WINDTECH ZEPHYR-2 S Technical specifications

ZEPHYR-2
manual

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Windtech
w w w . w i n d t e c h . e s
ZEPHYR-2
S-M-L
flight manual

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> index
> congratulations ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5
> warning &liability ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 6
> design materials ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 6
> certification –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7
> best glide –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7
> flight ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 8
-- launch ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 8
-- strong wind –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 9
-- thermal flying ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 9
> flying in turbulence ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
-- asymmetric tuck ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
-- frontal tuck –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 10
-- asymmetric stall (spin)–––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
> landing ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11
> weather to fly ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 12
> emergency procedures &quick descent techniques –12
-- big ears ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 12
-- spiral drive ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13
-- b stall ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 13
> maintenance –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 14
> warranty ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 14
> technical specifications–––––––––––––––––––––––––15
> line measurements ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––17
> flight log ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 19

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> congratulations
Congratulations on the purchase of your new paraglider
The ZEPHYR-2 has been designed for intermediate and experienced pilots that are look-
ing for a superb all round performing wing with incredibly sweet, dynamic handling , and
absolutely minimal compromise in stability. The ZEPHYR-2's amazing balance of per-
formance, ease of use and stabilty with give your flying skills and confidence a massive
boost, and take you easily to new levels of acheivement!
We strongly recommend that before you even unfold the ZEPHYR-2 you read this man-
ual carefully in order to be aware of any general limitations, performance characteristics,
take off and flight characteristics, landing procedures, dealing with emergency situations
and general maintenance.
We appreciate your feedback, so please send us your comments, positive or negative, in
regard to the Windtech range.
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

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> warning &liability
This manual has been created to give the pilot help and hints to help with the correct
operation of this wing. By no means is this a substitute of a training course, or appro-
priate experience gained with years and hours of airtime, nor is this manual intended to
give pilots knowledge regarding flight safety.
Windtech assumes that the purchasing pilot has the appropriate pilot's licence, has
taken a training course, and has the suitable ability and enough experience to safely fly
the ZEPHYR-2.
This manual cannot be used for operational purposes. The flight log &registration card
must be filled and stamped by the dealer &returned to Windtech in order to 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.
> design materials
The ZEPHYR-2 offers total securi-
ty, along with beautiful handling &
incredible performance. The per-
formance is very high due to a
well-defined structure with 54
cells, with an internal structure
comprised of diagonals of different
types, depending on the width of
the cell and an optimized line lay-
out to reduce the overall number
of lines.
-- cloth
The upper and lower panels are
made with 38 gr. nylon 6.6. ribs are
made with stronger (slighly heavier
grade) nylon of to prevent aerofoil
deformation, even after several
years of intensive use. Line attach-
ment points are made of polyester.

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-- lines
The lines are made of Superaramid kevlar covered with a polyester sheath for protection
against wear, UV and abrasion. The riser karabiners, also called "Maillons Rapide", are
made with stainless steel of. Risers are made of pre-stretched polyester.
> certification
The ZEPHYR-2 is a paraglider of a intermediate level that has passed the tests of the EN.
level Bwith great success. This glider has successfully passed the EN shock test with a weight
equal to the maximum total (all up) take-off weight. This means that the paraglider is certi-
fied to resist to a load of 8 (eight) times the gravitational acceleration (8 Gs).
As regards the weight range of the glider, ALWAYS be certain that you are within the
correct weight range of the glider. To fly under-weight or over-weight can adversely
affect the stability of the ZEPHYR-2 flown as such it will no longer be certified.
> best glide &the speed system
Best glide in nil wind, and still air, is obtained
at “trim” speed- that is brakes fully released
and no accelerator (speed bar) applied. It is
always best to fly with a light pressure on the
brakes, keeping a “feel” on the wing in case of
unexpected turbulence.
When flying into (against the) wind a better
glide can be obtained by using the speed sys-
tem. The following is rough guide line as to
how much to apply.
-With around 10 km/h (6,2 Mph) of head wind,
best glide is obtained with 25% accelerator
applied.-With around 10 km/h of head wind,
best glide is obtained with 25% accelerator.
-With around 15-25 km/h of head wind, best
glide is obtained with 50%accelerator.
-With around +25 km/h of head wind, best
glide is obtained with 75-100% accelerator.
When flying downwind (wind from behind) the
best glide is obtained between 0% brake and
10% of brake.

