Windtech pulsar - Manual (Page 11)

11
> asymmetric stall (spin)
This is a very difficult situation for the pilot to provoke with the PULSAR, given it's very
low stall speed, you have to really abuse the controls a lot to manage it. Even so, this
situation can be induced if, say, the pilot is turning very slowly in a thermal (near the stall
point), and wants to tighten the turn even more, and at the same time as smoothly lif-
ting the outside brake (which is the correct thing to do), if the pilot simultaneously bra-
kes more on the inside brake, this may stall the inside wing which will then go into spin.
One half of the wing flies forwards, whilst the other flies backwards (negative). In this
case to return to normal flight, one has to raise the inside brake, returning air speed to
the inside wing, which will cause the wing to surge and dive forwards. This dive can be
more or less violent, depending on what stage that the flat spin is in, how much the spin
had been allowed to develop, and the moment at which the brake is lifted. If the pilot
wants to intervene to dampen this dive, they will have to adopt a position (roughly) of
something more than half brake, which must then be released as soon as the dive is stop-
ped, or the wing may then go back into a stall or spin. Another option is to put the gli-
der directly into a full stall immediately that the spin is entered, and from this the exit is
more symmetric with less chance of a twist.
> landing
Choose a large field clear of all obstruc-
tions & in a clean laminar airflow.
A different technique is needed for diffe-
rent wind strengths. Every landing should
be judged differently even if it’s your local
site.
On final approach the pilot should have
hands up (keeping a feel of the wing in
case of unexpected turbulence) so the gli-
der has energy for a flare. In light or nil
winds the pilot will need a committed
symmetric flare at around 1 meter above
the ground.
In stronger winds less of a flare is needed & the pilot must judge this for himself through
practice & training from a qualified instructor.
The flight is not finished, and the pilot is never fully safe, until the glider is safely con-
trolled on the ground.
Avoid letting the glider land on the leading edge. If the glider lands with force on the lea-
ding edge it is possible to burst the inner cells and walls of the wing and you should care-
fully examine the wing for any damage to the joining of the ribs to the cells.