WINDTECH BANTOO User manual

BANTOO
manual


3
Windtech
w w w . w i n d t e c h . e s
BANTOO
flight manual

4
> index
> congratulations –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 05
> warning &liability ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 06
> philosophy of design –––––––––––––––––––––––––– 06
> construction &materials –––––––––––––––––––––– 07
> certification ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 08
> performance –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 08
> flight –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 08
--launch –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 09
> thermal flying ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
> flying in turbulence ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
--asymmetric tuck ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
--frontal tuck ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
--asymmetric stall (spin) –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
--landing –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
> weather to fly ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 12
> rapid descent techniques –––––––––––––––––––––– 12
--big ears –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13
--spiral drive ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13
--b stall ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 14
> maintenance –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 14
> warranty ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 14
> technical specifications –––––––––––––––––––––––– 15
> line measurements ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 17

5
> congratulations
Congratulations on the purchase of your new BANTOO.
The BANTOO is a tandem wing that has been conceived and designed for both professio-
nal and recreational pilots, suitable of all kinds of flying styles, from a gentle glide down,
to the most ambitious cross country flights. With easy launch characteristics, manoeuvra-
bility and turn ability akin to a solo glider, and superb performance, the bantoo makes it
possible to core the smallest of thermals and climb even in the weakest lift.
We strongly recommend that before you even unfold the BANTOO you carefully read
this manual in order to be aware of any limitations, as well as differnces in performan-
ce, take-off and flight characteristics, landing procedures, emergency situations and
maintenance.
We always appreciate your feedback, so please send us your comments, positive or nega-
tive, regarding to the
Windtech
line. You are the best feedback and support for future
products, and please remember that we are always happy to give you any help &advice.
Best winds
>
Windtech
team

6
> warning &liability
This manual has been created to give the pilot help and hints for the correct operation of
this wing. By no means is this a substitute of a training course, or appropriate experien-
ce gained with years and hours of airtime, nor is this manual intended to give pilots kno-
wledge regarding flight safety.
Windtech
assumes that the purchasing pilot has the appropriate pilot's licence, has taken
a training course, and has the ability and enough experience to safely fly the BANTOO.
This manual cannot be used for operational purposes. The flight log ®istration card
must be filled and stamped by the dealer &returned to
Windtech
in order to make a
claim on the guarantee.
The use of this paraglider is entirely at the user's own risk. As with any adventure sport
paragliding is a high risk activity-especially without taking the appropriate precautions-
therefore it must be absolutely understood that
Windtech
&the dealer do not accept
any responsibility for accidents, losses, injuries, direct or indirect damage following the
use or misuse of this product.
> philosophy of design
When
Windtech
decided to make a tandem paraglider, we first established the main cri-
teria that we felt would be the most important to make the perfect tandem wing. The
wing had to be, above all, easy to inflate and launch in all conditions, with excellent han-
dling, high glide performance, and that it would convert energy extremely well to give an
effective flare, for softer landings.
For this we designed a paraglider with 51 cells of variable widths, not all of which have
line attachment points due to the advanced structural relationship of lines/diagonals. In
this way we have considerably reduced parasitic drag produced by the lines whilst at the

7
same time endowing the interior of the wing with a higher internal pressure and creating
calculated zones of greater longitudinal tension, very important for increasing resistance
to tucks (above all frontal collapses).
The bantoo’s new profile gives highly elevated security and performance, as well as a
turning ability that is surprisingly efficient.
The end result is a tandem that inflates quickly and easily during launch and is exceptio-
nally stable and solid during the take-off run, giving great protection against having to
abort launches and compromising the safety of yourself and your passenger.
During launch the bantoo gives an exceptional degree of control, allowing the pilot to
easily make precise corrections during the take-off run. Once airborne, the bantoo’s
superb feedback and responsive handling allows one to make the most of even the sma-
llest thermals.
When the time comes to land, the exquisite handling characteristics and precision of the
bantoo serve as another great guarantee of safety since you can first of all guide your-
self more precisely into exactly the spot you wanted to land in, confident that in the final
moment, when you want to flare, you will be able to take advantage of the wings superb
energy conversion, landing both you and your passenger easy and safety each time.
> construction and materials
Our primary concern is always keeping to the highest quality standards of materials and
construction, to impress the pilots and so guarantee our future. For this reason, we never
cut any corners when it comes to building in quality. All of the bantoo’s seams are
internal, to help avoid stitching snags and any kind deterioration that might deform the
aerodynamics of the wing or reduce its longevity.
--cloth
The upper and lower panels are
made with 45 gr. Porcher Marine
Skytex nylon. The ribs are made
with stronger nylon of to prevent
aerofoil deformation, even after
several years of intensive use. Rib
(cell wall) reinforcements are made
of Dacron 310 &180 gr. Line
attachment points are made of
polyester.
--lines
The lines are of the highest quality
and varying diameters, depending
on which area of the glider they
are in, but always of a diameter
greater than a solo glider, capable
of withstanding a force up to eight
times the maximum load. The inner
core is super aramid and the outer
sheath polyester to protect against
general wear and tear and UV.

