Advance acoustic PRIME SQR PRIME User manual

MANUAL RESERVE -
PRIME - SQR PRIME
Product Manual
Version 17.11.2021

1. Introduction 1
1.1. Registration and the myCompanion Account 1
1.2. Environment and recycling 1
1.3. Something to think about! 1
2. General security advice 2
3. Intended use and safety regulations 2
3.1. Intended use 2
3.2. Packing and inspection requirements 2
3.3. Additional packing and inspection conditions 2
3.4. Service time, entry into service and extension 3
3.5. Water and salt water 3
3.6. Other special conditions 3
4. Design features 4
4.1. Square Round Technology (SQR) 4
4.2. Structural Design 4
4.3. Hangglider versions 6
5. Installing the reserve 6
5.1. With an integrated inner container 7
5.2. With a SQR inner container 7
5.3. With an external (e.g. front) container 8
5.4. Avoiding canopy damage 9
5.5. Connecting the reserve 10
6. Compatibility Test 11
6.1. Compatibility test advice 11
6.2. Compatibility test issues 11
7. Using the reserve 12
7.1. Pre-flight check 12
7.2. Releasing and throwing the reserve 12
7.3. Descending 13
7.4. Landing 13
7.5. Checks after deployment 14
8. Repacking 14
8.1. General information 14
8.2. Sorting the lines, preparing the canopy 14
8.3. Verifying the layout 16
8.4. Sorting the canopy 19

8.5. Folding the canopy 20
8.6. Stowing the lines 41
8.7. Closing the inner container 43
9. Inspection & Support 47
9.1. Periodic inspection 47
9.2. Storing 48
9.3. Support 49
10. Technical Data 49

