SKYWALK Drop Lightweight Front Container User Manual
- June 3, 2024
- SKYWALK
Table of Contents
SKYWALK Drop Lightweight Front Container
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to skywalk!
Congratulations on the purchase of your new DROP and thank you for your trust
in us and in our products. In this manual you will find information that will
help you quickly get to know your front container to ensure your fun for a
long time. At skywalk we are enthusiastic about wind sports and innovative
technologies. When we founded skywalk in 2001, our goal was to make
paragliders and kites that offer new solutions to set new impulses, and to
provide customers with a maximum of user friendliness. Today we are one of the
most successful paraglider manufacturers in the world. For this we are
thankful for our curiosity about everything that flies, sails and surfs, as
well as our interest in a variety of outdoor sports. It’s this “big picture”
view that allows us to continuously set new accents in paragliding. We are
always open for questions, com-ments or critique and are happy to provide you
at any time with further information! PRO GUIDE // DROP
DESCRIPTION
The DROP is a front container designed in a lightweight construction, which
makes it possible to safely mount lightweight round and cross reserve
parachutes in a very compact form on a wide variety of harnesses.
SCOPE OF DELIVERY
- Rescue container
- V-line
- Rescue handle
FEATURES
-
Compression zip
For an even more compact pack size. -
Velcro fastener
For mounting small Hike&Fly variometers. -
Rescue handle
Rescue handle with integrated safety pins. When closed, the design prevents unintenional deployment due to tangled lines, as the handle has no undercuts. -
V-line with connecting lines
For attaching the front container. The knots on the connecting lines allow the front rescue position to be adjusted to the suspension width of your harness. -
Packing Sequence
The sequence for closing the front container is given by 1-3 and A-C on the loops. -
Horizontal mounting strap
With clip to fix the front container to the leg loops or the get-up system of your harness.
SAFETY NOTICE
With the purchase of this equipment, you assume the full responsibility and
accept all risks associated with the use of paragliding equipment, including
injury and death. Improper use of paragliding equipment increases this risk.
To fly a paraglider, you must be in possession of the required license or
permit for the country in which you are flying.
Neither skywalk nor the seller nor the importer of this product can be made
liable in case of personal injury or damage caused to a third party.
INSTALLING THE RESERVE CHUTE
The DROP can be combined with most modern lightweightreserve chutes. The
reserve chute may only be integrated in the front container together with the
supplied deploy-ment bag, keeping aware of the maximum volume of the reserve
chute.
The maximum allowed volume must not be exceeded, otherwise a correct
deployment cannot be guaranteed.
The initial installation of the reserve chute must be carried out by an
approved com- patibility technician. This verifies the deployability of the
reserve chute and certifies its compatibility on the reserve chute’s packing
and inspection document. It is very impor-tant that the test release of the
rescue device is carried out by the pilot himself sitting in the harness in a
harness simulator, as different physiques and forces affect its deployability.
Before installation, you must first check whether the reserve chute needs to
be repacked.
CONNECTING THE RESERVE CHUTE WITH THE FRONT CONTAINER
- Connect the rescue grip to the central loop of the reserve chute deployment container by looping them together.
- Now you can connect the V-lines of the DROP with the lanyard of your reserve chute. To connect the reserve chute to the V-line, you must use a screw shackle with at least 2400 daN strength The lines have to be connected on both sides of the screw shackle and must be secured with rubber bands
(option A). As an alternative, you can use a loop to connect the two lines together (option B).
INTEGRATION OF THE RESERVE CHUTE INTO THE FRONT CONTAINER
- Make sure the compression zip is open.
- Place the excess length of the V-line in an S-shape in the middle of the front container and place the reserve chute in the middle above it with the grip facing up.
- Guide the V-line to the left and right of the cover flap (with velco on top) and make sure that 10-15cm from the end of the V-line protrude from the front container
- Thread two pieces of the line through the black loops in the order 1-3 and A-C.
- First, close the right flap with the numbering 1- 3 and attach the loop with the pin of the rescue grip. Make sure that the rescue grip is mounted the right way round, otherwise, the connecting strap will cover the velcro. Remove the piece of line on this side.
- Now close the flaps in order A-C and secure the loop with the second pin of the rescue grip. Then remove the second piece of line.
- Stow the pins and the ends of the rescue handle in the openings to the left and right of the eyelets and secure the rescue handle with Velcro.
- Now you can tidy up the front container by stowing all protruding fabric neatly in the front container. The front container is now packed and ready to be mounted
- In addition, you can compress the front container with a zip on the back. The best way to do this is to fold the packed rescue along the longitudinal axis and close the zip bit by bit.
- Finally, you have to connect the fixation lines of the V-line with the front container. Follow the instructions in the pictures to make a bowline knot.
