Paratech P Bi4

Last updated
P Bi4
Role Paraglider
National origin Switzerland
Manufacturer Paratech
Designer Uwe Bernholz
Status Production completed
Unit cost
€2,507 (2004)

The Paratech P Bi4 is a Swiss two-place paraglider that was designed by Uwe Bernholz and produced by Paratech of Appenzell. It is now out of production. [1]

Switzerland federal republic in Central Europe

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country situated in western, central, and southern Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The sovereign state is a federal republic bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are to be found: among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva.

Paratech AG was a Swiss aircraft manufacturer based in Wasserauen and previously in Appenzell. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of paragliders in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft, as well as paragliding harnesses, clothing and accessories.

Contents

Design and development

The P Bi4 was designed as a tandem glider for flight training and as such was referred to as the Bi4, indicating "bi-place" or two seater. [1]

Tandem arrangement in which people, machines, or animals are in line behind one another facing forward

Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction.

Flight training training of aircraft pilots and aircrew

Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills.

The aircraft's 15.20 m (49.9 ft) span wing has 58 cells, a wing area of 42 m2 (450 sq ft) and an aspect ratio of 5.5:1. The crew weight range is 140 to 225 kg (309 to 496 lb). The glider is DHV 1-2Bipl certified. [1]

The wing design includes "Permanent Air Flow", a feature by which the cell openings are made smaller to improve the leading edge profile. [1]

Leading edge

The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air; alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil section. The first is an aerodynamic definition, the second a structural one. As an example of the distinction, during a tailslide, from an aerodynamic point of view, the trailing edge becomes the leading edge and vice versa but from a structural point of view the leading edge remains unchanged.

Specifications (P Bi4)

Data from Bertrand [1]

General characteristics

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 44 km/h (27 mph; 24 kn)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 26. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN   1368-485X
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