Swing ARCUS 2 RS User manual

WARNING
Read this Manual before using your paraglider!
© SWING Flugsportgeräte GmbH

Revision: 1.2
Datum: 03.03.2021
Dear ARCUS 2 RS pilot
THANK YOU FOR PURCHASING A SWING PRODUCT!
This Instruction Manual is an important part of your paragliding equipment. It
contains instructions, important advice on safety and paraglider care and
maintenance, along with tips on flying technique and general information about
the sport of paragliding.
It is essential that you read this Manual thoroughly before your first flight.
We hope that flying the ARCUS 2 RS will bring you many years of enjoyment. The
innovative design, first-rate materials and high quality workmanship of your
paraglider set it apart from others. Your SWING paraglider was developed to
comply with all of the current safety and certification requirements in Germany.
To enhance your flying enjoyment further, we recommend that you familiarise
yourself with the information and instructions contained in this Manual
regarding safety, equipment and service.
If you have any questions which are not answered in this Manual, please do not
hesitate to contact SWING directly or your SWING dealer. Our contact details are
in the Appendix.
We hope that you have a great time flying the ARCUS 2 RS - and “happy
landings”!
SWING Team
This glider is equipped with SWING Ram Air Section Technology (RAST)

WARNING
Read this Manual before using your paraglider!
© SWING Flugsportgeräte GmbH

INFORMATION
SWING Flugsportgeräte GmbH reserves the right to alter or add to
the contents of this Manual at any time. You should therefore
regularly visit our website:
www.SWING.de
There you will find further information regarding your paraglider and any
updates to the owner´s manual. For detailed information on how to use the
SWING website, please refer to the chapter "SWING on the World Wide
Web".
Express written consent from SWING Flugsportgeräte GmbH is required for any
duplication of this Manual, in whole or in part (with the exception of short quotations in
specialist articles), and in any form or by any means, whether it be electronic or mechanical.
The fact that this Manual has been made available does not confer any claim to the
product descriptions, common or trade names or other intellectual property.

Contents
01 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 6
MANUAL........................................................................................................................................... 6
Special text .....................................................................................................................................6
Series of instructions.......................................................................................................................7
Lists of parts....................................................................................................................................7
Bullet points....................................................................................................................................7
QR-Codes ........................................................................................................................................7
SWING FLUGSPORTGERÄTE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.................................................................................. 7
Respect for nature and the environment........................................................................................7
Environmentally-friendly recycling .................................................................................................7
02 SAFETY ............................................................................................................................... 8
SAFETY ADVICE ................................................................................................................................... 8
SAFETY NOTICES.................................................................................................................................. 8
DISCLAIMER AND EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY,OPERATING LIMITS ....................................................................... 9
Intended use ...................................................................................................................................9
Disclaimer and exclusion of liability................................................................................................9
Operating limits ............................................................................................................................10
GLIDER CATEGORIES AND GUIDELINES..................................................................................................... 10
EN/LTF certification ......................................................................................................................11
Target group and recommended flying experience ......................................................................11
Suitability for training...................................................................................................................11
03 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................. 12
GENERAL LAYOUT ILLUSTRATION ........................................................................................................... 12
ARCUS 2RS …EXPERIENCE YOUR NEXT LEVEL!.................................................................................... 12
RAST............................................................................................................................................. 12
LINE SYSTEM .................................................................................................................................... 13
RISERS............................................................................................................................................ 14
TECHNICAL DATA .............................................................................................................................. 14
04 SETTING UP THE ARCUS 2 RS AND FIRST-FLYING ............................................................... 15
BEFORE THE FIRST FLIGHT .................................................................................................................... 15
Adjusting the main brake lines .....................................................................................................15
Adjusting brake handle stiffness...................................................................................................17
Speed system ................................................................................................................................17
Other features ..............................................................................................................................18
RECOMMENDED WEIGHT RANGE ........................................................................................................... 18
BALLAST.......................................................................................................................................... 19
RESERVE ......................................................................................................................................... 19
SUITABLE HARNESSES......................................................................................................................... 19
HARNESS INFLUENCE.......................................................................................................................... 20
05 FLYING THE ARCUS 2 RS ..................................................................................................... 21
FIRST FLIGHT .................................................................................................................................... 21