MOUNTING THE FRONT CONTAINER
The DROP front container has 3 attachment points, so that it can be
universally mounted on standard harnesses.
Before you connect the V-line to the harness, you should make sure that the
fixation lines are connected to the bowline knot on the front container,
otherwise the weight of the rescue can pull the V-line out of the container
and you may have to repack the front container. To connect the V-line to the
harness, both ends of the V-line must be hooked into the main carabiners. This
way the connection of the V-line and the fixation of the front container is
done with one movement. It is important here that the opening of the
carabiners point against the direction of flight, otherwise a rescue release
can lead to peak loads and asymmetries in the connection.
DUE TO THEIR DESIGN, SOME MANUFACTURERS ADVISE AGAINST REVERS-ING THEIR CARABINERS, AS WITH SOME CARABINERS INVERTED INSTALLA-TION CAN POSSIBLY INJURE WEBBING. THIS SHOULD BE CLARIFIED BEFORE INSTALLING THE DROP.
For the third fixation point, the horizontal mounting clip should be passed around the leg loops or around the get-up system of the harness, so that the front container cannot tip upwards in the event of a deployment. When initially adjusting the container to your harness, the lengths of the fixation lines must be matched to the suspension width of your harness. This can be regulated by the knots on the fixation lines. It is important to ensure that the fixation lines are neither loose in flight nor should they take up the main tension of the harness. The two knots cover the suspension widths of most lightweight harnesses on the market. However, if this does not suit you, the in- ner knot can either be opened to widen the fixation, or moved by loosening it first and then tightening it in the correct place.
You should check the optimum setting in the harness simulator before the first flight.
Installing the reserve chute
COMPATIBILITY TEST
The correct installation of the reserve chute should now be verified with a
test deployment. To do this, put on the harness, close the safety buckles and
hang the main carabiners in a harness simulator. Then pull out the reserve
chute by the handle. For this test, it is not enough to deploy the reserve
chute without sitting in the harness. It must be possible for you to reach and
pull the handle with no problem from the flying position, in accordance with
the instructions of this manual.
The deployment force must not be below 2 daN and must not exceed 7daN. In case
of uncertainties, you should consult a specialist or contact your competent
skywalk dealer. The reserve chute must be deployed with the correct throwing
technique, with a continuous and steady pull in a forward movement away from
the harness. Otherwise, deployment may be difficult.
A reserve chute deployment can be made more difficult by the following factors:
- The reserve chute is too large or too bulky for the front container.
- The reserve chute is not packed in the shape of the front container.
- The reserve chute is not thrown with the appropriate throwing technique.
- The reserve chute has too much volume after repacking.
- Because arm length is crucial for a successful reserve chute deployment, smaller persons with short arms may not be able to deploy the reserve chute. In emergency situations, high G-loading can occur, which can make deployment even more difficult
- BEFORE EACH FLIGHT, CHECK TO SEE IF THE RESCUE HANDLE IS IN THE RIGHT POSITION AND WHETHER THE SPLINTS OF THE HANDLE ARE SITTING CORRECTLY. REACHING FOR THE RELEASE HANDLE TO TEST ITS POSITION EVERY FLIGHT CAN HELP YOU MEMORIZE THE POSITION SUBCONSCIOUSLY.
FLYING SAFE
PREFLIGHT CHECK
It is important to check all paragliding equipment thoroughly before every
flight to see if it has any defects. Also check your equipment after long
flights and after long storage.
Check thoroughly that:
- no visible damage to the harness, the front container or carabiners is present that can affect airworthiness.
- the reserve parachute container is correctly closed and connected to the harness, that the splints are threaded completely through the loops and that the rescue handle is correctly mounted.
- all buckles, straps and zippers are shut and secured.
- the paraglider is correctly hooked to the harness and that both carabiners are correctly closed and secured.
- the speedbar is properly hooked into the speed system of the risers and that the speed bar line runs between the harness and V-line.
- all pockets are closed and that no loose items are hanging around.
- all leg and chest straps are closed before you launch!
- DO NOT LAUNCH IF YOU FIND ANY DEFECTS, EVEN SMALL ONES! IF YOU FIND ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE OR ABNORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, CONTACT YOUR FLIGHT SCHOOL OR SKYWALK DIRECTLY.
BEHAVIOR IN THE EVENT OF A RESERVE CHUTE DEPLOYMENT
- Locate the rescue handle in front of you and hold it tightly with one hand.
- Pull the handle firmly in a continuous forward movement away from the harness to release the split pins and to pull out the reserve chute.
- Make sure that you throw the reserve chute in the deployment bag into free airspace.
- If possible, throw it in the opposite direction of any rotational movement and let go of the handle!!
