Skywalk X-ALPS4 User manual

EN
PRO
GUIDE

X-ALPS4 EN
TABLE OF CONTENT
1Introduction 3
2Description 4
3Technical Data 5
4Line System 5
5Acceleration System 6
6Flight Techniques and Characteristics 7
7Descent Techniques 7
8Extreme flight 8
9Materials 8
10 Homologation 9
11 Packing instructions 10
12 Closing Words 12
13 Line Schematic 13
14 Line Length 13
15 Risers 14
16 Overview Glider 15
17 Test Protocol 16
1 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to skywalk!
Congratulations on the purchase of your new X-ALPS4 and thank you for your trust in us
and in our products. In this manual you will find product-specific information that will
help you quickly get to know your new paraglider to ensure your fun for a long time.
General information about the most important safety-relevant points for handling your
paraglider can be found in the attached „BASIC GUIDE“.
We are always open for questions, comments or critique and are happy to provide you
at any time with further information!
Your skywalk Team
PURE PASSION FOR FLYING
Edition 1.0 / 03_2019
The latest version of the manual can be found on
www.skywalk.info
2 Table of content Introduction 3

X-ALPS4 EN
2 DESCRIPTION
The X-ALPS4 is especially designed for the requirements of Hike &Fly competitions.
Developed with the technological know-how of our R&D team and the intense expe-
rience of our X-Alps athletes. The result is an ultra-lightweight wing with unparalleled
performance. The X-ALPS4 boasts with its smoothness and a very precise handling.
The new profile, the line geometry and skywalk‘s innovative Speed Control, which makes
it possible to control the angle of attack in turbulent air at high speeds with the rear
risers, make the X-ALPS4 undisputedly the most potent three-line available!
PILOT REQUIREMENTS
The X-ALPS4 is designed for pilots well practised in recovery techniques, who fly very
actively and have significant experience of flying in turbulent conditions.
SCOPE OF DELIVERY
The X-ALPS4 comes standard with Softbag light, compression strap, glider backpack
and “BASIC GUIDE”.
3 TECHNICAL DATA
Size XS S M
Cell number 82 82 82
Area flat (m²) 20,70 21,70 22.80
Wingspan flat (m) 12,04 12,32 12,63
Aspect ratio flat 6,99 6,99 6,99
Area projected (m²) 17,49 18,34 19,27
Wingspan projected (m) 9,71 9,94 10,19
Aspect ratio projected 5,40 5,40 5,40
min. profile depth (cm) 31 32 33
max. profile depth (cm) 203 208 213
Middle line length without risers (m) 6,87 7,04 7,21
Line consumption (m) 240 246 252
Weight (kg) 3,5 3,7 3,9
Take-off weight from - to (kg) 70-85 70-95 85-105
Winch certified yes yes yes
JET FLAP Technology no no no
Paramotor homologation no no no
Accelerator yes yes yes
Maximum speed bar travel (mm) 180 180 180
Brake line travel max. (cm) 52 54 56
Trimmers no no no
Number of seats 1 1 1
4 LINE SYSTEM
The layout of the suspension points is designed for optimal load distribution and a long
lifespan. With all considerations and calculations however, our focus is always on safety.
The mix of materials used on the lines of the X-ALPS4 is an ideal combination of durabil-
ity, low stretch and low drag.
The skywalk X-ALPS4 has 3A-, 3B-, 2C-, and 1 stabilo line. The main-stabilo is connected
with the B-riser. The brake lines are not load-bearing and lead from the trailing edge over
the main brake lines through the low-friction rings on the C-risers to the brake handles.
A marking on the main brake line indicates the position of the handle attachment.
This setting should not be lengthened, for example, to provide more brake travel in extreme
flight situations or during landing, nor shortened such that the glider is flown constantly
with some brake on.
Technical data 5
4 Description

