airwave MUSTANG Manuel D'utilisation page 27

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Wing Tip Area Reduction (Big Ears)
The 'baby A riser' allows the MUSTANG to be 'big eared' simply and easily. The big ear facility does not
allow you to fly in stronger winds, but is a facility which allows the pilot to descend quickly without
substantially reducing the forward speed of the canopy (as is the case with B lining). To engage big ears
the pilot will need to lean forward in the harness and grasp the Big ears risers (one in each hand) at the
maillon, keeping hold of both brake handles if possible. Pull the riser out and down at least 30 cm so as to
collapse the tips of the glider. It is very important that the other A lines are not affected when you do this
as it could cause the leading edge to collapse. Steering is possible by weight shifting with big ears in. If
the big ears does not come out quickly on its own a pump on the brake will speed things up. Before using
the big ears facility in earnest it is essential to practice beforehand with plenty of ground clearance in case
a leading edge collapse occurs. Always keep hold of both brakes in order to retain control. Putting your
hands through the brake handles so they remain on your wrists is a good method of doing this.
B-Line Stall
This is a fast descent method and is a useful emergency procedure. With both hands through the brake
handles, the pilot takes hold of the top of the B risers, one in each hand, and pulls them down by around
50 cm. This will stall the canopy and forward speed will drop to zero. Make sure you have plenty of ground
clearance because the decent rate can be over 10 m/sec. To increase the descent rate pull harder on the
B riser. When you release the B riser the canopy will automatically start flying again, normally within two
seconds. Sometimes the canopy will turn gently when it exits from the B line stall. It is normally better to
release the B riser fairly quickly rather than slowly as this may result in the canopy entering deep stall.
Always release the riser symmetrically as an asymmetric release from a B line stall may result in the glider
entering a spin. This manoeuvre is useful when losing a lot of height quickly is necessary, perhaps when
escaping from a thunderstorm. It should not be performed with less than 100 m of ground clearance. (see
also Chapter V, part 1)
Spiral Dive
A normal turn can be converted into a strong spiral dive by continuing to apply one brake. The bank angle
and speed of the turn will increase as the downward spiral is continued. Be careful to enter the spiral
gradually as too quick a brake application can cause a spin or enter an 'over the nose' spiral.
Airwave gliders are designed and tested to recover from normal spirals with a descent rate inferior to 14
m/sec, automatically without pilot input. If the pilot increases the descent rate of the spiral to over 14
m/sec or initiates what is known as an 'over the nose' spiral, the glider may require pilot input to recover.
In this case all the pilot needs to do is to apply some outside brake and steer the glider out of the turn.
The ''over the nose' spiral is a special type of spiral dive where the glider points almost directly at the
ground. This is entered by making a sudden brake application during the spiral entry so that the glider
yaws around, and the nose of the glider ends up pointing at the ground, after this the glider picks up
speed very quickly. This technique is very similar to SAT entry technique, and like the SAT it is an
aerobatic manouvre which is outside the normal safe flight envelope. Please do not practice these
manouvres as they can be dangerous.Care should be taken when exiting from any spiral dive. To pull out
of a steep spiral dive release the applied brake gradually, or apply opposite brake gradually. A sharp
release of the brake can cause the glider to surge and dive as the wing converts speed to lift. Always be
ready to damp out any potential dive with the brakes. Also be ready to encounter turbulence when you
exit from a spiral because you may fly though your own wake turbulence, which can cause a collapse.
Speed System
The MUSTANG is sold with accelerator risers and a speed stirrup as standard but can be flown without
the speed stirrup attached. Launching and general flying is normally done without using the accelerator.
The accelerator bar should be used when higher speed is important. A 70 kg pilot on the MUSTANG –
medium should be able to reach a speed of 50 kph using the accelerator system. Glide angle is not as
good in this format, so it is not necessarily the best way to race in thermic conditions and the canopy is
slightly more susceptible to deflations. Using the stirrup can require some effort and the pilot´s balance in
the harness can be affected. It may be necessary to make some adjustments to the harness. We
recommend that only fly in conditions where you can penetrate with the risers level so that you have the
extra airspeed should you need it.
To fly at maximum speed the stirrup should be applied gradually until the upper pulley on the A riser butts
against the pulley at the riser base.