- Once the reserve chute is open, try to keep it from tangling and swinging. It is best use the B-, C- or D-lines or the brake lines to pull the glider symmetrically toward you.
- When you land, straighten up as much as possible and use the parachute landing fall (PLF) technique to minimize the risk of injury.
MAINTENANCE AND CARE
The selected materials used in the DROP make it necessary to treat them carefully and in a professional manner. Make an effort to take care of your equipment and keep it clean to preserve its airworthiness over the longest possible time.
- Avoid dragging your equipment over stony ground and always try to land in an upright position.
- Don’t leave your equipment lying in the sun unnecessarily long. UV radiation is very damaging to the material.
- Store your paragliding equipment loosely packed in a cool and dry place. If it gets wet, always dry out your equipment before packing it.
- To clean it, just use a brush or a damp cloth. Use mild soap to clean it only when absolutely necessary. If you do, first remove other parts like the reserve parachute.
- The coating of the material can be damaged by brushing or rubbing.
Materials
- The skywalk DROP is manufactured from the highest quality materials. skywalk has selected the best possible combination of materials with regard to resilience, performance and longevity. We are aware that the durability of your equipment is a deciding factor in the pilot’s satisfaction.
- Cloth of the front container: 40D Ripstop Silicon/PU, N70D Ripstop
- Webbing: 15 mm Nylon band, Bridle line
- V-Line: D-PRO 5mm
Maintenance checklist
In addition to the normal pre-flight check procedure, you should always take a
close look at the DROP whenever you pack and reinstall the reserve chute
system – normally ev-ery 6 months, but at least every 12 months. Of course,
the harness and the front con-tainer should also be checked after special
events, such as a hard landing or a tree landing, or if excessive wear is
evident. In case of doubt always consult a specialist.
Proceed as follows:
- Check all straps and lines for wear and tear.
- All seams must be checked and, if in doubt, repaired so that the problem does not spread.
- Special attention should be paid to the installation of the reserve chute. Here you should also check the cotter pins.
Storage
Ideal is a dry, dark place with a constant temperature. Moisture is an old enemy of the durability of all paragliders. For this reason, always dry your equipment before you store it, preferably in a heated and well ventilated room, so that moisture can evaporate.
REPAIRS
Repairs should only be carried out by the manufacturer or by an authorized skywalk service center. Exceptions include the repair of small cuts (up to about 3 cm that don’t affect a seam). Changes to the front container Your skywalk DROP is manufactured within the regulated parameters of tolerance. These parameters are very narrow and must not be altered under any circumstance.
DISPOSAL
When choosing materials, skywalk places high value on environmental compatibility and the highest quality control. Should your harness someday no longer be flyable, remove all metal parts such as carabiner, etc. All remaining parts can be turned in at a recycling center. The metallic parts can be turned in at a metals recycling center. The best solution is to send your retired skywalk equipment directly to us. We will then take care of recycling it.
TECHNICAL DATA
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Size| XS| S| M| Your skywalk Team
Weight container (g)| 90| 100| 110|
Weight V-line (g)| 50| 50| 50|
Volume (cm3)| 1500-2200| 2000-3800| 2000-4200|
V-line max. load (kg)| 120| 120| 120|
NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY COMPATIBLE BEHAVIOR
We have taken the first step towards ecological awareness with our nature-
friendly sport. Especially with our mountain climbers who prefer to climb to
the launch site. Nevertheless, we plan on continuing in the same vein. This
means specifically: clean up your trash, stay on marked trails and don’t cause
unnecessary noise. Please help to maintain the balance of nature and to
respect animals in their territory.
CLOSING WORDS
The skywalk DROP is at the absolute leading edge of development in the market
for front container. It cost us a lot of time to develop this front container,
but it was also a lot of fun. In this development we recognize the challenge
of making the right product for every area and individual taste. We are
pleased if you notice this during your first flight. The DROP will provide you
with plenty of joy over many years if you treat it and care for it properly.
Respect for the de-mands and dangers of our sport are essential for successful
and beautiful flights. Even the safest equipment can be dangerous due to
misjudgments of meteorological con-ditions or pilot error. Always remember
that flying sports are potentially risky and that you are responsible for your
own safety. We advise you to fly carefully and to respect laws in the interest
of our sport, because every pilot always flies at his or her own risk! We wish
you a lot of fun while flying, that you finally will never need your rescue
chute and HAPPY LANDINGS! Your skywalk Team
-
Skywalk GmbH & Co. KG Windeckstr. 4
-
83250 Marquartstein+49 (0) 8641/69 48 0
Documents / Resources
|
SKYWALK Drop Lightweight Front
Container
[pdf] User Manual
Drop Lightweight Front Container, Drop, Lightweight Front Container, Front
Container, Container
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