1. INTRODUCTION
Many thanks for choosing a Companion reserve parachute system. We are confident that you will be satisfied with
this product in every respect.
The current manual contains all the important details about packing, storage, care, maintenance and – if necessary
– deploying your reserve. Please read it carefully before taking the product into the air, and thoroughly familiarise
yourself with the characteristics of your SQR Primereserve.
You can maximise the reliability of your reserve system if you
regularly repack it as described in this manual,
install the reserve according to the instructions and perform a compatibility check,
maintain and look after your reserve, and the rest of your flying equipment, as described in this manual.
We wish you safe flights and happy landings!
The Companion Team
1.1. Registration and the myCompanion Account
Register your product to benefit from the comprehensive services of the myCompanion Online Account:
Email reminders to ensure you do not forget your annual repack date.
A one-year warranty extension beyond the statutory warranty period.
Access all the relevant information about your product, online support and important product updates.
Record your repacks online and download your packing record as a PDF.
Register your product and activate your myCompanion account by scanning the QR-Code on the certification label
or the back of the Quick-Guide Booklet.
By scanning the QR-Code on the product certification label or on the back of the Quick-Guide Booklet, you and your
packer can easily refer to successful compatibility checks, inspections or repairs. As soon as a new packing entry
has been made, your packing history will be automatically updated and confirmed by email.
Product registration
1.2. Environment and recycling
We always consider the ecological aspects of the development and production of Companion products in our choice
of materials, and by cutting to minimise waste. A Companion reserve system consists mainly of man-made fibres
with a Polyamide, Polyurethane and Polyethylene base. They do not need special disposal treatments. At the end
of its life, you can dispose of your reserve in a normal plastics recycling facility.
1.3. Something to think about!
Many pilots do not give their reserve a moment’s thought. They may have no idea what device is "hidden" in their
harness. The reserve is not repacked frequently at the required time intervals, or it is too old.
We would like to encourage our customers to get to know their reserve and have confidence in it. Although seldom
seen, the reserve is an important part of every paraglider pilot’s safety-management system.
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2. GENERAL SECURITY ADVICE
Taking part in an aerial sport requires appropriate training and a satisfactory understanding of the relevant
equipment, as well as the necessary insurance and licensing. A pilot must be capable of correctly assessing the
weather conditions before flying. Before every flight, all items of flying equipment must be checked for damage
and airworthiness.
Warning
Every pilot assumes full responsibility for all risks associated with the sport, including
injury or death. Neither the manufacturer nor the seller of a reserve parachute can be held
responsible for, or guarantee the safety of, the pilot.
3. INTENDED USE AND SAFETY REGULATIONS
3.1. Intended use
This reserve parachute system was specifically developed as a hand-deployed reserve parachute for paragliding,
paramotoring and hanggliding. Its use is not permitted in conjunction with other aerial activities such as
parachuting, skydiving or base jumping. The SQR reserve system is certified according to EN 12491 and LTF NFL II
91/09 standards.
Warning Do not deploy a SQR Prime reserve at airspeeds exceeding 32 m/s (115 km/h)!
The flight standard for rescue systems EN 12491:2015 specifies the two opening speeds 40 m/s or 60 m/s for the
load test. Although the SQR Prime was successfully tested at 50 m/s during the load test, it still belongs to the 40
m/s class, in which a maximum deployment speed of 115 km/h is defined, taking measurement uncertainty into
account. However it has structural strength (energy absorption capability) that is more than 50% higher than
required by the standard certification with 40 m/s.
3.2. Packing and inspection requirements
Every 12 months the reserve should be opened, aired and repacked. This packing event should be noted (online) in
the reserve packing and inspection record.
Every 24 months the SQR reserve should have a periodic inspection and this event entered (online) in the packing
and inspection record.
3.3. Additional packing and inspection conditions
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If the reserve gets damp or is exposed to sand, water or other hazards, a repack must be considered or the packing
interval shortened.
Warning If the packed reserve has been tightly compressed to minimise volume, we recommend a
reduced repacking interval of 6 months.
If you are uncertain about the effects of these factors please contact a qualified organisation. To review your
repacks, packing intervals, inspection and repair history you can refer to the online record that was automatically
set up at product registration.
Online record
3.4. Service time, entry into service and extension
The expected service time of a reserve is 10 years. Even if the reserve has never been used, it must be replaced
after this time span.
The official service time of a reserve starts when it is first installed, known as the Entry into Service date. This
date must be noted on the certification label on the bridle, by whoever installs the reserve. The 10-year service
time, and the dates for the repacking schedule all refer to this Entry into Service date.
Dealer repack exception: if a reserve remains in a dealer’s possession for more than a year he must air and repack
it before sale to a customer. If the reserve remains in the dealer's possession for 2 years it is deemed to have
entered service on this 2-year date.
Two-year extension: at the end of the 10 years' service time, a two-year service time extension can be granted by
the manufacturer. This must be arranged online, see more information on our website. The work requires a
comprehensive factory inspection and measurement of the reserve. If satisfactory, a two-year service time
extension will be granted and documented.
3.5. Water and salt water
In the event of a water-landing,do not repack the reserve until it has completely dried in the air. The best way to
dry your reserve is to hang it upside down, symmetrically. If the reserve is incompletely dried (canopy or lines), it
may shrink asymmetrically. Never use a heat source to speed up the drying process.
Salt water:if any part of the reserve gets wet with salt water, the whole reserve must be rinsed several times in
fresh water, then dried.
Warning If salt water is not rinsed off within 36 hours, the reserve must be declared NON-
AIRWORTHY AND DANGEROUS – not flown again!
3.6. Other special conditions
If a canopy shows signs of mildew or mould, its strength can be affected. It must be sent to a dealer or the
manufacturer for inspection and testing.
Your reserve should be sent for a factory inspection whenever any of the following situations apply:
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20 deployments or
40 repacks or
A deployment at, close to or above the maximum certified deployment airspeed (115 km/h – 32 m/s – 71
mph)
A factory inspection should only be carried out by a certified organisation. Your local dealer can advise on this
subject.
To be sure that the correct materials and techniques are used, all repairs should be done by the manufacturer.
4. DESIGN FEATURES
4.1. Square Round Technology (SQR)
The unique Square Round technology heralds a new generation of reserve parachutes, merging the advantages of
the classic round canopy and the cross canopy into an innovative and forward-looking product.
The SQR has been developed and adapted to the needs of pilots and packers. Countless computer simulations and
in-practice tests were an essential part of the exhaustive development process.
Advantages of the SQR in brief:
Improved opening behaviour as a result of comprehensive practical testing.
Low sink rates and high pendulum stability (swing resistance) thanks to an aerodynamically optimised
canopy with Air Jets.
Low weight thanks to careful choice of materials.
Straightforward and reliable packing – similar to a round canopy – with comparatively fewer lines for easy
sorting, and useful coloured packing aids.
No directional tracking in flight.
Tested for water landings! Thanks to a mix of low-shrinkage materials, functionality is fully guaranteed
even after a water landing.
Certified to both EN 12491 and LTF NFL II 91/09 flight standards.
4.2. Structural Design
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Fig. 1 Structural view from below
1. Bridle
2. Base lines
3. Centre lines
4. Air-Jets
5. Canopy
6. Packing loops
BRIDLE
One end connects to the harness, the other to the reserve canopy suspension lines.
SUSPENSION LINES
The suspension lines can be divided into two main groups:
Base lines (all the same length to simplify packing) connect the bridle to the edge of the canopy.
Centre lines connect the bridle to near the middle of the canopy.
The two groups are made from different materials of different diameters, to make them easier to separate and sort.
In addition, the lines on the left and right sides, as well as in the centre, are different colours to make them easier
to separate.
CANOPY
Main canopy: made up of different panels with one red corner panel, to make packing and sorting easier.
Reinforcing tapes: at the edge of the canopy and specially chosen places on the canopy surface.
Air Jets: at the four corners to provide active aerodynamic stability.
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Packing loops:coloured blue and numbered – on the canopy top surface (see Fig 1).
Coloured line attachment tapes: red , green and white - these distribute the load to the canopy edge, and also act
as sorting and packing aids.
4.3. Hangglider versions
Fig. 2 Swivel device fitted to the SQR Hangglider version
Hangglider versions of the SQR have a swivel in the bridle (connection line). The swivel has been tested and
certified up to 5,000 kg breaking load. The swivel effectively prevents a spinning wing from twisting the parachute
suspension lines. It is an essential safety factor.
The swivel is factory-fitted to hangglider versions of the SQR. Retrofitting of a swivel is not permitted. If a reserve
does not have a built-in swivel, it is a paraglider version. Conversion for use with a hangglider is not permitted.
To maximise safety against a carabiner or other equipment failure, we recommend that the reserve should also be
connected directly to the hangglider harness by a suitable connector link (minimum breaking load 2,500kg).
5. INSTALLING THE RESERVE
We recommend the installation of a reserve in a harness should be done by a qualified person. 6 / 49

