Wing Repairs; Maintenance Checks - Ozone M6 Mantra Anleitung

Caring Tips
Careless ground handling damages many paragliders. Here are some things
to avoid in order to prolong the life of your aircraft:
• DO NOT drag your wing along the ground to another take-off position -
this damages the sailcloth. Lift it up and carry it.
• DO NOT try to open your wing in strong winds without untangling the
lines first - this puts unnecessary strain on the lines.
• DO NOT walk on the wing or lines.
• DO NOT repeatedly inflate the glider and then allow it to crash back
down. Try to keep this movement as smooth as possible by moving
towards the glider as it comes down.
• DO NOT slam your glider down on the ground leading edge first! This
impact puts great strain on the wing and stitching and can even explode
cells.
• FLYING in salty air, in areas with abrasive surfaces (sand, rocks etc.)
and ground handling in strong winds will accelerate the aging process.
• Your Ozone wing has an opening closed using velcro on the trailing
edge of the tip called the 'butt hole'. This has been designed to easily
empty all the things which have been accumulating in your wing (sand,
leaves, rocks, mobile phones etc).
• If you fly with a wrap, you should regularly undo the twisting that appears
on the main brake lines. By twisting the line become shorter and you can
end up with a constant tension on the trailing edge (which can lead to
problem on launch, stalling, glider not flying symmetrically, ...)
• Change your main brake lines if they are damaged.
It is recommended that you regularly CHECK your wing, especially after a
heavy period of use, after an incident or after a long period of storage.
Storage
Always store all your flying equipment in a dry room, protected from the
direct heat.
Your wing should be dry before being packed away. Moisture, heat and
humidity are particularly bad for your glider (Storing a damp glider in your car
under the sun would be terrible for example). Dry your wing preferably out of
the sun, in the wind. Never use a hair dryer, etc.
If you land in the salt water, you must clean it thoroughly with fresh water first
and then dry it.
Take care that no insects get packed away with the wing. They may eat the
cloth and make holes in a bid to escape. They can also leave acidic deposits
if they die and decompose.
IMPORTANT: Never pack away or store your glider wet.
Cleaning
Any kind of wiping/scratching can damage the coating of the cloth. We
recommend for cleaning to use a soft cloth dampened only with water and to
use gentle movements little by little across the surface.
IMPORTANT: Never use detergent or chemical cleaners.

Wing Repairs

Always let a registered dealer, professional repair centre or the manufacturer
carry out ant major repairs. Amateur repairs can do more harm than good,
however:
If you damage the sail:
If the rip is small and not near a seam or structurally important part, you can
fix it yourself. You'll find all the materials you need in the repair kit, a tear can
be simply mended with the sticky rip stop/spinnaker tape. When cutting out
the patch remember to allow ample overlap around the tear and round the
corners of the patch. You can find more information about repairing your
wing on the Ozone website, including step by step instructions with pictures.
If you damage a line:
Any line that is damaged should be replaced. It is important that the
replacement line is from the same material, has got the same strength and
the same length. You can check its length against its counterpart on the other
side of the wing, to make sure that it is symmetrical. Once the line has been
replaced, inflate and check the glider before flying. If you do not have access
to an Ozone dealer you can order individual lines at www.flyozone.com
14

MAINTENANCE CHECKS

Your wing, like a car, should be technically checked to ensure proper
airworthiness.
Your wing should be checked by a qualified professional for the first time
after 24 months, or after 100 hours. However, if you are a frequent flyer (more
than 80 hrs per year), then we recommend, that you get your glider checked
annually.
The checker should inform you about the condition of your glider and if some
parts will need to be checked or changed before the next normal service
check period.
The sail and the lines do not age in the same way or at the same rate; it is
possible that you may have to change part or all of the lines during the wing's
life. For this reason it is important to do regular inspections so that you know
the exact condition of all of the components of your glider. We recommend
that inspections are carried out by a qualified professional.
You alone are responsible for your flying kit and your safety depends on it.
Take care of your equipment and have it regularly inspected. Changes in
inflation/groundhandling/flying behaviour indicates the gliders aging, if you
notice any changes you should have the wing checked before flying again.
Full details of the service can be found on our website).
Porosity is measured with a porosity meter, the time taken by a certain
volume of air to go through a certain surface of the cloth. The time in seconds
is the result. A measurement is done in a several places on the top surface
along the span of the glider behind the leading edge.
The tearing resistance of the cloth - A non-destructive test following the TS-
108 standard which specifies minimum tear strength for sky diving canopies
should be made using a Bettsometer. (B.M.A.A. Approved Patent No. GB
2270768 Clive Betts Sails)
Strength of the lines - An upper, middle and lower A line, along with a lower
B and a lower C (and lower D if applicable) line should be tested for strength.
Each line is tested to breaking point and the value recorded. The minimum
value is 8 G for all lower A+B lines and 6 G for all lower remaining lines,
calculated from the maximum certified flying weight of the glider. The added
minimum strength for the middle lines and for the top lines should be the
same.
If the breaking strength is too close to the minimum value calculated, the
professional should give a period after which you will have to test the strength
of the lines again.
Lengths of the lines - The overall length (riser lines + mid lines + upper
lines) has to be checked under 5Kgs of tension. The difference between the
measured length and the original length should not exceed +/- 10mm.
The changes that could appear are a slight shrink on the C or Ds and/or a
slight stretch on the A, B. The consequences of these changes can include a
slower trim speed, difficult inflation etc.
Full check - A full visual check should be carried out: All the components
of the wing (stitching, ribs, diagonals, lines, tabs, ...) should be checked for
signs of deterioration.
Finally, a flight test that confirms that the wing behaves normally should be
carried out by the professional.
IMPORTANT: Take care of your glider and make sure to have
it checked according to the above schedule: This will ensure
hours of airworthy flying.
15