can you paraglide on a paramotor wing

[stephenc77]

Hi guys

can you paraglide on a paramotor wing prob the Dudek synth 32? with a tow lift and safe flight glide down? while saving up for the motor.

cheers all

steve..

[adamjedgar]

Gday steve.

yes you can certainly free fly a ppg wing, although your choice of wing considering the question should be a dudek universal rather than a synthesis.

Probably it may be important to expllain to you the difference between ppg wings and free flight wings that make them more suited to each application.

Pg wings usually dont have reflex in their profile

ppg wings often have reflex. Particularly the intermediate to high end gliders(trailing edge kicks up)

Reflex gliders cut through turbulence and headwinds far better than free flight wings do, however this comes at the price of increased sink rate and perhaps a slightly faster minimum flying speed. On the upside, top speed can be higher on the reflex glider for a given size and same loading and speed trimmers allow for increased trim speed...which is very useful on take of and landing in strong winds....but you have to be careful using trimmers in this way.

So in my opinion, yes you can easily free fly any glider, just dont expect top of stack performance in a reflex ppg wing.

Example....

I have a dudek universal that i free fly with quite often. Its a tragic glider height wise in light to moderate conditions ridge soaring however, its a total weapon free flying in strong winds (this is where paramotor wings excel free flying). I regularly free fly my 25mtr universal in winds up to 20 knots (my body weight is 73kg)...so that says a lot! I do have to be careful launching such a big wing, as if i cock up its still 25mtrs of surface area taking me for a ride...but because of being able to let out trimmers prior to launch i have never been dragged backwards launching in strong conditions. Even in 20 knots i usually only need to let them out about 30mm...let em out too much and you'll have troubles stopping the wing shooting forward and then frontalling over your head during the reverse launch.

A word of warning about using trimmers vs speed bar....in the event of a collapse, speed bar is the far safer option as it automatically is disengaged because of the loss in tension in your lines. Trimmers on the other hand are impossible to pull back in until you reload the wing (remembering trimmers out works against the wing reinflating quickly)

I never free fly in strong conditions with trimmers fully opened on a reflex glider. In my case i am flying a big wing at low angle of attack and lightly loaded in order to match the speed ocapabilities of heavily loaded speed wings(note... not all ppg wings are reflex gliders. Some ppg wings are just standard free flight glidr with trimmers on them. These wings do not have reflex...eg ozone buzz pwr). My wing is safe to use with brakes and trimmers out about 150mm...beyond that one should only use tip steering. Trying to land the dudek universal on 240mm of trimmer with only tip steering probably would not be the smartest thing to do IMO (the universal has a huge trimmer range 240mm usable) Once wind strength dictates and im free flying at 90mm trimmer i usually call it a day as i like to keep a bit up my sleeve just in case (70mm spare considering my 150mm maximum without having to use tip steering)

Sorry for long reply...im not the expert, just its hard to find out this stuff...i had to work it out for myself as no one i free fly with paramotors too.