X-ALPS4 EN
To provide a better overview and to make sorting easier:
> the A-mainlines have a red loop cover.
> the BI, BII-mainlines have a yellow loop cover.
> the C-mainlines and the BIII-mainline have a blue loop cover.
> the stabilo lines have a pink loop cover.
> the mainbrake lines are orange.
> the remaining lines are unsheated.
The lines are attached with loops to oval shackles and secured with rubber rings.
The skywalk X-ALPS4 has 4 risers per side:
> the two inner A-mainlines lead to the inner A-riser, the outer A-line leads to the
outer A-riser.
> the two inner B-mainlines as well as the stabilo lines lead to the B-riser.
> the outer B-mainline as well as the C-mainlines lead to the C-riser.
5 ACCELERATION SYSTEM
The skywalk X-ALPS4 can be equipped with a foot-operated acceleration system.
The acceleration system effects the A1, A2 and B-risers. Both risers are equipped
WITHOUT trimmers.
SPEED CONTROL HANDLE
Handle on rear riser. This handle allows the pilot to even out turbulence, speed and pitch
while flying on speed bar without having to release the speed bar. Pull down the handle,
but only so far that the line shackles on the rear riser don’t drop below the line shackles
on the A-riser.
A schematic drawing of the risers can be found at page 14.
6 FLIGHT TECHNIQUES AND CHARACTERISTICS
WINCHTOWING
The skywalk X-ALPS4 is well suited for winch towing. Make sure that you only use certi-
fied winches and that you climb from the ground at a flat angle.
The pilot must have had proper towing instruction and must ensure that the winch
operator has had proper training that includes paragliders. When launching on a winch,
always fly with a lot of feeling and don’t brake too much as your glider will already have
an increased angle of attack. We recommend the use of a towing adapter.
FLYING WITH A MOTOR
Currently, the X-ALPS4 has no certification for flying with a motor. You can find out the cur-
rent status of motor certification at any dealer or importer, or by asking skywalk directly.
You can find further information on practices and characteristics of flying in the en-
closed “BASIC GUIDE”.
7 DESCENT TECHNIQUES
BIG EARS
In contrast to the spiral dive, with big ears your forward speed is higher than your
sink speed.
This descent method is used to quickly leave dangerous areas in a desired horizontal direc-
tion. The danger of canopy disturbances in turbulent air is greatly reduced with big ears.
Proceed as follows:
> Hold the outer A-lines, which are suspended on separate A-risers, below the line
shackles and pull down on the lines or risers.
> Keep the brake handles and the outer A-lines in your hands during the maneuver.
The glider remains controllable with weight shifting.
> To increase both sink rate and forward speed, you can also optimize this maneuver
with the speed bar.
> To recover from the maneuver, release the A-lines and the glider normally will open
by itself.
> To speed up the opening, pull on the brakes lightly. It is better to first open one side
and then the other to minimize the risk of a possible stall.
CAUTION
WHEN FLYING AT TRIM SPEED, THE HANDLE SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR
STEERING THE GLIDER IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.
6 Acceleration System Flight Techniques and Characteristics | Descent Techniques 7

X-ALPS4 EN
Examples:
> If the pilot is surprised near a summit with little ground clearance by strong wind or a
thundercloud, neither a B-stall nor a spiral dive can help.
> If the pilot is stuck in very strong lift, it is advisable to exit the lift band with the use of
big ears and to find sinking air in which to lose altitude.
B-LINE STALL
This manoeuvre is not possible with the X-ALPS4. For fast descent use a spiral dive
or big ears.
You can find further information about descent techniques in the enclosed “BASIC GUIDE”.
8 EXTREME FLIGHT
COLLAPSES
The skywalk X-ALPS4 has been certified with special folding lines. The provocation of side
and front collapses by pulling on the A-risers is not possible and can lead to unpredictable
reactions!
You can find further information about extreme flight behavior in the enclosed “BASIC GUIDE”.
9 MATERIALS
The skywalk X-ALPS4 is manufactured from the highest quality materials.
skywalk has selected the best possible combination of materials with regard to resil-
ience, performance and longevity. We are aware that the durability of the glider is a
deciding factor in the pilot’s satisfaction.
WINGS AND RIBS
Upper sail: Porcher Skytex 27g
Lower sail: Porcher Skytex 27g
Ribs: Porcher Skytex 27g hard
LINES
A, B, C Main lines: Edelrid 8000-U230/190/130
A, B, C Middle lines: Edelrid 8000-U90/70
A, B, C Top lines: Liros DC60/35
Brake lines: Liros DFLP 200/32, DC35 Edelrid 8000-U130/50
RISERS
The risers are made of 6mm Dyneema webbing. Stretching values, strength and stability
of this material is among the highest of all webbing products available.
10 HOMOLOGATION
The X-ALPS4 is certified to LTF 09 and EN926-1, EN926-2 in the category D.
Special folding lines were used when X-ALPS4 was going through certification. Without
these folding lines, asymmetric and symmetric collapses (tucks and frontals) may not
behave or recover as they did in certification tests. The folding lines have a special set-
ting according to the LTF/EN D requirements.
At the canopy, the folding lines are attached to special loops at the test model. At the
lower end, their three main lines are attached to a special riser. Please contact skywalk
if you have any questions regarding use of the folding lines and riser.
The X-ALPS4 is defined as a lightweight sport aircraft with an empty weight of less than
120kg in the paraglider category. The many homologation tests are the last hurdle in
the development of a skywalk paraglider. The homologation test flights only take place
when the test team is completely happy with the glider development.
We remark that the certification results will differ during flight in thermals or turbulent air.
The homologation informs solely regarding the paraglider performance during extreme-
flight- manoeuvres performed in stable air conditions. These extreme-flight-manoeu-
vres during the homologation process should thus not be over-valued.
Remember that certification maneuvers were carried out with a harness in the group
GH with a carabiner distance (middle to middle) of 42-46 cm. If another harness is used,
the glider may display flight characteristics that differ from those in the description.
Homologation 9
8Descent techniques | Materials | Extreme flight

