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Too overloaded?


poz

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I've been flying my Niviuk Link 1 (23m) in combination with my PAP Polini Thor 250 and PAP Rolling trike. The combination seems to work fine even though flaring takes a fair bit of muscle. The other day I worked out the all up weight which includes me + clothing 85kg, PPG + 10 litres fuel 45kg, Rolling trike 15kg - Total: 145kg. Which according to the specs is 25kg over the max all up weight. 
I know it's far better to be over weight than under weight, but I'm not sure whether or not 25kg is pushing it too far. I'm flying 99% of the time in perfect conditions, so not too worried about weather induced collapses, but you never know what might come out of nowhere, and I imagine a collapse would be fairly dynamic. 
Any thoughts or experiences appreciated.

Dan

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  • 4 months later...
On 05/02/2021 at 18:45, poz said:

Total: 145kg. Which according to the specs is 25kg over the max all up weight. 

I cant find any reference to trike weight limit on the Link.
My Niviuk Kougar 2 23m allows for 160kg using a trike and 140kg foot launch but without a formalised recovery certification on the kougar, there is no standard over which the extra weight will reveal itself in its obvious increase in dynamic response.
You are likely to lose the "B" classed responses if you are over weight... Expect more rotation before spontaneous recovery, more dive exiting a stall and no spontaneous or slow exit from a hard spiral.
All those things can be somewhat mitigated if your active responses are reasonable.

I deliberately flew an Artic 15+kg over weight for years (free flight) so took a good spanking on it from time to time, I loved that wing!
NOT advising you fly over weight... Just giving you a hint at what I might do before a splashed a large wedge on buying a 25m.

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The modern wing such as the Kougar 2 (2014) and the Dudek Solo (2019?) have specifications that include an extended weight range for trike use, whereas other modern wings don't.

I have never understood this, can anyone enlighten me? I was always amazed at the very wide weight range that Paramania wings were specified over also.

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2 hours ago, alan_k said:

include an extended weight range for trike use

I think with the kougar 2, it is unrated so adding the weight does not spoil what i assume would be about a "C" rating.
A "B" rated wing is sold with, for example, a 90 degree maximum rotation from a 50% asymmetric collapse which would quickly become a 90 degree plus when overloaded (Fail the "B" rating)... But, I am "assuming" this is the cause of what appears to be an anomaly. 

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