8
The brake lines are made of Dyneema to resist the torsions produced by the pulleys and
the extra tension in turns. The riser maillons have been made with anodised steel
(800daN). The risers themselves have been made with pre-stretched polyester (900 daN).
> certification
The bantoo is certified DHV 1-2 with trimmers for dual (tandem) or single (solo) use,
and is also DHV approved for winch towing. The DHV weight range is 135 – 220kg all-up
(total weight in flight). To see the DHV test results go to the DHV web site at www.dhv.de.
> performance
Always fly a glider that is the correct
size for you. Remember that if you fly
outside of the weight range that the
glider has been designed for, this
could adversely affect the handling,
stability and performance of the gli-
der, and means that the glider is
effectively no longer certified.
If your flying weight is below the sta-
ted minimum, the speed range will
diminish and inflation problems may
appear. Also the handling will degra-
de in turbulent conditions, and it will
sustain collapses more easily.
If your flying weight is above the stipulated weight range, this will result in a higher mini-
mum speed and faster landing speed and the stall speed of the glider will also be higher.
If the glider suffers a collapse, or leaves normal flight configuration, the resulting beha-
viour will be more rapid and violent. As well as this, your sink rate will be higher and you
will find it harder to stay up in light lift.
The bantoo has medium brake resistance (adhering to weight range). The stall is found at
95% of the brake travel and, to force the glider into an in flight full stall (not recommended
on any kind of paraglider), requires almost all the weight of the pilot on the brakes.
The best glide on the bantoo, not taking into consideration any horizontal or vertical
movements of the air, is obtained simply by flying at the glider’s trim speed. That is to say, by
having the trimmers in standard position and flying with no brake or speed system applied.
> flight
Before flying any paraglider, the pilot has to be sure that they are flying a glider that is sui-
table for their level of piloting, evaluating objectively and carefully their true capabilities.
In the case of tandem flying, this is even more important, as one is carrying a passenger
and the price of any error will not only be paid for by the pilot.
Each and every glider has a meticulous checklist passed though our strict quality control
in the factory. This includes line measurement, ground inflation and flight testing.

9
Contact your distributor for more information about this, and if your glider has not been
pre-inflated ask them to do so for you. Every glider should be test flown before it is sold.
Note that each glider has a unique sticker attached to the centre cell with the serial num-
ber, type of glider, size and weight range, month and year of fabrication.
We recommend that you inspect the risers, check that the maillons have been correctly
installed and tightened, and make sure that the lines are not tangled.
As for the brakes, there should be around 10cm of excess line above the knot, the length
of both lines should symmetric, and the movement through the pulleys smooth and easy.
We recommend that your first flight on your new glider be on a gentle slope in calm con-
ditions before making any further higher flights, just to check the glider and for you to
get used to flying it.
We also recommended that you use a harness that has an ABS cross strap system and
that maximum width possible for the chest strap is 38 cm between karabiners.
For you own safety, we strongly recommend the use of back protection, helmet and
Windtech
WindSOS reserve.
> launch
If you have already flown a tandem gli-
der before, it is possible that the ban-
too will come up a little more quickly
than the tandem you are used to, and
you will probably need to brake it a lit-
tle when it comes up above your head.
However, with a little practice, you will
not encounter any launch characteris-
tics of the glider that you should not be
able to easily adapt to after your first
flights and you should quickly find the
bantoo extremely easy and efficient
to launch.
If, on the other hand, you have never
flown a tandem before, we strongly
advise that you take a course in tandem
flying, with a qualified and experienced
tandem pilot, before you start flying
with other passengers, as you are
directly responsible for the safety of
your passenger.
The best thing is to make your first flights with large and forgiving take-offs and landing
areas, in optimal weather conditions and a passenger who is also a pilot and so will be
more able to collaborate with you during manoeuvres. In this way, you will adapt rapidly
to the great qualities of the bantoo, without having to preoccupy yourself with too
many new things at once, and so you will be enjoying great flights whilst minimizing the
risk to yourself and your passenger.
It is very important to explain clearly the whole launch process to your passenger, point by
point, and allowing for any eventualities, so that they know exactly what to do. As well as
making the launch process easier for you, this will install confidence in them in your ability.