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The ZEPHYR-2 is a EN level Baccelerated but using the accelerator system close to the
ground is not advisable &it should be released as soon as turbulent air is encountered.
Note that the glide angle is not affected by the wing loading, but that the security is.
Always fly a glider that is the correct size for you, and remember that if your flying
weight is below the stated minimum, the speed range will diminish and inflation prob-
lems may appear. Also the handling will degrade in turbulent conditions, and it will be
easier to sustain collapses. If your flying weight is above the stipulated weight range, this
will result in a higher minimum speed and faster landing speed and the stall speed of the
glider will also be higher.
The ZEPHYR-2 has a brake of medium weight resistance (from 1.5 to 3 kg of force) for
the majority of manoeuvres. To reach the stall (never recommended on any type of
paraglider), requires more than 9kg.
> flight
Each and every glider has a checklist
note passed though our strict quality
control in the factory. This included
line measurement, ground inflation
and flight testing. Contact your dis-
tributor for more information about
this, and if your glider has not been
pre-inflated ask him to do so for you.
Every glider should be test flow before
it is sold.
Note that each glider has a unique
sticker attached to the centre airfoil
with the serial number, type of glider,
size and weight range.
We recommend that your first flight
on your new glider be on a gentle
slope in calm conditions before mak-
ing your any further higher flights, just
to check the glider and for you to get
used to flying it. We also recommend-
ed that you use a harness that has an
ABS cross strap system.
For you own safety, we strongly recommend the use of back protection, helmet and
Wind-SOS reserve.

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-- launch
Choose an open space free of any obstacles, especially trees and power lines.
Open your glider in a slight horseshoe arc (semi-circle) &thoroughly check that you have
no knots or line twists. Make sure your helmet is securely fastened &clip into your har-
ness making sure all straps are securely fastened.
Connect risers to your harness making certain that your karabiners are fully closed &you
have no twists in the risers.
-- strong wind
We do not recommend taking off, or flying, with a wind speed higher than 25 km/h (15,5
Mph); this may change depending of pilots experience, but we remind you that flying in
poor weather conditions is the single greatest cause or accidents in free-flying.
We recommended that the reverse launch is the best technique when the wind is strong at
take off.
There are many reverse launch meth-
ods/techniques which the pilot can learn.
To progress well with your flying, and to
be a good pilot, it is necessary to master
at least one of the techniques. If you can
achieve 100% control your glider on the
ground then you will be a better, safer
pilot in the air &this will also help you
to understand the dynamics of a
paraglider in flight.
-- thermal flying
The ZEPHYR-2 is truly a pleasure to
thermal with. To achieve the best sink
rate the pilot should use around 35% of
inside brake (on the turning side) and
25% of outside brake whilst using
weight shift to help maximise the effi-
ciency or turn.
Easing off on the outside brake can change the steepness of the turn, and help with the
your efficiency in the thermal. This is a more advanced technique &should be practised
with an instructor and/or experienced pilot to perfect it.
With the harness chest strap pulled tight weight shift is less effective but the security
will be increased and the wing feel more “solid”, &vice versa.

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> flying in turbulence
Most pilots want to enjoy the pleasures of thermal and coss-country flight.
One thing to always consider is that normally these flying conditions are rougher, stronger and
sometimes unpredictable and more difficult to handle which can lead to unstable situations such
as collapses. There will always be some level of turbulence associated with thermals.
If you progress at a nice steady rate, and keep safe, you will find thermal flying will become a
pleasure. With qualified instruction you will actually learn faster, learning how to optimise your
thermal skills. A safety (SIV) course is something to consider, as these teach you how to deal cor-
rectly with unstable situations such as collapses, rapid descent manoeuvres, stalls ands spins, and
so you will get far more from your flying.
With the correct technique &qualified instruction the pilot can learn to help stop collapses by fly-
ing “actively” &recover the wing more quickly, by the giving the correct input, when collapses
occur. Remember, the glider is tested to recover and so it is always better to under-react than to
over-react. Over reacting to a situation can prevent the glider from self-recovering, and recover-
ing air speed, and cause it to enter further unstable situations.
-- asymmetrical tuck/collaps
An asymmetric tuck / collapse is when part (one side) of the wing ( say 20% or even anything up
to 90% of the span) tucks or collapses, usually induced by turbulence but sometimes also though
poor pilot control in turns and wing-overs.
The ZEPHYR-2 is tested and certified to automatically recover without correction by the pilot, but
with the correct input the pilot can minimise any turning, and height lose, and help the glider
recover more quickly.
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 rotation (spi-
ral) induced by the collapse. Be very careful not to use too much brake as its 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.
With instruction &experience the above will become a reflex action, and the correct input to give
will become second nature to the experienced pilot.