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The Nomad is Paratour's entry into the suitcase transportable
paramotor. This well built machine uses the same harness design and
floating J-bars that have been a Paratour trademark for years. Eric Dufour,
the designer, and probably the best pilot in the U.S., has won
competitions flying pivoting J-bar machines. It comes with two engine options, the Black Devil and the Vitorazzi
100cc, I flew the Vitorazzi model with a 51" prop under my Spice 22
wing. That large prop means a large cage and lots of thrust. My climb rate
was just over 400 fpm which suggests a thrust of probably 125 pounds. According
to the maker it weighs 54 pounds with a manual pull starter.
I'm 140 pounds, 5'9" tall. Other conditions: it was 75°F at an
elevation of about 500' with nearly calm air.
Starting (6): Pull starting was easy using a standard stance and
hold on the frame's top cross piece. The T handle is positioned for
in-flight starting although I didn't try. Given the ease of pull it would
likely be possible.
The machine has a wide enough base to resist tipping over on the
ground.
Ground Handling & Kiting (5): Standing and walking around were
comfortable. The J-bars will not rub your shoulders if you have the ground
hangling straps cinched up but you'll feel them occasionally. It was easy
to keep the machine hiked up high enough to prevent feeling pulled
backwards. A forward lean of about 20° kept me upright without exertion.
Ingress is easy although you are sitting on the ground which makes
getting up slightly harder.
Launch (5): The cage is wider than most to accommodate the large
prop so the lines pull harder against it. On one inflation they did catch
on something but on all the others (about 4) others they rode up smoothly.
Running is very easy on this machine, the J-bars may help here slightly. I
don't remember my legs hitting the cage bottom and, if they did, it was
not a factor in launching.
Torque twist is very well controlled. Unfortunately, I did not record
the amount but it was not objectionable whatsoever.
The netting is attached to the hoop, presenting a smooth surface for
lines to ride up during inflation. Radial arms are stout and screw in so
the cage should easily handle power forwards or trike launches.
Climbout (6): This is a very well balanced machine, even at full
power, regarding torque twist.
It is equipped with a kick in strap that hangs in just the right place.
Put your foot down and kick out the seat without ever letting go of the
brakes. There's more to this kick-in system than meets the eye. It uses a
metal tube so the weight keeps it positions. Simple and effective.
Flight (5): Flying the machine is very comfortable. The J-bars were
slightly below eye level and impede visibility only slightly.
The harness was well enough padded and adjustments on the seat bottom
lip were a nice touch.
Weight Shift (3): This is unlike any other J-bar system out
there since they pivot. Early J-bar machines had nil weight shift with this
system I got about 3 inches of riser travel with moderate effort. You can
steer a bit but probably won't use weight shift for routine turning
or photography.
J-bars reduce the pilot "wiggling" in turbulence. This system
strikes a balance by transferring some movement of the glider but in a
dampened fashion.
Torque (7): This is well handled although it's critical, as with
most, not to tighten the chest strap and bring the risers together.
Thrust (8): This has amazing thrust for its weight. Of course it's
not as powerful as the Black Devil unit but, of the 100cc's, I'd say it's
the pushiest unit out there. That's what you get by fitting such a large
prop (51" vs typical 46-48").
Endurance (6): I was unable to test this but suspect it would
fly an average pilot about 2.5 hours on an average beginner wing from a
full 1.8 gal tank.
Vibration (6): Nothing unusual noted so it must have been good.
Sound (5.5): Slightly better than average mostly from the ground
perspective. That may be due to the larger, slower spinning prop.
Safety (4): The netting would fail to stop a human hand near the
prop tips at many points although prop clearance is better than some. A
hardish butt landing or fall will likely end up causing prop and cage
damage.
Gas tank to prop clearance was over 4" so it should resist
prop/fuel contact in a hard landing.
The frame bottom front has a sharp angle so if you hit something while
ground skimming it may catch.
Construction (6): It is very well built and seems strong for
it's weight. It is mostly aluminum which means no rust. Having the netting
riveted to the hoop pieces means less drag than the velcro slide-through
style albeit at some trade-off in repairability.
Reparability (6): Damage resistance is good and it should be
easy repair. Having lots of straight parts helps. A broken radial arm can
be replaced easily but you must have the screw-in fitting although the
replacement expense would be minimal.
The netting would be harder to replace since the rivets would have to
be removed on all the hoop pieces.
Transport (7): This is a strong point. It'll go into a small
space with minimal fuss although realistically expect about 45 minutes to
assemble it from start to finish after shipping.
Overall: The machine would be a good purchase for anyone
looking for an all-around fun flyer. Long time instructor Eric Dufour
swears by the floating J-bars that they are easier to launch and his
success at training new students suggests that's likely. For more
information visit www.Paratour.com. |
