Bruce Goldsmith Design Wasp Mode D'emploi page 8

Take-off
The WASP is easy to inflate in light or stronger winds and will quickly rise overhead to the flying position. The best
inflation technique is to hold one A riser in each hand. The 'big ear' risers could be also held for the best inflation.
Nil Wind – Inflation is best done by taking both of the A risers in each hand. This is the reason why the A risers
a)
are both marked with red cloth.
In nil or very light wind, stand with all the A lines taut behind you, then take one or two steps back (do not walk all
the way back to the canopy) and then begin your launch run pulling gently and smoothly on the A risers. As soon
as the canopy starts to rise off the ground stop pulling so hard on the A risers but pull all the risers evenly through
the harness. Maintaining gentle pressure on the A risers always helps in very calm conditions. Have your hands
ready to slow up the canopy with the brakes it it starts to accelerate past you.
Reverse Launch – In winds over 10 km/h it is probably better to do a reverse launch and inflate the canopy whilst
b)
facing it using the A risers without the "Baby A risers" to prevent the glider from inflating the wingtips first.
The WASP has little tendency to overshoot but releasing pressure on the A risers when the canopy has risen about 45°
will help to reduce this. The stronger the wind and the greater the pressure on the A riser the more quickly the canopy will
rise.
Turning
The WASPdoes not require a strong handed approach to maneuvering. For a fast turn smoothly apply the brake on the
side to which the turn is intended. The speed with which the brake is applied is very important. If a brake is applied fairly
quickly the canopy will do a faster banking turn, but care must be taken not to bank too severely. To attain a more efficient
turn at minimum sink, apply some brake to the accelerating wing to slow the turn and prevent the wing from banking. The
WASP flies very well like this, but care must be taken not to over-apply the brakes as a spin could result even though the
WASP has a very low spin tendency. The WASP will turn far more efficiently if the pilot weight-shifts into the turn in the
harness. Remember that violent brake application is dangerous and should always be avoided.
Straight Flight
The WASP will fly smoothly in a straight line without any input from the pilot. With a pilot weight of 70 kg on the medium
size without the accelerator the flying speed will be approximately 38 km/h.
Thermalling
To attain the best climb rate the WASP should be thermalled using a mild turn, as described above, keeping the wing´s
banking to a minimum. In strong thermals a tighter banking turn can be used to stay closer to the thermal´s core.
Remember that weight shifting in the harness will aid the efficiency of the turn and reduce the amount of brake required.
Care must be taken not to apply so much brake as to stall, this is however very easy to avoid as the brake pressure
increases greatly as you approach the stall point. Only fly near the stall point if you have enough height to recover (100
m).
Wing Tip Area Reduction (Big Ears)
The 'baby A riser' allows the WASPto be 'big eared' simply and easily. The big ear facility does not allow you to fly in
stronger winds, but is a facility which allows the pilot to descend quickly without substantially reducing the forward speed
of the canopy (as is the case with B lining). To engage big ears the pilot will need to lean forward in the harness and grasp
the Big ears risers (one in each hand) at the maillon, keeping hold of both brake handles if possible. Pull the riser out and
down at least 30 cm so as to collapse the tips of the glider. It is very important that the other A lines are not affected when
you do this as it could cause the leading edge to collapse. Steering is possible by weight shifting with big ears in. If the big
ears do not come out quickly on its own a pump on the brake will speed things up.
Bruce Goldsmith Design GmbH, Hügelweg 12, 9400 Wolfsberg, Austria
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