LAYING OUT THE PARAGLIDER AND PRE-FLIGHT CHECK ................................................................................ 21
5-POINT CHECK................................................................................................................................. 21
LAUNCH.......................................................................................................................................... 22
LEVEL FLIGHT.................................................................................................................................... 22
TURNS............................................................................................................................................ 22
Emergency steering ......................................................................................................................23
RAPID DESCENT METHODS ................................................................................................................... 23
Spiral dives....................................................................................................................................23
B-stall............................................................................................................................................24
Big Ears.........................................................................................................................................25
Landing .........................................................................................................................................26
06 TYPES OF USE ................................................................................................................... 27
WINCH LAUNCH................................................................................................................................ 27
Attaching the towline release system...........................................................................................27
MOTORISED FLIGHT ........................................................................................................................... 28
TANDEM PARAGLIDING ....................................................................................................................... 28
AEROBATICS..................................................................................................................................... 28
07 DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AND EXTREME FLYING ............................................................. 29
DANGEROUS SITUATIONS .................................................................................................................... 29
SAFETY TRAINING .............................................................................................................................. 29
Material stress and damage.........................................................................................................29
Safety training and RAST ..............................................................................................................30
COLLAPSING THE PARAGLIDER .............................................................................................................. 30
Asymmetric collapse.....................................................................................................................30
Front stall......................................................................................................................................30
TYPES OF STALL................................................................................................................................. 31
Deep stall......................................................................................................................................31
Full stall.........................................................................................................................................31
Spin ...............................................................................................................................................32
OTHER TIPS FOR DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ............................................................................................... 32
Stalling in rain...............................................................................................................................32
Advertising and adhesives ............................................................................................................33
Overloading ..................................................................................................................................33
Temperature range.......................................................................................................................33
08 STORING AND LOOKING AFTER THE PARAGLIDER ............................................................. 34
STORING THE PARAGLIDER ................................................................................................................... 34
Storing and transporting the glider ..............................................................................................34
Packing the paraglider..................................................................................................................34
LOOKING AFTER THE PARAGLIDER .......................................................................................................... 35
Handle with care...........................................................................................................................35
Dampness / humidity....................................................................................................................36
Contact with salt water ................................................................................................................36
Sand and salt air ...........................................................................................................................37
Cleaning........................................................................................................................................37

09 REPAIRS, INSPECTIONS AND WARRANTY .......................................................................... 38
TYPE DESIGNATION ............................................................................................................................ 38
SPAREPARTS..................................................................................................................................... 38
REPAIRS .......................................................................................................................................... 38
Small repairs to the glider.............................................................................................................38
SWING workshops ........................................................................................................................38
REGULAR INSPECTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 38
Lines..............................................................................................................................................38
Quick brake line check ..................................................................................................................39
INSPECTION ..................................................................................................................................... 40
General .........................................................................................................................................40
Inspection periods.........................................................................................................................40
Validity of inspection ....................................................................................................................40
WARRANTY ..................................................................................................................................... 40
10 SWING ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB................................................................................... 42
SWING WEBSITE.............................................................................................................................. 42
Facebook, Twitter & youtube........................................................................................................42
SWING TV .....................................................................................................................................42
APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................. 43
ADDRESSES...................................................................................................................................... 43
SWING Flugsportgeräte GmbH .....................................................................................................43
Paraglider recycling ......................................................................................................................43
DHV...............................................................................................................................................43
AIR Turquoise................................................................................................................................43
DULV.............................................................................................................................................43
VERSIONS........................................................................................................................................ 43
GLIDER DETAILS ................................................................................................................................ 44
PILOT DETAILS /PROOF OF OWNERSHIP.................................................................................................. 44
INSPECTION AND REPAIRS CARRIED OUT: ................................................................................................. 44

6
Section 01
Introduction
01 Introduction
Manual
SWING requires you to familiarise
yourself with your new paraglider by
reading this Manual before your first
flight. This will allow you to acquaint
yourself with its new functions and
learn the best way to fly the paraglider
in various situations. It will also explain
how to get the most out of your
paraglider.
Information in this manual on design
of the paraglider, technical data and
illustrations are subjects to change. We
reserve the right to make changes
without prior notification.
Special text giving safety information is
identified in this Manual in accordance
with the ANSI Z535.6 standard.
The Manual complies with the
airworthiness requirements in LTF NFL
II 91/09 and forms part of the
certification.
There are a total of three parts to the
Manual, which give the following
information:
1. Manual (this document):
Instructions on getting started and
using the paraglider
2. Maintenance and Service Book
(PDF/Download):
Technical data and inspection
information specific to the
particular glider
3. Inspection Information
(PDF/Download):
General instructions and guidance
on carrying out the regular
inspection of paragliders
Special text
DANGER
Sections of text headed “Danger”
indicate a situation where there is
imminent danger, which in all
probability will lead to death or
serious injury, if the instructions
given are not followed.
WARNING
Sections of text headed “Warning”
indicate a potentially dangerous
situation, which may lead to death
or serious injury, if the instructions
are not followed.
CAUTION
Sections of text headed “Caution”
indicate a potentially dangerous
situation, which may lead to minor
or slight injury, if the instructions
are not followed.

