It would be nice for nubies like me to list the advantages and disadvantages of buying the x4 or waiting for the sp140. One question is which would be better for motor off soaring . It looks like half the prop on the sp140 would be blanketed by the pilot/ harness if it stays in the upright position so that should balance out having 4 small stationery props ?. Please add to the list .
1 ) x4 is cheaper by maybe 1500$ after you buy batteries for the x4
2) sp140 is prebuilt
3 ) sp140 has longer duration . Not sure of the estimated math on this trade offs of batteries etc
4) portability and weight ?
5) ability to modify ?
???
Great explanation. It sounds like in a nutshell in a single prop setup you compromise drag and control when’s the motor is off for soaring . It has to bre trimed for power on and more ridged .Whats the issue with mounting a simple non rigid takeoff motor on a paraglider harness just to get off the ground to a lift area .
Oh the torque is so bad. I’d like a lipo pack on a 4x. I think that single prop motors aren’t so bad for bigger people. For small people the lower inertia leads to some pretty bad p factor and torque
for people who don’t fly eppg or ppg, the torque is certainly a problem on paper. for all those who fly professional epp or ppg it is not a problem. there have been solutions for torque compensation in the professional sector for around 25 years. with cheap ppg people build who are not good pilots themselves, there are still problems today, that’s right. take a look at pylon world champions race. there you will find no problems there fly professionals with concepts of harness and frame built by professionals. hobby pilots can also buy or replicate that.
I think most of us don’t have the time to practice to get really good or even stay safe especially paragliding at most sites . The more user friendly the better . I did last summer in Draper flying every day but I know I can’t just go there now and jump off safely without a lot of review . Airplanes are less an art so it’s not as much a problem as paragliders .
unfortunately we see that very often people crash at pg because they don’t take the time to take sport seriously and learn. We have very strict laws in Central Europe so that everyone learns to fly safely. that’s a good thing. some from other countries are angry if you are not allowed to fly in the alps without a license. but it’s a good thing. you can’t fly better with technical changes. the best ppg or eppg does not replace training and experience. Flying without torque is certainly nice, but for safety it does not bring any advantage with such small, tiny performances as small eppg. eppg has the same performance as the very small petrol systems, nothing more. only very few professional devices have more power. but they also have the technology for the harness and frame, powerful petrol, professional devices …; -.)
Vitorazi themselves rate their 185 as having up to 170lb thrust.
granted, It will drop off rapidly with elevation( I live at 5000’ and I know people that have tested at 125lb thrust at this elevation and about 170 at sea level) and it is also very dependent on prop choice, reduction drive ratio, humidity, fuel, tune, barometric pressure, and how recently you looked at it funny.
