Deutscher Hängegleiterverband e.V.

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Blacklight SM

Sicherheitsklasse 5
Blacklight SM

Instability rating

Safety class 1 Safety class 2 Safety class 3 Safety class 4 Safety class 5
asymmetric collapse
course change
forward pitching
height loss
sink velocity
collapse on opposite wingtip
cravat
G-Force
Frontal collapse
course change
Speed (Recovery)
pilot action (Recovery)
cravat
height loss
sink velocity
Spiral dives
G-Force
Sink velocity after 720°
Maximum sink velocity
Behaviour on brake release
course change after spiral dive exit
Height loss during recovery
Safety class 5
Pilot skill requirements:
Pilots should be able to recognise the onset of instability and be able to prevent or minimise glider reactions through immediate and precise pilot inputs.
Expert piloting skills and regular flight practice (>50 hour per year) necessary.

Glider characteristics

Launch preparations: difficult
launch characteristics: dynamic, climbs constantly, no guidance necessary, good feedback during inflation, overshoots, pronounced braking required, accelerates before zenith, control check simple, low takeoff speed
asymmetric collapse: canopy colllapses at high angle to leading edge, high dynamics, total course change 270-360°, (4), fast course change rate, marked forward pitching 60-75°, (4), very high height loss >60 m, (5), high sink velocity 20-24 m/s, (3), collapse on opposite wingtip with course change >90°, (5), with tendency to cravat, (4), G-Force < 2,5 G, (1)
Frontal collapse: canopy collapses with high total collapse aera, moderate pitch backwards 30-45°, marked pitch forwards 45-60°, moderate dynamics, course change >180°, (4), stable closed frontal collapse, no automatic recovery, (5), usually symmetric recovery, simple pilot action required, (4), horseshoe, wingtips at front, delayed return to normal airspeed, short deep stall phase, with tendency to cravat, (4), Simple pilot action required to end height loss (4), moderate sink velocity 15-19 m/s, (2)
Spiral dives: moderate sink velocity increase, Moderate G-Force 3,5- 4.0 G, (2), Sink velocity after 720° <18 m/s, (3), High maximum sink velocity < 22 m/s, (3), sink velocity increase < 6 m/s on brake release, (2), Course change 90-180° after spiral exit, (1), low height loss during recovery < 30 m, (1)
B-Stall: normal force required, moderate pitch backwards 15-30°, marked pitch forwards 30-45°, stable sink phase, no tendency to deform, immediate return to normal airspeed, 8-10 m/s, height loss on recovery < 20 m
big ears: simple initiation, stable flight phase, pilot action required, Vsink unaccelerated 2,5-3 m/s, Vsink accelerated 4,5-5 m/s, Vunaccelerated 3-5 km/h less than trimspeed, Vaccelerated 5-8 km/h faster than trimspeed
Steering behaviour: balanced to agile, Noticable brake pressure increase, Late stall point, easily identifiable

Notes

Launch preparations:
Pilots U-Turn's Blacklight need to concentrate carefully when checking their lines.

Launch characteristic:
U-Turn's Blacklight only needs a careful pull to launch it, too much and it
overshoots and needs a lot of brake to stabilise it.

Asymmetric Collapse:
U-Turn's Blacklight had the most challenging collapse behaviour in this test series. Collapses to the middle of the test field produced large dives forward and cascade collapses on the opposite wing side. If collapses are performed at the maximum of the test field, then massive dives and cascade collapses result, which are accompanied bycourse changes and may cravat. Recovering from the cravat is relatively easy by using only the brakes, but must be performed actively. The Blacklight collapses steeply and this is always associated with dynamic glider reactions.

Front collapses:
In past serial tests, we noted the tendency of some B-class gliders having challenging behaviour to front collapses, which we can also verify in this test series. U-Turn's Blacklight only self recovers from small front collapses. As soon as the collapsed area is increased, the glider enters a stable front
stall with no self recovery. Immediate pilot reaction is required to prevent further twisting, turn
ing and cravating.

Spiral Dive:
U-Turn's Blacklight collapses on the outer wingtip when entering a spiral dive which prevents the glid
er from accelerating further into the dive. On brake release the glider quickly self recovers back to normal flight.

B-Stall:
Blacklight had no problems with B-stalls. These canopies did not deform when stalled, and regained
normal flight immediately on recovery.

Big Ears:
All gliders tested here had no real issues with big ears ,on the Blacklight a little brake is needed to aid recovery, especially when flying accelerated big ears. As the Blacklight only has two main A-suspension lines, the highest sink rates were measured here.




Rating

Safety class 5

This class of paraglider reacts very demandingly to one or more of the following manoeuvres: frontal collapse, asymmetric collapse or spiral dive and may present pilots with a particular challenge.
Very demandingly means that the above manoeuvres result in highly dynamic reactions from the glider, and/or large height losses. Critical subsequent glider reactions are also to be expected.

Expert piloting skills achieved through constant practice, fast personal reaction times and precise pilot inputs are required to be able to immediately react to the above manoeuvres to maintain flight control and prevent large height loss or subsequent critical glider reactions. In particular, pilots should be able to recognise the onset of the above manoeuvres and be able to prevent or minimise their effects through immediate and precise pilot inputs.