PLEASE NOTE
Sections of text headed “Please
note” indicate possible damage to
property, which may occur if the
instructions are not followed.

TIP
Sections of text headed “Tip” give
advice or tips which will make it
easier to use your paraglider.

Introduction
Section 01
7
Series of instructions
In this Manual, instructions which must
be followed in a certain order are
numbered consecutively.
<Where there is a series of
pictures with step-by-step instructions,
each step has the same number as the
corresponding picture.
dLetters are used where there is a
series of pictures but the order is not
relevant.
Lists of parts
Numbers circled in red () refer to
various parts of the item pictured. A list
of the numbers and the name of the
part labelled follows the picture.
Bullet points
Bullet points are used in the Manual for
lists.
Example:
•risers
•lines
QR-Codes
There are QR Codes in
various sections of this
Manual, which take you to
the links given in the
corresponding text.
SWING Flugsportgeräte and
the environment
Protection of the environment, safety
and quality are the three core values of
SWING Flugsportgeräte GmbH and
they have implications for everything
we do. We also believe that our
customers share our environmental
awareness.
Respect for nature and the
environment
You can easily play a part in protecting
the environment by practising our
sport in such a way that there is no
damage to nature and the areas in
which we fly. Keep to marked trails,
take your rubbish away with you,
refrain from making unnecessary noise
and respect the sensitive biological
equilibrium of nature. Consideration for
nature is required even at the launch
site!
Smokers –please do not leave any
cigarette butts, matches etc. at flying
sites.
Paragliding is, of course, an outdoor
sport –protect and preserve our
planet’s resources.
Environmentally-friendly
recycling
SWING gives consideration to the
entire life cycle of its paragliders, the
final stage of which is recycling in an
environmentally-friendly manner. The
synthetic materials used in a paraglider
must be disposed of properly. If you are
not able to arrange appropriate
disposal, SWING will be happy to
recycle the paraglider for you. Send the
glider with a short note to this effect to
the address given in the Appendix.

8
Section 02
Safety
02 Safety
WARNING
It is imperative that the instructions
contained in this Manual are
followed at all times.
Failure to do so renders invalid the
glider’s certification and/or results in
loss of insurance cover. Furthermore,
it could lead to serious injuries or
even death.
This applies in particular, but not
only, to the instructions given in the
sections Safety, Flying the ARCUS 2
RS, Types of Use and Dangerous
Situations and Extreme Flying.
Safety advice
All forms of aerial sport involve certain
risks. When compared with other types
of aerial sport, paragliding has the
lowest number of fatal accidents
measured according to the number of
licensed pilots.
However, few other sports demand
such a high level of individual
responsibility as paragliding. Prudence
and risk-awareness are basic
requirements for the safe practice of
the sport, for the very reason that it is
so easy to learn and practically anyone
can do so. Carelessness and
overestimating one’s own abilities can
quickly lead to critical situations. A
reliable assessment of conditions for
flying is particularly important. Most
serious paraglider accidents are caused
by pilots misjudging the weather for
flying.
In Germany, paragliders are subject to
the guidelines for air sports equipment
and must not under any circumstances
be flown without a valid certification.
Independent experimentation is
strictly prohibited. This Manual does
not replace the need to attend training
at a paragliding school.
A specialist must test-fly and inspect
the paraglider before your first flight.
The test-flight must be recorded on the
paraglider information label.
Carry out your first flight with the
paraglider on a training slope. For this
flight and for all other flights, you must
wear an approved harness, reserve
parachute, harness, helmet, gloves,
firm shoes with ankle-support and
suitable clothing. Only fly if the wind
direction, wind speed and current and
forecasted weather conditions
guarantee a safe flight.
The Manual must be passed on to any
new owner if the paraglider is sold. It is
part of the certification and belongs
with the paraglider.
The ARCUS 2 RS was developed and
tested solely for use as a paraglider for
foot-launch and winch-towing. Any use
other than as intended is not
permitted. Do not under any
circumstances use the paraglider as a
parachute. Acrobatics are not
permitted.
Observe the other specific safety
advice in the various sections of this
Manual.
Safety notices
Safety notices are issued when defects
arise during use of a paraglider which
could possibly also affect other gliders
of the same model.
WARNING
The paraglider owner is responsible
for carrying out the action required
by the safety notice.
The notices contain instructions on
how to inspect the gliders concerned

