Sky Country DISCOVERY 3 User manual

Thank you for choosing SC Discovery-3! This manual will help
you to get maximum information about your glider. This is
information about the design of the Discovery-3, advice how
to use it best and how to care for it to ensure it has a long life.
The manual also includes technical specications and line
plans. We hope that the Discovery-3 will give you a lot of won-
derful ying hours.
Discovery-3
Warning! Paragliding is a high risk activity. We strongly rec-
ommend to learn paragliding only in certied schools and to
choose only the equipment which is correspondent to Your y-
ing skills.
Discovery-3 is suited for those pilots, who nished paragliding school and have at
least 20 hours of ying time. The paraglider has good aerodynamic characteristics
along with high safety, which enables it to be used for recreational ying. Discov-
ery-3-27 is EN “B” certied.
school
paramotor
cross country
competitions
acro

Technical data
The total weight in ight is equal to the weight of the pilot and all the equipment including the wing.
Usually - pilot weight + 15...17 kg.
Top surface: Gelvenor LCN 0066 OLKS
Bottom surface: Skytex 9017 E38A
Ribs: Skytex 9017 E29A
Leading edge reinforcements: Double laminated mylar
Lines reinforcements: Dacron 170 g/sqm
Top level lines: Cousin Dyneema 130 kg
Bottom level lines: Liros Aramid 220, 280 kg
Risers: polyester webbing 20mm, 1000 kg
Connectors: 3 mm stainless
Materials
size 23 25 27 29 31 33
scale 0,923 0,962 1,00 1,036 1,072 1,105
wing area, sq.m. 22,95 24,93 26,94 28,91 30,95 32,89
span, m. 11,04 11,5 11,96 12,39 12,82 13,21
aspect ratio 5,31
projected area,
sq.m.
19,84 21,55 23,79 25,0 26,76 28,44
projected span, m. 8,73 9,10 9,46 9,8 10,14 10,45
projected aspect
ratio
3,84 3,84 3,84 3,84 3,84 3,84
root chord, m. 2,62 2,735 2,843 2,945 3,04 3,14
tip chord, m. 0,46 0,48 0,50 0,52 0,54 0,55
number of cells 53
Vmin, km/h 24
Vmax, km/h 52
total ying
weight, kg
60-80 70-90 80-100 90-115 105-130 120-145

Risers
Discovery-3 has the risers scheme
A2A’1B4C3. The risers are equipped
with speed system, that increases the
speed range of the glider.
Accelerator System Adjustment
Discovery-3 construction enables you to use it with an accelerator. To set up the
accelerator on the ground:
1. Attach the risers to the harness.
2. Attach the accelerator.
3. Sit in your harness.
4. Ask a friend to pull your risers into their in-ight position.
5. While sitting in the harness, stretch your legs and push the loop of the accelera-
tor as much as possible. (The rope will be stretched when pulled).
6. With your legs stretched, choose the length of the lead in such a way that accel-
erator harness is fully stretched and the pulleys on the risers touch.
7. Fix with a tie this length of the accelerator rope.
The accelerator rope should not pull the accelerator in normal ight. Otherwise, the
permanently-speeded-up paraglider will not provide the declared reliability for col-
lapses. You must set up the accelerator properly and make sure it is not entangled!

Pre-flight check
- Lines are clear and leading edge is open
- Karabiners and maillons are tight
- All harness buckles are closed
- Helmet on
- Check reserve parachute
- Accelerator bar is attached
- Wind direction is perpendicular to the glider
- Airspace is clear
You are not allowed to change the paraglider construction except adjusting the brake
lines, because it might lead to unpredictability in ying and make the paraglider
dangerous in certain ying situations.
You must never use Discovery-3 for:
- jumps;
- tandem-ying;
- any other purpose except ying.
Warning!
Launching
Your Discovery-3 can take-off with both forward and reverse techniques.
Use forward technique when the wind is light, or there is no wind.
Move forward and your glider will start to inate. You must maintain a constant
pressure on the risers until the wing is overhead. Brake it a little and launch.
Use reverse technique in light to strong winds
Pull the glider by its A-risers. When it is overhead, pull the brakes to stop the
glider, then turn and launch.
Practise ground handling a lot! It will help you feel your glider better.

In Flight Characteristics
You can change speed by simultaneously pulling or releasing the brakes. Flying at
trim speed (hands up) your glider will achieve its best glide ratio. When brakes are
pulled approximately 30 cm - you get its minimum sink rate. In order to increase
your speed you can use the accelerator.
Speed control
In order to make Discovery-3 turn with a minimum sink and radius while pulling
the internal brake you should pull very slightly the external one too. Use weightshift
to decrease the spiral radius. If the thermal ow is narrow and strong, increase the
tilt and the rotation speed by releasing the external brake.
When you need to turn fast, you should swing Discovery-3 in the opposite direction
and then pull as hard as needed the internal brake.
Discovery-3 has a long brake travel (about 90 см). When full stall is about to hap-
pen, the load at the brakes increases, and ensures that you know about it.
Discovery-3 reaches its maximum speed when you pull the accelerator to its maxi-
mum and release the brakes. Use this mode for long-distance ying and in strong
winds. When using accelerator you will have a maximum speed of 52 km/h.
Remember, that when you use the accelerator, your glider is more likely to collapse.
We do not recommend to use accelerator, if your altitude is less, than 100m. If col-
lapse occurs, release accelerator immediately.
Using the speed system
Turn control
Discovery-3 has long brake travel, light brake pressure and turns very well. When
accelerated Discovery-3 remains solid and well-pressured. It also has high resist-
ance to deations in turbulence.

