant of mechanical things myself, can I ask what you mean by "over advanced ignition"? We had a lot of trouble starting the motor (despite it being an easy start) and so I know my instructor had to play around with the carb and throttle setting a lot to get it firing. Any ideas what I should be setting it to or watching out for to prevent this from happening again? Thanks again guys, really appreciate the help. Cheers Ty

If you read my last post you will know that yesterday I had an engine out and had to make an emergency landing between crashing waves and a river (10-15 meters apart). Today I found out why, after about 5 hours of total use time over about a week, my Blackhawk Paramotor blew a hole in the piston. My instructor/mechanic says it could be that a bit of sand got in the motor from my turtling 20 minutes prior, either way it sucks as I have about 10 flights and was just starting to get a bit of confidence up. I read a lot about pistons blowing, especially in the pollini and a few about the Blackhawks, what the hell! Why don't they put some kind of filter over the muffler if it is so easy to bugger the engine with a few grains of sand? So now at least a week while I wait for the pieces to be sent to Guatemala, sucks a fat one, and potential issue with the Velocity Elektra wing.