Safety
Section 02
9
for possible faults and the steps
required to rectify any faults.
SWING publishes on its website any
technical safety notices and
airworthiness instructions which are
issued in respect of SWING products.
Safety notices are released by
the certification agencies and
are also published on the
relevant websites. You should
therefore visit the safety
pages of the certification agencies on a
regular basis and keep up-to-date with
new safety notices which cover any
products relating to paragliding (refer
to Appendix for addresses).
Services such as RSS are also available
which allow internet users to follow
various websites and changes to them
without having to access them
individually. This allows much more
information to be followed than was
previously the case.
Disclaimer and exclusion of
liability, Operating limits
Use of the paraglider is at the pilot’s
own risk!
The manufacturer cannot be held
liable for any personal injury or material
damage which arises in connection
with SWING paragliders. The
certification and warranty shall be
rendered invalid if there are changes of
any kind (incl. paraglider design or
changes to the brake lines beyond the
permissible tolerance levels) or
incorrect repairs to the glider, or if any
inspections are missed (annual and 2-
yearly check).
Pilots are responsible for their own
safety and must ensure that the
airworthiness of the glider is checked
prior to every flight. The pilot should
launch only if the paraglider is
airworthy. In addition, when flying
outside of Germany, pilots must
observe the relevant regulations in
each country.
The glider may only be used if the pilot
has a licence which is valid for the area
or is flying under the supervision of an
approved flying instructor. There is no
liability on the part of third parties, in
particular the manufacturer and the
dealer.
Intended use
The ARCUS 2 RS has solely to be used
as “light aerial sports equipment”with
an empty weight of less than 120 kg,
category paraglider.
Disclaimer and exclusion of
liability
In terms of the warranty and guarantee
conditions, the paraglider may not be
flown if any of the following situations
exists:
•the inspection period has expired,
or the inspection has been carried
out by an unauthorised inspector
•pilot has insufficient experience or
training
•the pilot has incorrect or
inadequate equipment (reserve,
protection, helmet etc.)
•the glider is used for winch-
launching with a winch which has
not been inspected or by non-
licensed pilots and/or winch
operators

10
Section 02
Safety
Operating limits
WARNING
The operating limits must be
observed throughout the entire
flight.
When planning your flight, pay
attention to current and forecasted
weather conditions and
temperature. Bear in mind too that
the temperature will drop as the
altitude increases.
The paraglider may only be used within
the operating limits. These have been
exceeded if any of the following
situations exists:
•the take-off weight is not within the
permissible weight range
•the glider is used by more than one
person
•the glider is flown in rain or drizzle,
cloud, fog and/or snow
•the canopy is wet
•there are turbulent weather
conditions and/or wind speeds on
launch higher than 2/3 of the
maximum flyable airspeed of the
glider (based on take-off weight)
•the air temperature is below -30°C
or above 50°C
•the glider is used for
aerobatics/extreme flying or flight
manoeuvres at an angle greater
than 135°
•there have been modifications to
the canopy, lines or risers which
have not been approved
Glider categories and
guidelines
WARNING
The descriptions of flight
characteristics contained in this
Manual are all based on experiences
from the test flights, which were
carried out under standardised
conditions.
The classification is merely a
description of the reactions to these
standard tests.
The complexity of the system
paraglider - harness means that it is
not possible to give any more than a
partial description of the glider’s
flight behaviour and reactions to
disturbances. Even a small alteration
in individual parameters can result in
flight behaviour which is markedly
modified and different from the
description given.
The German Hanggliding and
Paragliding Association (DHV) and its
safety division have developed
guidelines which are based on many
years of analysing paraglider accidents
and on the experience of flying schools,
flying instructors and safety officers.
These guidelines should help pilots to
select the appropriate glider
classification for their particular level of
flying ability. The information below
relates to the classification in EN/LTF
certification. There is also further
information on the website of the
relevant licensing body.

