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Important Pre Flight Check.


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All,

I had a great flight today! close to an hour at 4k ft without a worry in my mind. Due to a good pre flight check!

This is Specific to the Parajet (and any other motor that uses the Black Moulded Sections to offset the torque steer) I will upload a picture tomorrow.

The coiled section of metal that the main strap is fixed to, which your crab then attaches to, is held in to place by a very very strong bolt, That bolt is held in place by a hard rubber moulding.

During my pre flight checks today, I noticed that my moulding seemed to be 'rasied' slightly away from the coiled bar mentioned above. I got my ( 5mm ) Allen Key, and checked the tightness of the bolt and found that is was loose.

Now, this is not a drama it is in the manual as a pre flight check, my motor has done well over 50 hours in less than 6 months. I am just saying.... CHECK IT! 'before' it's a drama. :wink:

As I say, I will take a pic of the part tomorrow.

Please copy the link from your browser and pass it on, again 'before' it becomes a drama.

SW :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have taken advantage of this weather to go over my machine head to toe... Like Simons post above, the bolt that fixes the rubber mount to the swing arms has previously come lose on me and is now loctited in and forms part of my PFC.

HOWEVER... I ALSO CHECKED THE TINY HEX BOLT THAT GOES THROUGH THE METAL COIL AND FIXES IT TO THE RUBBER BLOCK. (CONCEALED BY THE RUBBER BLOCK) BOTH WERE ON THERE LAST THREADS AND VERY LOSE..... THIS CANNOT BE CHECKED OTHER THAN BY PUTTING AN ALLEN KEY IN THE HEX BOLT HEAD AND CHECKING. NOW I HAVE TIGHTENED THEM THE METAL COILS DO NOT SWING SIDE TO SIDE... SO IF YOURS DO..... :shock:

READERS MIGHT WISH TO CHECK THIERS. :wink:

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To confirm for Clarity,

"THE TINY HEX BOLT THAT GOES THROUGH THE METAL COIL AND FIXES IT TO THE RUBBER BLOCK. (CONCEALED BY THE RUBBER BLOCK) "

Is the same bolt I am talking about.

SW :D

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I just checked mine and BOTH SIDES WERE LOOSE - one side needed 3/4 turn and the other 1 1/2 turn to tighten.

PLEASE CHECK regularly!

I'm sure there must be a solution to reduce the risk of them undoing and a modification that would make them undoing in flight a non-event. All thoughts and ideas welcome.

After I heard that the fatal accident last year may have been 'bolt' related, I did a hang test and after removing the bolt and was shocked that all the motor/pilot weight transferred to one side. Until then, I'd assumed the harness strap would take the weight and balance it.

I did some experiments and ended up adding two climbing rope straps from the carabineer to the swing arm.

I suggest others do a hang test before and after taking the bolt out. This will give you a good idea of the consequence, and one hell of a reminder to pre-flight check them.

Cheers

Paul

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Simon ,

The bolt yout talking about you said you used a 5mm allan to tighten it which is correct.

I think the bolt Parajet Simon is talking about (see his quote below for location) a 3mm allan key is used, so not the bolt your talking about.

"THE TINY HEX BOLT THAT GOES THROUGH THE METAL COIL AND FIXES IT TO THE RUBBER BLOCK. (CONCEALED BY THE RUBBER BLOCK) "

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Yes i am talking about the 3mm hex bolt. I have previously loctited the 5mm hex bolt because they kept coming lose. It is not easy to see the 3mm hex bolt because the rubber block conceals it somewhat, if the metal coils move side to side they are probably lose.

I am going to loctite these as well.

Norman any chance of some photos of the rubber blocks for clarity?

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Great that is a great help Terry. ( i cant download pics fo some reason) So that people understand the 3mm bolt and the coil shackle are in affect a " d link" affair. The rubber block just gives the pilot some padding from being knocked in the ribs by the metal.

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All,

I have had a meeting with Giles today and we have come up with a fix for this issue and are happy to post this message on the Paramotor Club site.

Please check your motors.... if you have the slighest concern about the above issue, we will arrange a fix to be sent out to you for free. (which in short will allow a Tie Wrap to be fitted.)

Please allow us the time to order in the new part and continue to enjoy your motor until then, just make sure you do a good pre flight check 'but you do that anyway.... Don't you?'

Please help me to keep this simple, PM me with 'PJPART' in the subject line with nothing more than your address in the message if you want this part.

Thanks all.

SW :D

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Great that is a great help Terry. ( i cant download pics fo some reason) So that people understand the 3mm bolt and the coil shackle are in affect a " d link" affair. The rubber block just gives the pilot some padding from being knocked in the ribs by the metal.

Yes

SW :D

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