padeakin

Great to see something different. It's a shame there are not more innovative companies like Bailey (and also Parajet) putting time and money into research and development.

Hi Rob, I have done quite few hours with the Gin Airflex, which is exactly the same as the Mirage except it has Mylar in the leading edge rather than nylon rods. I would agree with all of the points that you highlighted from the review except the point "Great for XC powered or free flying...tick." It is great for XC powered but you would really struggle to fly XC free flying, you can free fly it as long as conditions are strong (thermals or dynamic lift) but if you fly alongside any modern non reflex paraglider in you will soon be on the ground watching them fly above you. I have spent quite a few frustrating hours free flying the Airflex. Where are you in Thailand? I am near Kalasin, You could also have a look at the Dudek Nucleon, you can get one for about 94,000 Baht (£1800) here. Paul

option 1. can you restore to previous point, days, weeks or even months before the driver update program? Disable AVG before running restore. option 2. Remove AVG, then use device manager to roll back all effected drivers, or download drivers from Sony (don't get them from anywhere else). Then download and re-install AVG without the crappy driver upadate thingy

You should really also remove the carb and blow it through to make sure there are no traces of fuel in it. Most airlines will not carry a container that has has petrol in it, such as your fuel tank, even if it is empty.

I believe that lines can suffer with shrinkage or stretch, shrinking is more likely but stretching of the heavily loaded front lines is also possible. I know that it is possible to stretch lines because I have done it, when I found my lines had shrunk i stretched them back to the original length, and I am sure I could have stretched them longer than the original length. So if you are flying a paraglider over the weight range you should check line lengths more often. Paul D

Those plastics inserts are a nuisance, if you ground handle with the risers they fall out, now I just remove them all and put a bit of tape on the delta maillons. You can get them here: http://parashop.co.uk/paramotorparaglidinghardware.htm

Generally lightweight wings come overhead easier and are easier to keep there. Usually wings that were designed as paramotor wings will be designed for higher loadings, they will be heavier, have thicker lines more stitching and more bracing, which helps them keep shape when heavily loaded. Many lighter paraglider wings perform very well with a motor, I fly a paraglider wing that has exceptional performance with power. I can keep up with most reflex wings and use less fuel, but potential purchases should not only consider performance (which sometimes means lightweight) but also build quality and longevity. Paul

The Apco Thrust would probably be my first choice for a beginner wing. I would recommend being in the top half of the weight range to get a more stable and solid feel (and faster).

Why are you recommending the Apco Force for a beginner wing to learn on? isn't it a full reflex EN C rated wing?

One option would be to ask Fly Engines if you can send it to them, to be rebuilt and fully tested Paul

The larger head will make a slight difference but I don't think it will solve the problem, if you still have the engine in pieces, check the cylinder ports, I once had an F200 that kept overheating, I took it to a specialist 2 Stroke engine re-builder, he told me the ports were not rounded off, and were catching the piston rings, he suggested I smooth them off with emery paper, I tried to do this but the Nikasol coating was too hard, so I told Patricie at Walkerjet and they sent me a new cylinder, the problem was solved. A few years ago there was a problem when they first changed to digital ignition, the ignition advanced too much when on full revs this caused the engine to get too hot. A few of these were sold, when Walkerjet discovered the problem they offered too replace with the standard ignition, until they solved the problem, it is possible that you have one of these with the problem ignition system, how old is the motor? I think you should send all information to Patricie at Walkerjet, and ask for their advice and help, they will know about all these problems, they are very helpful, but take a very long time to respond, it may take months to get the problem sorted, so if you can afford it buy another engine. Paul D

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 612wt_1139

http://www.radne.se/Store/Product/Produ ... egoryID=59

Very easy to launch, very forgiving of pilot errors, slow landing speed, slow every speed, I don't mean slow compared to PPG wings, I mean slow compared to other paragliding wings, so better to be near the top of the weight range, or you will find yourself going nowhere when flying into a headwind. Paul D

I would choose the Sky100 before the Top 80. I think you would be underpowered with a Top 80 and a 115cm prop, you could get a 125cm prop to make it more efficient but then you would probably have to change the cage as well. The Sky100 is a very smooth running, quite and cool running engine, with more power than the Top 80, you can order parts online direct from http://www.skyengines.com, it runs cooler and does not rev as fast as the Top 80, so I would expect a less wear and a longer life. Just my opinion, based on what I have read about these engines, I have flown both engines briefly but not owned either of them. Paul D