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Parajet is the poster child for why correct setup is critical,
especially for
reviewing gear (and flying it!). Last year I tried one of these machines
and was almost unable to launch it due to severe torque twisting. I knew it was
leaned back but didn't know how bad it was until
looking at the pictures. Yes, a simulator would have been extremely
beneficial. The pictures showed how I was way too far back. Fast forward to the 2007 Paratoys fly-in and another Parajet. I watched
the pilot launch it and climb out uneventfully. So asked to try it.
What a difference! The machine was very manageable and was a pleasure to
fly.
It has one of the coolest looking cages ever to surround a prop. The
throttle is artwork--a gorgeous and functional trigger style like the
now-discontinued DK. Its trigger is at the end so you pull it down instead
of the more common method.
The motor looks like a 180cc Black Devil knock-off spinning a 3-blade
composite prop of only about 41 inches. I didn't weigh the unit but it was
fairly heavy owing to having an electric start. Plus it's compact so it
seems kind of heavy for it's size. It had a riser separation of 17.7"
static and 22.5" inflight under my Spice 22 wing.
This machine's roots are in the DK Whisper although little remains of
that heritage beyond size and the 3-blade prop. It's gone from a
vest-style harness to a more traditional PAP style arrangement.
Harness & Suspension: Low hook-in, pivoting underarm bar.
Starting (7): Brainless. Gotta love electric start when
starting. It's just the carrying around and maintaining that's painful.
The motor started easily with about 6 revs.
The machine has a wide enough base to resist tipping over on the ground.
Ground Handling & Kiting (4): Standing and walking around were
comfortable but it does pull you backwards a bit while kiting. My helmeted
head hit the cage so it was difficult to look up at the wing. I just
looked more sideways instead which works nearly as well.
Ingress is easy although you are sitting on the ground which makes
getting up slightly harder.
Launch (5): The cage is compact which is nice for launching
since the risers and lines are forced less against the hoop. I think new
pilots may struggle a bit more with the low hook-in points. I
don't remember my legs hitting the cage bottom and, if they did, it was
not a factor in launching.
Torque twist was well controlled. Unfortunately, I did not record
the amount but it was not objectionable whatsoever.
There is no netting, it uses aluminum instead, so on forward launches
the lines come up easily with nothing to catch on. It should be plenty
strong, maybe the strongest of any, for full power forwards or trike use.
Climbout (6): It was well balanced and let me use full power
without excessive torque twist. I had to use one hand to push the seat
down into position but it came out easily.
As is common with low hook-in machines, the motor tries to tilt you
forward during high power settings. It would try to crawl forward up my
back, which I let it do for the test, but it stopped when the cage
was about 6" from the risers. That's not a problem but be very
careful about letting go of a brake lest the toggle whip into the prop. Consciously
sitting back in the seat solves the problem and it wasn't objectionable in
cruise.
Flight (5): Flying the machine is very comfortable. You're laid
back and there's nothing impeding your vision. Low hang points put the
brakes are in a very comfortable position.
The harness was well enough padded and comfortable.
This system will feel busy to the pilot, transferring every jit and
tickle from the wing down to the frame. Those new to low hang points will
initially find it disconcerting but will quickly discover that it means
nothing and small leg motion can counteract it.
Weight Shift (7): It is similar to the PAP after which I suspect
it is modeled. Weight shift was good but different from my machine. Like
all PAP style weight shifts, you actually tilt the entire motor. The pivot
arms only do part of the action, tilting the entire frame does the rest. I
think this method takes a bit more effort although it's more like what you
do in a free flight harness (tilt the whole harness at your hips).
Crossing your legs does help when going into it.
Torque (6): This is well handled and I had no problem using full
power with a only 5° twist.
Thrust (6): The small prop trades compactness for thrust and noise.
Starting out with the powerful Black Devil helps but seems less than most
implementations.
Endurance (5): I was unable to test this but suspect it would be
about 1.8 hours on what looks a 2.5 gallon tank.
Vibration (4): Vibrates a bit more than average but nothing
objectionable.
Sound (3): It seems noisier both from the pilots perspective and
the ground. No doubt it's the smaller prop. Part of it is the frequency,
there was a "beat" that was audible at cruise.
Safety (4): The cage openings are too big to prevent a human hand
from going into the prop but, if you caught part of the cage, it would be
strong enough to keep it out. A firm butt landing or fall will likely end up causing prop and cage
damage. There is no structure that would absorb impact from a
vertical fall.
Gas tank to prop clearance was fairly close which could be a
problem in a fall or hard butt landing.
The frame bottom front has a sharp angle so if you hit something while
ground skimming it may catch. But given how short the cage is, if you hit
something on the ground, it's your tailbone that will probably hit first.
Construction (6): It is very well built, almost overbuilt. It is mostly
an aluminum magnesium alloy which means, among other things, no rust.
Reparability (4): Damage resistance is probably good but it will
be expensive if anything happens. You'll need to either order cage pieces
from England or have aluminum welding work done locally.
The netting would be harder to replace since the rivets would have to
be removed on all the hoop pieces.
Transport (6): If your vehicle is big enough to fit it's compact
size without disassembly, you're set. I didn't get to see it disassembled
but it looks like the largest piece, the top piece, is about the same
length as the bare frame would be high. It should be pretty compact to
ship.
Overall: This one gets high marks for style and is a lot of
fun to fly. Free flight pilots who don't mind a bit more noise will
especially appreciate it. For more
information contact AtmosphereParagliding@hotmail.com
or visit www.parajet.com. |