10
Before you take off, lay out the bantoo in a slight arc. Always do all of your pre-flight
checks (lines, maillons, risers, harness buckles, etc). Carefully observe all of the details
that relevant to your launch (tension in the lines, windsock, obstacles, etc).
You mustn't start the run either too slowly, or too fast, but you must always make the
run decisively and assuredly to ensure that the wing carries the weight of you and your
passenger. When the bantoo comes up above your head, give a gentle check on the bra-
kes to stabilize the wing and establish a perfect tension across the glider and lines ready
for the take-off run.
--thermal flying
The best and most interesting
flights, even better when made
with company, are those flying in
thermic conditions, and all pilots
want to experiment and experien-
ce the wonder of flying in ther-
mals. The bantoo is blessed with
superb handling and manoeuvrabi-
lity, which means that you don't
need a lot of brake to turn it, and
by using the outside brake to con-
trol the airspeed of the outer wing,
you can flatten the turn and climb
exceptionally well and efficiently.
Thermic flying conditions can
make flying much more challen-
ging and difficult. Only the most
experienced pilots should fly in
strong thermic conditions. There is
always a degree of associated tur-
bulence in thermic conditions, and
when the pilot encounters turbu-
lence they must fly "actively", with
precise brake input and weight-
shift, ideally with collaboration
from the passenger as well.
In the case of extreme turbulence, so long as you haven't got big-ears in, as a rough guide
fly very actively with around 30 per cent brake.
> flying in turbulence
--asymmetrical tuck / collapse
An asymmetric tuck / collapse is when part (one side) of the wing (say 20% or anything
up to 90% of the span) tucks or collapses, usually induced by turbulence but sometimes
also though poor pilot control in turns and wingovers.
The bantoo is tested and certified to automatically recover without correction by the pilot
with a maximum direction change of 90 degrees of turn, but with the correct input the pilot
can minimise any turning, and height loss, and help the glider recover more quickly.

11
There are 3 basic steps to follow immediately if you have a collapse:
1: Weight shift to the flying side of your glider (away from the collapsed side). This helps
stop the rotation &increases pressure in the wing in the inflated side.
2: If needed apply the correct amount of brake to the open (flying) side to slow any rota-
tion (spiral) induced by the collapse. Be very careful not to use too much brake as it’s
possible to stall the flying side of the glider, and enter further unstable situations which
may be harder to recover from than the collapse itself.
3: Once the glider has straightened out, or the spiral has slowed, smoothly pull down the
brake on the collapsed side, with a long stroke/pump, &the deflated side of the glider
should re-inflate. As the glider re-opens release the brake immediately but progressively.
--front / symmetrical tuck collapse
A front tuck / collapse is a symmetric tuck of the leading edge of the wing, starting from
the centre of the canopy to the wing tip. This can be either a tucking of just the central
part of the leading edge of the glider, which can sometimes cause a front 'horseshoe' or
'rosette-ing' of the glider, or even a complete 'front tuck' of the whole canopy in extre-
me situations.
When flying, a front tuck may occur either when leaving a strong thermal, or more often
while using the speed system in turbulent air, or even sometimes whilst flying into the
wake turbulence down-wind of another glider.
Remember, the pilot can learn to help stop collapses by flying 'actively', but if a front tuck
does occur it will easily clear itself. Re-inflating the wing can be helped by correct pilot
input and, once the glider is overhead, symmetrically applying 40 % of both brakes &
then releasing immediately will get pressure back in to the glider and speed up the reco-
very. Do not brake when the glider is behind you, as this can stall the wing, but wait for
the glider to come forwards above your head, then brake.
--asymmetric stall (spin)
This is a very difficult situation for the pilot to provoke with the bantoo, given its exce-
llent feedback and very low stall speed, you have to really abuse the controls a lot to
manage it.
Even so, a spin can be induced if, for example, the pilot is turning very slowly and tightly
in a thermal (near the stall point), and wants to tighten the turn further, for whatever
reason. If the pilot brakes too much on the inside brake, stalling the wing on that side,
the wing may then go into a spin.
Beware in turbulent air, as it is easier to stall, or spin, the wing due to the already a tur-
bulent airflow.
If a spin is entered, return to normal flight by raising both hands to return air speed to
the stalled side of the wing. Be careful, as this may cause the wing to surge and dive for-
wards as it tries to regain airspeed. This dive can be more or less violent, depending on
various factors. The pilot should check this dive, using up to 60% brakes, which must then
be released as soon as the dive is stopped.
--landing
You need to pay particular attention with your first landings, above all, if they are your
first tandem flights or your are used to the glide angle of your old glider, as the ban-
too’s excellent performance might surprise you.