Safety
Section 02
11
EN/LTF certification
The ARCUS 2 RS received B
classification in the final classification
by the licensing body.
Description of flight characteristics
Class B:
Paragliders with good passive safety
and forgiving flying characteristics.
Gliders with some resistance to
departures from normal flight.
Description of pilot skills required
For all pilots including pilots under
instruction.
The pilot should already have basic
knowledge of how to use a paraglider.
Target group and recommended
flying experience
Ambitious pilots wanting to move up
to a B-class wing will feel just as
comfortable flying the ARCUS 2 RS as
pilots who have held their licence for
many years or those who are stepping
back from higher categories, and who
place importance on a high level of
passive safety along with good
performance data.
Suitability for training
The ARCUS 2 RS is not suitable for use
as a training glider.

12
Section 03
Technical Description
03 Technical
Description
General layout illustration
Fig. 1 CAD drawing of ARCUS 2 RS
ARCUS 2 RS
…experience your next
level!
Our goal when we developed the
ARCUS 2 RS was for pilots to be able to
take their flying to a new level but not
push themselves too far.
The ARCUS 2 RS is essentially based on
the NYOS RS, which has been very
successful and has proved itself in
practice. We completely reworked the
design, with great attention to detail,
giving it a slightly lower aspect ratio
and using a different combination of
hard-wearing materials. This has
adapted it to suit pilots who feel most
comfortable with a mid-range B wing.
With 57 cells, even the appearance of
this elegant wing gives an indication of
its performance level. The solid feeling
during flight immediately gives you a
sense of familiarity with a high feel-
good factor and promises pure flying
enjoyment.
After just your first few turns in a warm
thermal, you will sense that the ARCUS
2 RS features the characteristics of its
big brother, the NYOS RS. Its extremely
precise and direct handling makes it
fun to ascend, and then the ARCUS 2
RS really demonstrates its performance
potential in a valley crossing. Its stable
canopy and optimised RAST system
will give you the confidence to try
something new and to fly further than
ever before.
RAST
The ARCUS 2 RS features
Swing’s unique Ram Air
Section Technology, known
as ‘RAST’ for short.
This system divides the interior of the
paraglider into several chambers
crossways to the flight direction.
Fig. 2 Sketch RAST
Defined openings regulate the
inflowing and outflowing air in such a
way that they can influence the way
the canopy fills (when launching) and
also how it empties (in the event of
canopy stability problems).

Technical Description
Section 03
13
Inflation behaviour
RAST slows down the inflowing air
when the paraglider is inflating. The
front part of the profile which is
relevant for flow thus takes shape
much more quickly and the glider
immediately begins to rise up from the
ground. The back part of the canopy is
filled with air only slowly during the
subsequent stage of inflation, which
results in very harmonious and smooth
launch behaviour without any
tendency to overshoot or launch the
pilot unintentionally.
Flight behaviour
It is in turbulent air that RAST really
puts its strengths into play, effectively
stabilising the canopy and gently
calming turbulent air.
This makes the ARCUS 2 RS extremely
stable and forgiving, which results in
noticeably improved precision and
comfort during flight, and
consequently also more control and
better performance for the pilot.
Collapse behaviour
Thanks to RAST, the ARCUS 2 RS has
above-average collapse resistance.
If there are any stability problems,
RAST prevents the canopy from
suddenly and/or completely emptying
because the air is not able to escape as
quickly from the rear section.
A paraglider equipped with the RAST
system empties more slowly, has less
tendency to turn and opens more
quickly.
This means that there is much less loss
of height than for the same design
without RAST.
However, it allows a sufficiently large
area of the glider to collapse to
dampen and dissipate energy.
With RAST technology, collapses more
than 50% of the wing depth can only
be simulated with great difficulty and
to date have not been experienced in
practice even in very thermic and
turbulent conditions.

