If any body knows of any body else having problems with the Gin Rebel can they let me know. My problem is that It collapses without warning. that is to say no feedback through the brakes. If I watch the wing I can see it going and stop it. This is difficult to do near a ridge or with other pilots in the air. Because I cant anticipate a collapse I end up flying rigid fearing the unknown. I was told today that I'm not alone hence this post.
I'm in the middle of the weight range 100 to 130kg Iv flown it light and heavy with no noticeable difference. It appears to fly fast all the time as if on bar and noticeably faster than other wings in the same air. Hope someone can help otherwise its re morgage the house and buy another wing.
Surprised no one has offered any words here Neil, so here goes.
Do you want to be sitting back sipping your coffee contemplating when to get your sandwiches out whilst snapping shots of the loverly view? Or like a puppet with the putteter on crack, arms flailing, red eyed, bolt upright, questioning yourself as to your own mentality, realising the gulf of evolution to man sprouting wings, thankfull to get back to gound, loverly ground, sweet sweet ground. oh lord sweet sweet ground.
People have demo'd wings longer than you have owned this one, most like, go back to the shop and ask for an exchange. Clearly the wings not for you and hope the shop keeper is the sort that is open to a little compassion so the two of you can walk away reasonably happy.
I have owned and flown a Gin Rebal medium since they were realised last year. I have never experienced anything like you have mentioned and have flown the wing in some very rough air. After flying a number of current DHV 2/3, 2, 1/2 and 1 I can tell you that the Rebel is one of the most stable DHV 2 on the market it is far more spin and stall resistant then the Airwave Mustang and Sigma 6. On collapses the Rebel is very resistant and if flown activley you should never get one, I never have had a collapse in normal flying after over 100 hrs on the wing, infact I find it so collapse resistant that I often fly hands off in bumpy air taking pictures with out worry.
My thought on your situation is that you are not flying activley enough and the collapses you have experienced would have happened on any equivalent wings. The key thing with flying actively and preventing collapses is to be relaxed and not to upright in your harness, when you feel the support reducing from one side of your wing through the risers then always allow your weight to drop this way keeping tension in the lines and risers on the lower pressured side. Whilst leaning onto the lower presssured side then always apply a little brake to help keep the AOA up and some pressure in that half of the wing.
Good luck with your future flying and remember you are flying DHV 2's, so they are not indistructable.
Neil, is the collapsing side always the same side ? if so could be doggy lines or porosity. The flying fast bit all the time.. Line check a must, Aero fix will sort it ! or send it back to the dealer that you got it from for a full service.
Don'y fly if not happy mate.
Maximise your time & dosh do both Hanggliding & Paragliding
Glider that splits opinions. I know of 7 people who own them, 4, like Gordy love them, but 3 people would agree with Neil!
Seams like a product people either gel with or don't. I think the sentence
" On collapses the Rebel is very resistant and if flown activley you should never get one, I never have had a collapse in normal flying after over 100 hrs on the wing, infact I find it so collapse resistant that I often fly hands off in bumpy air taking pictures with out worry"
is only true for 50% of owners!
Aviation Consultant.......
Advance, Nova, Gin, Airwave, Ozone, Flytec, Sup Air, Woody Valley, Kortel..............................the list is endless!
gorie
Ill have a go with my old settings that is slightly wider on the chest strap and looser in the harness. Iv tightened everything up lattley this could be compounding the problem?
Andy Lee flys a Rebel and he describes that the leading edge as "soft". If you catch it it's manageable but it does "flutter" a little. Though he really does like the wing.
I flew a Rebel in Verbier and I quite enjoyed it. Plenty of roll to make wingovers fun and it was a fast wing. You could tell it was a 2.
One of the lads out there had what could only be described as a "stable collapse" on a Rebel. It folded in the centre when he hit some rough air and remained parachutal in a nice horse shoe until he pumped it out. Maybe more active flying was needed, but this guy lived out there and flew almost every day.