12
On final approach the pilot should have
hands up (keeping a feel of the wing and
flying actively in case of unexpected
turbulence) to let the glider build up
speed. This extra speed will meant that
the glider has more energy to convert
when you flare, and so leading to a sof-
ter landing.
In light or nil winds the pilot will need a
committed symmetric flare at around 1
meter above the ground.
In stronger winds less of a flare is needed.
The flight is not finished, and the pilot
and passanger ares never fully safe, until
the glider is safely controlled on the
ground.
Avoid letting the glider land on the lea-
ding edge. If the glider lands with force
on the leading edge it is possible to
burst the inner cells and walls of the
wing and you should carefully examine
the wing for any damage to the seams of
the ribs to the cells.
> weather to fly
If in doubt about the weather and flying conditions, do not launch! Before going flying
you should check the weather forecast &always ask more experienced pilots about the
conditions expected for the day. Never fly if there weather conditions are unsuitable,
especially with any of the following present or even threatening: Strong wind; Rain;
Thunderstorms; Cumuli nimbus; or Cumulus congestus. If you are already in the air then
get down safely before it's too late! Always be aware of the weather changing &if in
doubt land as quickly as is safely possible.
Even though the bantoo is DHV 1-2 this is not a guarantee against flying in turbulent
air. Remember that even an airline jet can crash due to rotors and bad weather!
> rapid descent techniques
It is likely that on occasion the paraglider pilot may find themselves in a situation where
they need to get down quickly, perhaps so that they can get out of danger and land safely.
Because of this it is recommended that all pilots should learn about the various emer-
gency descent techniques that are possible on a paraglider. For information, we shall
cover the basic techniques here.
More radical’s manoeuvres such as full stall, asymmetrical stall or flat spin are not des-
cribed in our manual. In order to learn more about and practice these manoeuvres you
should do a special safety (SIV) course over water with an expert instructor. There should
be a dedicated rescue boat standing by, and all safety precautions taken.

13
--big ears
Big-ears is a simple descent technique &can sometimes be very useful for top landing,
keeping out of cloud, and in an emergency if you are over-shooting your landing area.
To induce big-ears on the bantoo, keep the brakes in your hands and reach up to hold
the top of the special split-A risers. Pull the lines out and down, one at a time, to collap-
se the tips of the wing (10 – 30% each side, depending on how much line you pull).
Make sure that you have the correct lines, that you do the correct action, and that you
don't pull too much brake whilst pulling in the big ears. Also make sure you are looking
where you are going whilst you are doing this.
Once holding in the big-ears, you will not be able to steer with the controls (brakes). You
can steer the glider using weight shift, and with tandem the passenger can assist you to
do this effectively.
Generally avoid using big-ears near the ground (below 200ft AGL), as the extra disturban-
ce to the airflow over the wing that big-ears creates can make any paraglider more prone
to deep stalling, especially in the turbulence and wind shear normally near the ground.
To exit big-ears, simply let go of the big-ear riser and wait for the wing tips to re-infla-
te themselves. If they do not inflate themselves then pump the brakes, one at a time, to
help them re-inflate.
--spiral dive
The Spiral dive is obtained by maintaining a tight 360 degree turn. Gradually the turn will
accelerate, especially by pulling more on the inside brake and weight shifting harder into
the turn, and so you will enter a spiral dive.
Be careful not to pull the brake too hard, too quickly, especially on entry, as it is possible
to spin the glider in this way.
Very agressive spiral dives can cause eyesight and equilibrium problems, extremely dan-
gerous, especially near the ground.
Recovery from a spiral dive, this should be done gently and progressively. The inner brake
must be progressively and slowly released, until the canopy assumes normal flight, and
angle of bank, again. A good "rule of thumb" is to use the same number of 360-degree
turns as you did on entry on exit to give a safe and progressive pullout. Be careful not to
come out of a hard spiral dive too quickly, as the resulting climb-out can be extreme. If
the glider dives hard after a hasty exit from a tight spiral dive, it may be necessary to
damp the dive, with the brakes.
--b-line stall
The bantoo comes equipped with a special riser system to facilitate entering a b-line
stall, with handles similar to those of the brakes. If one pulls these the bantoo will
enter the b-line stall and come straight down, drifting with the wind.
One can control the rate of descent by pulling more or less on the b-line handles, obtai-
ning decent rates of between 5 and 11 m/s. To exit from this configuration, SYMETRI-
CALLY raise both b-line handles AT THE SAME TIME, letting go of the risers for the last
10cm. The bantoo will regain flight spontaneously, with a small dive.

