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To
fully understand the many harness permutations and terminology, check out
Harness Systems. Of
many harness and motor adjustments, setting the proper motor hang angle affects far more than comfort. As covered in Chapter 12,
correct setup can make or break launches and cause or prevent riser twist
crashes.
The diagram at right shows how
to adjust some popular styles of harness and how to set those with a hard
point attachment.
Hanging back too far will
increase the amount of torque effect which makes riser twist more likely.
It also makes it more difficult to launch since, as the wing lifts, you
get tilted backwards which makes your legs push against the thrust.
Attaching a carabiner
incorrectly as shown in the diagram's upper right can (probably will) result in the motor
sliding back and pointing nearly directly at the ground. If that happens,
you'll end up looking
nearly straight up and torquing violently. The only cure is to immediately
get off the power, fly the wing, and prepare for impact. Fortunately, if this happens,
it's usually right
after liftoff or when getting into the seat. A good
preflight is your best prevention here.
Thrust Line
When setting your hang angle be mindful of what
effect thrust will have while flying.
High Hang Points
Machines with high hang points will normally have
the thrust line well below the hang (pivot) point. Power will tend to push
you forward and make you lean back at full power. That will also re-direct
the thrust more downward which will slightly decrease your climb rate. The
diagram at right shows this graphically.
This leaned-back condition will make it harder to
launch and aggravate any torque effects. If launching is difficult, adjust
the hang angle to be more upright. See Hang
Angle Adjustments.
Low Hang Points
On machines with low hang points the thrust line is usually very near or even
above the hang (pivot) point. If the thrust line is above
the hang point than the motor will tend to make you lean forward. The top
of the cage pushes toward the risers.
Be careful since the brakes may get dangerously close to the prop. If
they can get through the netting they'll get caught up in the prop. At
best the brake handle gets cut off. At worst the brake line wraps up in
the prop—that only happens to a pilot once. |