TIP
Do not be tempted by the increased
safety offered by RAST into taking
greater risks. Instead, you should use
RAST as your personal crumple zone
if there is ever a situation where you
have misjudged conditions.
Line system
The ARCUS 2 RS has A, B and C- line
levels, which fork once- (A-B level) or
twice (C-level) from the bottom (riser)
to the top (canopy) and which are
divided into main, middle and top lines.
The individual line levels are connected
with one another using the
“handshake knot”.
The Maintenance and Service book has
a detailed line connection plan,
showing the individual levels,
connections and line descriptions.
With the brake lines, the individual
levels are bundled at the end with the
main brake line. This runs through the
brake pulley on the riser and is knotted
at the brake swivel of the control
handle. There is a mark on the main
brake line which allows the control
handle to be correctly positioned.
The main lines are all attached to
Maillon quick links. The lines are fed
through special elastic rings and
attached to prevent them from
slipping and to ensure that they sit in
the correct position.

14
Section 03
Technical Description
Risers
The 12mm wide risers, specially developed for the
ARCUS 2 RS with Kevlar reinforcement allow the
pilot to adjust the speed of the ARCUS 2 RS using a
pulley system to suit his/her individual preference.
There is more information on using the speed
system in the section “Flying the ARCUS 2 RS”.
WARNING
The paraglider is delivered ex factory with the
Maillon quick links secured using a strong thread-
locking compound Loctite©to prevent
unintentional opening. After service work, quick
links which have been opened must be secured
again against unintentional opening.
Fig. 3
ARCUS 2 RS riser
Technical Data
ARCUS 2 RS
XS
S
M
L
XL
Class
B
B
B
B
B
Canopy weight [kg]
4,4
4,8
5,1
5,4
5,8
Recommended take off
weight
(min - max) [kg]
60-78
80-95
92-105
102-115
115-135
Certified take off weight
(min - max) [kg]
58-78
75-95
85-105
95-115
110-135
Wing area projected [m²]
18,9
21,5
23,1
25,0
28,4
Wing span [m]
10,9
11,6
12,0
12,5
13,3
Number of cells
57
57
57
57
57
Number of riser
4
4
4
4
4
Maximum symmetrical
control travel at maximum
take off weight [cm]
> 55
> 60
> 65
> 65
> 65
Maximum speed system
travel [mm]
140
140
155
155
155
The Service book has extensive technical information, (*) in progress

Setting up the ARCUS 2 RS and first-flying
Section 04
15
04 Setting up the
ARCUS 2 RS and first-
flying
Before the first flight
WARNING
A specialist must test-fly and inspect
the glider before your first flight. The
test-flight must be recorded on the
glider information label.
During production, the ARCUS 2 RS
goes through several quality control
checks before finally undergoing an
exact type certification test. Conformity
with the reference specimen is
checked and certified before the glider
is delivered to the customer. Extreme
care is taken in the manufacture of all
patterns, lines and riser lengths. They
show a high level of precision and
should not be altered under any
circumstances.
WARNING
Any changes or improper repairs to
this paraglider render invalid the
certification and warranty.
Adjusting the main brake lines
The ARCUS 2 RS is delivered ex factory
with a brake adjustment complying
with that of the test sample. This
position is marked on the steering line.
This adjustment will allow you to steer
and land the paraglider with almost no
time lag.
The main brake lines must be checked
by an expert before the test flight, and
must be fastened so that the mark is
visible approx. 5mm above the knot.
The length of the break line must not
be altered.
Factory settings
Correctly installed brake lines have
about 10cm of feed. This is how far you
must pull down the brakes before the
trailing edge of the paraglider starts to
move downwards and begins to brake.
Note that the brake cascades already
cause drag by their aerodynamic
resistance.
The factory setting for the ARCUS 2 RS
is intended to allow optimum handling.
It is therefore generally not necessary
to make any adjustment to the length.
However, if required, the brake setting
can be altered according to your
particular preferences.
It can on occasions be worthwhile to
make the brakes longer compared to
the factory setting, particularly for
teaching, launching on the flat or
winch launching.
If you do adjust the brakes, under no
circumstances should you go above or
below the tolerance levels for the
ARCUS 2 RS given in the Maintenance
and Service book.
Incorrect adjustment
If the brake lines are too long, the
paraglider reacts slowly and is difficult
to land. The brake lines can be adjusted
during flight by wrapping them around
your hands which will improve the
flight characteristics. Adjust the brake
lines to the correct length after you
have landed. Changes to the braking
distance should always be made in
small increments of no more than 2 to
3cm and must be tested on a training
slope. The left and right brakes must be
adjusted symmetrically.
If the brakes are shortened, care must
be taken that the paraglider is not
slowed down in trim and accelerated
flight because of the brake lines being
too short.