14
> maintenance
Store the paraglider in a dry space away from chemical agents, UV light and high tem-
perature. If the canopy has been packed wet it is necessary to reopen it and let it dry
before packing away for a sustained period. Keep the canopy and lines clean, as dirt may
penetrate into the fibres and damage them.
Clean the paraglider only with fresh water and a soft sponge. If the glider comes into con-
tact with salt water, wash the glider as soon as possible with fresh water &then dry
completely. Avoid contact with chemical agents like oil, petrol, solvent and similar, which
can damage the fabric and its surface covering.
We strongly recommend you to have a full inspection of the paraglider by
Windtech
or
the distributor at least once a year. Besides this you should check periodically the lines,
cloth and stitching. Check the lines for fraying, or the stitching coming undone, and mea-
sure them to check for any shrinking.
Small tears in the sail can be repaired by using adhesive spinnaker cloth repair patches,
which we supply with every new glider. Big tears and repairs affecting sewing or struc-
tural parts of the paraglider must be carried out only by the manufacturer or authorised
service centres.
> warranty
This glider carries a one-year guarantee from defects due to materials and manufacturing.
In the case of materials becoming defective during the period of the guarantee
Windtech
will replace them. Before any warrantee replacement can be made the pur-
chaser will have to send the product to
Windtech
for their inspection. If a product is
deemed to be defective by
Windtech
, the warranty covers the repair or replacement of
the defective product only.
Windtech
will not be responsible for any costs, losses or
damages incurred as a result of loss of this product.
Windtech
is not responsible for mai-
ling costs or material costs used other than what is found to be defective.
We exclude from the guarantee any damage caused by wear and tear in use, any misuse
outside of the limits stipulated in this manual, damage due to excessive sun exposure,
damage caused by improper handling &damage caused by anything other than defects
in material &workmanship.

15
area (m2)
projected area (m2)
span (m)
project. span (m)
aspect ratio
project. aspect ratio
max .chord (m)
min. chord (m)
nº cells
line lenght (m)
canopy weight
all-up weight (kg)
min.-max speed (km/h) *
max speed trim (km/h) *
DHV certification
43,15
37,76
14,7
12,12
5,01
3,89
3,58
0,9
51
8,83
11.9
135-220
20-42
42
1-2
BANTOO
| technical specifications |
* speeds with medium range weight pilot at sea level.

16

17
210,5 200
204,5
210,5 200
204,5
210,5 200
204,5
210,5 200
204,5
647,5
640,5
657,5
209 200
205
208,5 200
640
208 200
205,5
634,5
208,5 200
205,5
651
211,5
200
202,5
630,5
210 200 203,5
209,5 200
203,5
628,5
210,5 200 202,5
642
163
150
142
659
161
150
142
162,5 150 139
171 157
144,5
660,5
120,5
95,5
142,5 127,5
119 111
101
100,5
123,5 112
107,5
103,5 98,5
102
108
97
94
90
83
84,5
81,5
190
190 160 160 160
160
160
250
250
250
205,5
31
36,5
620 613,5
607
639,5
634
79
74
390+20
BANTOO

18
neutral trim low trim
A' = 450 mm
A = 450 mm
B = 610 mm
C = 450 mm
D = 450 mm
A = 450mm
A' = 450mm
B = 610mm
C = 400mm
D = 350mm
AA
A' A'
CD
D
C
BB


POWERED BY WINDTECH
|francisco rodríguez · 7 |33201 g i j ó n |spain | p.o. box · 269 33280 |
|p# · 34 985 357 696 | fax · 34 985 340 778 |
|email · [email protected] | web · www.windtech.es |
BANTOO
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