Flying in turbulence
You can help your glider to avoid different collapses in turbulence - you must y
actively for it. When the glider pitches forward - use the brakes to slow it, if it goes
back - release brakes. These movements can be symmetric or asymmetric.
Let us remind you once again that you should be very careful choosing the weather
to y.
Descent Techniques
Big Ears
While holding the brakes you should symmetrically pull the А’-lines. For directional
control of the glider use the weight shift. When you do big ears, the horizontal speed
increases slightly. In order to return to normal ight, you should release the A-lines
and pull the brakes a few times.
Spiraling is not permitted with big ears, because of the increased load on the remain-
ing lines so that they can be physically deformed.
В-stall
When you need to lose height quickly because of the sudden worsening of the weath-
er, risk of entering a cloud, etc, we recommend you B-stall.
Holding the brakes you take В-risers near the connectors. Forcefully but not sud-
denly, pull down the risers 25-30 cm and hold them as long as necessary. The wing
gets a fold along the entire B-row and sinks at a rate of 8-10 m/sec. In order to return
to normal ight simply release the В-risers and your Discovery-3 will get out of the
B-stall with a small front dive. You can use the brakes once the horizontal speed is
gained. Discovery-3 does not normally tend to go into deep stall once the B-risers
are released. If this does happen (possibly for bad adjustment or under-loading), you
should either pull the А-risers or swing the wing with the brakes.
Spiral dive
When you hold either brake down for a long time, the glider goes into a fast sharp
turn and loses a lot of height. The rotation axis can be somewhere between the pilot
and the wing. The sink rate could be more than 15 m/sec. To get out of the spiral dive
you must release the inner brake. Mind that Discovery-3 may take one more turn
after releasing the brake.
While spiral diving, the pilot experiences considerable overload up to 3 – 4g, so you
can lose orientation. That is why we recommend spiral diving only when the sink
rate of the В-stall is not enough.

Landing
In small winds, when you have 1-2 meters to the ground, you should pull the brakes
gently to your arms’ full length, so that you put your Discovery-3 in stall at a height
of about 0.5 m and the horizontal speed is zero.
In strong winds you must land facing the wind. If necessary you can fold the ears. As
you approach the ground, you must take В-risers while holding the brakes. As soon
as you hit the ground, you must turn towards the glider and pull B-risers running
towards the wing. If the wing is opping about a meter above the ground, release
the B-risers and pull the brakes hard to your arms length. We do not recommend
you to use the brakes in the strong wind, as the wing could catch the wind and pull
the pilot.
Do not let the glider overtake you and hit the ground with its front edge, which
leads to increased pressure in the wing and may damage it.
Deflations
Asymmetric collapse
Every paraglider may collapse in turbulent conditions.
Asymmetric collapses can be controlled by weight-shifting away from the collapse
and applying a small amount of brake to control the ight direction. At the same
time you should use the brake to re-inate the canopy.
If your Discovery-3 collapses in accelerated ight, you must immediately release the
accelerator to slow the glider down.
Remember that the deated glider has higher stall speed and smaller brake travel.
That is why you should be careful not to pull the brake too hard to avoid stall.

Full stall
Deflations
Full stall happens when you pull both brakes too hard. To return to the normal
ight you must release both brakes. After this usually comes a front dive with a
possible front deation.
Just because Discovery-3 warns the pilot about stalling by increasing the brake
load, it is highly unlikely for you to enter it unexpectedly.
Deep stall (parachuting)
To get out of this mode you must pull А – risers or swing the wing by pulling and
releasing the brakes (preferably the rst one).
Asymmetrical stall
It can take place when you pull one of the brakes too hard, or while spiraling at a
small speed in turbulence you increase the angle of attack. Rotation in the asym-
metrical stall is called negative spiral. This is one of the most dangerous ying situ-
ations. In order to get out of asymmetrical stall, just release the brakes. There may
follow side thrust forward with a following wing collapse.
Frontal collapse
Discovery-3 comes out of symmetrical front collapse by itself. You can pull the
brakes about a 20 cm to speed the re-ination.
If your Discovery-3 collapses in accelerated ight, you must immediately release
the accelerator to slow the glider down.

Cravat
Deflations
If the collapsed part of the canopy is entangled in the lines, you must try to release
it by pulling the ear-line. If you cannot do it and the rotation is increasing, you
must use the parachute.
Estimate the damage. If a brake has untied - no problem as Discovery-3 can be
steered well by weight shift and pulling the back risers. Even if the damage allows
for a sustainable controlled ight, you should land as soon as possible. If normal
ight is impossible, you must use the parachute.
We do not recommend you to use the above-mentioned risky techniques. You can
use them at a sufcient height over the water when you are wearing a life jacket
and there is an experienced instructor in a boat.
In flight damage
Self-rotation
Increasing rotation usually takes place when the pilot has not reacted properly to
the asymmetric collapse of the accelerated paraglider. Try to slow down the rotation
by counter-shifting your weight in the harness and pulling the outer brake. If the
self-rotation is increasing, drop the rescue parachute quickly in the direction of the
rotation. This mode can also take place when you make extreme turns of the over-
loaded paraglider.