Walkerjet and Sky Paragliders safety notices.

Apr 14/04         Safety notice.

WJ owners, please check on position of your large pulley assembly. The way things are designed the large pulley is off center once the reduction belt is tighten. Make sure that if your prop turns counter clockwise the large pulley will be positioned more to the left if you face the prop. If you machine turns prop clockwise make sure it to more to the right. If it is not on the proper side, change it by following simple directions here. 

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Jan 23/04      Warning/Notice to all Simonini paramotor pilots - written by Bob Armond.

I have had (4) of the new Simonini chrome mufflers fail in a very strange way in the last two weeks. What is occurring is the very end piece of the muffler that looks like a coke can in shape (with a small pipe coming off it for the exhaust to exit), is breaking off completely from the muffler at the weld. This can be a serious safety issue as this piece has some weight to it and can cause quite a bit of damage to the paramotor and possible the pilot when it breaks off. In one of the failures the broken piece broke the prop then bounce back and took off the carb from its mount, then bounced back again and dented the ½ inch thick cage almost 3 inch's. Had this piece hit the pilots head it would have had quite a bit of energy to it. I suggest everyone with this new chrome muffle (the black ones seem unaffected) check their mufflers carefully at the weld, that attaches this coke can shaped item to the main muffler. I have now added a strap to my mufflers that will prevent this piece from causing damage if it breaks. This is a simple hose clamp with safety wire leading to the motor mounts short enough not to allow the piece to reach the prop in the event this occurs again. The Simonini engine company has been notified by Jim Jackson of Paraliteusa and I believe they will make any warranty adjustments as required. I do not know if this is a small batch of mufflers problem or a complete production line failure, but I do know from the damage that was done that the pilot was lucky and so was anyone on the ground who may have been below when these mufflers broke off. The four failures were on paramotors delivered within the last 6 months both on Walkerjets and Skycruisers and had from 10 to 70 hours on them.

Please pass on this notice to all Simonini engine based paramotor pilots, whom are using the stock Simonini chrome muffler.

Bob Armond

This is a first time I am hearing about this. This is unconfirmed warning/notice. I will inquire about this at WJ. Meanwhile I will install a safety strap as Bob did. I do not want to take a chance on my prop. I suggest to do the same. Andre. 

Jan 25/03    WJ did not have any mufflers falling apart as described by B. Armond above.

I guess this problem could be caused by running Simonini Mini + 2 motor too rich and the associated vibrations would "shake off" the end of exhaust. I will keep my clamp on just in case.

-----Original Message-----
From: Andre @ Powered Paragliding Ontario [mailto:info@poweredparaglidingontario.ca]
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 6:44 PM
To: Walkerjet
Subject: Re: Objednavka

Viktore,

 

Tady se proslycha ze na Simonini vejfukach upadava konec vyfuku. Viz foto. Vis o tom neco?

 

A

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