If any part of a harness/container/reserve combination is new or has been changed, the correct installation and
deployment of the harness/container/reserve combination must be proven by a test deployment, also known as a
Compatibility Test – See details in chapter 7.
Every reserve/harness/container combination has its own peculiarities. It is essential for pilots and packers to
familiarise themselves with the system and how it works. This is the only way to ensure reliable functioning.
There are different ways to combine the rescue parachute with the harness or external container. Please ask an
experienced person if you are unsure about the best solution for your harness/reserve container system. Correct
installation of the reserve in the harness or external container is described in the manufacturer’s manual for the
relevant harness/container.
5.1. With an integrated inner container
Most modern harnesses have their own integrated inner container to install a reserve. For some harness
manufacturers, the use of the integrated container is obligatory. If your harness has an integrated container, this is
the recommended fitting method.
The certified reserve compartment volume of the harness (see manufacturer's manual), must be compatible with
the certified packing volume of the reserve.The certified packing volume is shown on the certification label of
every SQR reserve.
Warning
Measurement of opening speed and the shock test parameters required during
certification were carried out using the original SQR inner container as delivered from the
factory. A deployment with a different inner container could have different results.
If installing into an integrated inner container, the reserve should be removed from the factory-delivered inner
container.Depending on your configuration, sometimes a partial or full repack of the reserve is required so that it
matches the shape/size of the integrated container to be used.
The packing section (Chapter 9) of the manual gives detailed instructions on how to do this. We strongly
recommend you watch theCompanion online video about packing and folding to size.
Video packing instruction
Warning
To confirm that the reserve has been correctly installed, a compatibility test is absolutely
essential after a new installation or if any element of the harness/container/reserve
system has been changed.
5.2. With a SQR inner container
SQR reserves are delivered from the factory in the SQR inner container. If your harness does not have its own
inner container for the reserve compartment, or the manufacturer allows the use of third party inner containers,
you should use the SQR inner container, as supplied from the factory.
Take care to choose the correct inner container attachment loop. There is a choice of two loops for attaching the
reserve handle (see Fig 3). The correct one to use depends on the length of line from the handle and the shape and
position of your harness reserve compartment. Please follow the advice in your harness manual.
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