16
Section 04
Setting up the ARCUS 2 RS and first-flying
WARNING
If the brake lines are too short, the
following risks could arise:
•there could be an early stall
•the paraglider does not launch
well and there is a risk of deep
stall
•the paraglider exhibits
dangerous behaviour in extreme
flying
•the trailing edge of the
paraglider is braked in
accelerated flight which, in an
extreme case, could cause a
frontal collapse
Environmental conditions can also
lead to the brake lines shortening.
You should therefore check brake
line length regularly, particularly if
there is any change in launch or
flight behaviour.
Safety issues may arise and
performance and launch behaviour
may deteriorate if the brake lines are
shortened too much.

TIP
Brake line length for the ARCUS 2 RS
can be easily checked by making a
simple comparison with an A-line.
There is further information on this
in the section “Quick brake line
check”.
Brake knots
The overhand knot and bowline knot
shown below are the most suitable for
connecting the brake line to the brake
handle.
Fig. 4Overhand knot
Fig. 5 Bowline knot
WARNING
Loose, unsuitable or incorrectly tied
brake line knots can cause the main
brake line to loosen and then lead to
loss of control of the glider.
Ensure that only overhand or
bowline knots are used and that
they are tied correctly.

Setting up the ARCUS 2 RS and first-flying
Section 04
17
Adjusting brake handle stiffness
The ARCUS 2 RS is fitted with SWING’s
Multigrip brake handles, which allows
the stiffness of the grip area to be
adjusted. The various options for
stiffening the brake handles allow
them to be adjusted to suit the pilot’s
particular preferences. There are 4
levels of stiffness possible using various
combinations of the stiffening options.
The pilot is able to choose the
appropriate degree of stiffness by
simply taking out or inserting the
various parts.
Multigrip brake handle on delivery with
both stiffeners
To remove the stiffeners, turn the Multigrip
brake handle inside out and push the two
small rods out through the opening
Multigrip brake handle after removing both
stiffening rods. These are the various parts:
Firm stiffening (bar)
Soft stiffening (tube)
Multigrip brake handle without
stiffening
Brake swivel
Main brake line
Fig. 6 Removing the stiffening from the
Swing Multigrip brake handle and
replacing it
The procedure is the same to insert the
stiffeners: turn the Multigrip brake
handle inside out and push the
stiffening bar/tube into the handle
again through the opening.
There is also a swivel where the
brake lines/brake handles connect to
prevent the brake lines from twisting.
Speed system
The ARCUS 2 RS already has a high
basic trim speed, but this can be
increased considerably by using the
additional speed system. It is
particularly useful if there is a strong
headwind, for valley crossings or to
leave a dangerous area quickly.
WARNING
Do not make the speed system too
short. The glider must under no
circumstances be pre-accelerated as
a result of the adjustment being too
short.
Problems (such as collapses or tucks)
have a more drastic effect with
increased speed than in
unaccelerated flight. It is generally
strongly recommended that you do
not use the speed system in
turbulent areas and when flying
close to the ground, because of the
increased risk of collapse.

18
Section 04
Setting up the ARCUS 2 RS and first-flying
The A - and B-risers can be shortened
using the speed bar. This decreases the
canopy’s original angle of attack and
the speed of the glider increases.
The speed system must be correctly
fitted and adjusted to ensure it
operates smoothly during flight. Before
first launch, the length should be
adjusted to suit the pilot and the speed
system ducting should be checked.
The speed bar and the riser are
connected by special Brummel hooks.
Adjust the length to the speed system
so that your legs are fully stretched
when at maximum accelerated flight
(the two riser pulleys next to each
other), otherwise you may experience
symptoms of fatigue in long flights.
You should still be in a comfortable
flight position even when the speed
system is used to its full extent.
You will not be able to use the
paraglider’s full potential if the speed
system is too long.
Fasten the speed bar to the harness
before launch to avoid tripping over it
when preparing to launch or taking off.
Fig. 7 How the ARCUS 2 RS speed system works
Other features
The ARCUS 2 RS does not have a
trimmer or any other adjustable,
detachable or variable features in
addition to the speed bar.
Recommended weight
range
The weight ranges given in this Manual
generally refer to take-off weight (pilot
weight including clothing, glider,
harness and equipment). Determine
your take-off weight by weighing