X-ALPS4 EN
Pass the two risers through the rubber loop
and attach them with the carabiner loops to the
toggle button.
Carefully close the zipper, making sure you do
not pinch any lines or glider material. Attach the
first Packing Tube about a third of the way down
and fold the leading edge over the Packing Tube.
Make sure that the side of the Softbag with the
lettering is at the bottom.
Fix the second Packing Tube about two-thirds
of the way down and fold the end over the
Packing Tube.
Close the plastic clip.
Finally, use the compression bands to compress
the Softbag even more.
Tip: For a particularly gentle storage, lay out
the Softbag lengthwise when not using the
paraglider.
11 PACKING INSTRUCTIONS
Carefully packing your paraglider guarantees a consistently high level of quality. Stick to
the packing instructions described here to protect the Rigid Foils and use the includ-
ed Packing Tubes to avoid unnecessary bending of the Rigid Foils. The supplied Softbag
simplifies the packing process.
Gather up your glider and place it on the Soft-
bag. At the bottom of the Softbag is a tog-
gle button where you can attach the risers later.
The trailing edge of the glider should lie in the
direction of the toggle button.
Lay the Rigid Foils of the leading edge on top of
one another. It’s best to start from the middle
and work on one half of the glider, then do the
second half and place its Rigid Foils next
to those of the first half.
Turn the entire leading edge 90° on its side and
fix the glider with the first compression band to
the Softbag.
Attention: With this technique, the glider is
like an accordion from wingtip to wingtip and is
not folded in the middle! This protects the mid-
dle cells and the Rigid Foils from unnecessari-
ly stress.
Now sort the rest of the glider lengthwise to
the trailing edge and fix it with the remaining
compression bands.
Packing instructions 11
10 Packing instructions

X-ALPS4 EN
12 CLOSING WORDS
The skywalk X-ALPS4 is at the pinnacle of paraglider development in the market for
ultralight high performance gliders and shows what is possible regarding performance,
safety and innovation. It cost us a lot of time to develop this glider, but it was also a lot of
fun. In this development we recognize the challenge of making the right product for ev-
ery area and individual taste. We are pleased if you notice this during your first flight and if
you feel a certain unity with your glider from the very beginning.
The X-ALPS4 will provide you with plenty of joy over many years if you treat it and care
for it properly. Respect for the demands and dangers of our sport are essential for suc-
cessful and beautiful flights.
Even the safest paraglider can be dangerous due to misjudgments of meteorological
conditions 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 WITH YOUR NEW GLIDER AND ALWAYS
HAPPY LANDINGS!!
Your skywalk Team
13 LINE SCHEMATIC
This line schematic is only for
illustration purposes.
A (AI, AII) B (BI, BII, S) C (CI, CII, BIII)
A1
B1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
S1 S2
AI BI
AII
BII
AIII
BIII
brmain
BR I
BR II
BR III
BR 1
BR 2
BR 3
BR 4
BR 5
BR 6
br 1
br 2
br 3
br 4
br 5
br 6
br 7
br 8
br 9
br 10
br 11
br 12
s2
s3
s4
s1
S
a11
a12
a9
a10
a7
a8
a5
a4
a3
a2
a1
c4
b4
c3
b3
c2
c1
b2
b1
a6
b5
b6
b8
b9
b10
b11
b12
b7
c5
c6
c8
c7
CI
CII
B2
B3
B4
C1
C2
C3
C4
B5
B6
A2 (AIII)
brmain1
Loopcover
14 LINE LENGTH
Total line length X-ALPS4 size: XS, S and M: www.skywalk.info
Single line length X-ALPS4 size: XS, S and M: www.skywalk.info
Line schematic | Line length 13
12 Closing words

X-ALPS4 EN
15 RISERS AND SPEED CONTROL
Trimspeed Accelerated flight Speed Control
16 OVERVIEW GLIDER
A
A2
B
A A2 BC
AA2 BC C
1 Main lines
2 Top lines
3 Bottom sail
4 Cell openings
5 Top sail
6 Trailing edge
7 Nameplate
14 Risers Overview Glider 15

X-ALPS4 EN
16 Test Protocol
TEST PROTOCOL Date:
Customer, Name:
Adress: Phone:
Glider: Size: Serial number:
Type certificate number: Date of last check:
Date of first flight: Year of construction:
Accomplished checking: Results [+/–]: Description of failure: Suggested repairs:
Identification:
Visual check of canopy:
Upper surface:
Lower surface:
Profiles:
Line flares:
Leading edge:
Trailing edge:
Crossports:
Visual check of lines:
Seams:
Abrasion spots:
Core withdrawals:
Visual check of connectionparts:
Suspension line screw locks:
Risers:
Length measurement:
Risers:
Lines:
Examinations of the canopy:
Firmness of canopy:
Porosity:
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
+-
17
Test Protocol 17
Examinations of the lines:
Firmness of main lines: daN
Results [+/–]: Description of failure: Suggested repairs:
Visual check of trimming:
Checkflight necessary?
Type certificate patch?
Identification plate?
Condition: New
Very good condition
Good condition
Well used
Heavily used, but within homologation standards, frequent checks required
No longer airworthy, outside of the limit values.
Repairs made?:
Signature of tester: Date:
Name of tester: Firm stamp:
+
+
+
+-
-
-
-

X-ALPS4
Skywalk GmbH & Co. KG
Windeckstr. 4 | 83250 Marquartstein
+49 (0) 8641/69 48 40
inf[email protected] | www.skywalk.info