Category: Eric Dufour

Kangook Paramotor Trike

The Kangook is everything that the Falcon is not.


Elisabeth Guerin
 Kangook is imported and sold by Eric Dufour of Paratour in Christmas Florida … http://www.paratour.com
From the minute we took it out of the shed I knew I was going to like this paramotor.  It is extremely light and so well balanced that pulling it around by the front wheel is effortless.  The frame and cage are the standard  Kangook that I saw at the Salton Sea.  There are three identical cage pieces making it easy to assemble.  The footlaunch unit has multiple hangpoints but this one was configured with solid bars similar to the “Power Loops” that Chad Bastian uses on the trike buggy.  Because Elisabeth’s machine is dedicated to the trike it has a bucket seat with a simple 3 point seat belt.  There is a foot activated brake on the nose wheel that allows the pilot to get situated and even run up the motor a bit before starting to roll.  Fiberglass rods provide suspension and the trike’s frame geometry insures rigidity.

 

The Polini motor is brand new to paramotoring but the company has been making motors for Vespa and others since the 40s.  They are reputed to be very reliable scooter motors and if they do as well in the PPG world… a new standard will be set.  Watch out Simonini !  The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to start.  I was able to sit down, reach over my shoulder and pull the starter cord very easily.  A new “Flash” starter is being introduced that will make it 75% easier.  This… I  have to see.   The second thing that caught my attention was how it sounded, it was more like a sewing machine than a two stroke, you couldn’t make a cell calls but it was much quieter than expected with little vibration.  The RPM is higher than other machines I’ve flown but  it was …oh so smooth.  According to Polini the 115 cc Thor 100 provides 140lbs of thrust with a 51 inch prop, I;m not sure what I was flying, but it would have been plenty at my home field of 5800 ft/ agl. The Walbro carb on my old snap 100 was problematic but this was sweet and the powerband was smooth from top to bottom.  I’m used to a 4 stroke generator motor where you have to anticipate every move, with the POLINI I can envision flying Glamis at six inches.  Nap of the earth at 25 mph!  The centrifugal clutch was a nice touch and a  great safety feature.  I can see myself using it foot launch when there is a breeze and using trike the rest of the time.
Footlaunch is KING !
Specs.
Manual Start Electric Start

Motor: Polini Thor 100 (115cc)
Performance: Power: 20,5 HP at 8900 RPM
Carburetor: Walbro WB8
Exhaust: tuned
Reduction: 3,43
Empty Weight: engine 11.8Kg
Max. Weight: 22Kg frame and harness
Thrust: 59-64 kg with 130cm Propeller
Fuel Consumption: 2.7 L per hour at 6500 RPM
Propeller (2 Blade): Wooden or Carbon 125cm or 130cm n/a
Electrical System: Generator for 12v power
Tank: 13 Litre
Construction: A6 Aviation alloy
Propeller Frame: double hooped, 3 piece

I love my 4 stroke…
but the Polini 
had me Jones-ing for the good ol days! 
Maybe some day…
when I have a man cave again… 
I’ll give up my “Sky Harley”
and buy one of these
sweet little spaghetti burners.

Guest of Paratour

Dawn and I got up at 4:45 and amazingly were on the road by 5:10. It is a 50 minute drive from the Orlando World Center to Christmas Florida where Eric Dufour and Elisabeth Guerin have established Paramotor City East and Paratour. I was concerned that there would be no flying due to the ground fog, but when we arrived everybody was confident that it would burn off before they arrived at the field. Eric was training two new pilots and retraining an instructor who had started his career with Dell but seen the light.

Flight #482 &; #483 was at the training field with Eric Dufour and his students. Elisabeth was very generous and allowed me to fly her new Kangook trike with polini motor. Eric gave me a quick briefing on the machine. … How it started and to be aware of the left hand torque which, by the way was very mild and not really an issue. The wind was almost non existent but I would have to launch from a position that faced some tall pines. Not something I would be able to do with the Falcon but Eric didn’t make a big deal out of it so I took it on faith.
Then… Eric was gone to get his class together and I was alone on the foggy field. I taxied the Kangook at speed to get a feel for how it accelerated and around the corner to see what my options were for turning to gain altitude, just in case I couldn’t clear the pine trees at the get go. Ten minutes after Eric had pulled out,  I was set-up and ready to launch.  I waited another five, soaking in the quiet and thanking the gods.  Life is good.

local mascot
The Eden III came up clean and I was in the air very quickly. Climbing at 350ft/min I was able to clear the trees with ease and found the highway without problems. The terrain was thick pines all the way to the wetlands where Eric was training so I climbed to 1300 feet to give me lots of room in case of a motor out and then I headed East looking for the gang.
Where is the Training Field?
The sky was a beautiful pale orange softened by ground mist. Small lakes were scattered in the pines, off to the east I could see where the trees abruptly stopped and the wetlands began. Ten minutes into the flight I saw a mowed field 300 yards off the highway and a wing laid out ready for launch. In the top corner of the field I could just barely make out the word PARATOUR cut into the grass.

From high, I watched Eric coach one of the new guys into the air. It was a picture perfect launch and when he got to altitude I headed in his direction to ” go play”. Passing at 200 yards I swung behind and started to descend to the field. At the field Eric was gesturing strongly for me to move out of the area. The pilot was doing his first flight and he didn’t want me anywhere near his rookie. After 20 minutes I came in for a nice soft landing. Dawn and I chatted a bit and Eric explained where he was going to be working the new guys so that I wouldn’t be a concern. Then I reset and launched again.

training field
Dawn McLane looking good on the Kangook
After my second flight, Dawn and I watched Eric train his students and later he put on a motor and treated  us to a few minutes of the Dufour Magic…Foot Drags… wing overs … etc …  the master of fine wing control.  It was….a
Great day …
Thanks to Eric and Elisabeth of Paratour for making it happen.

Day 6 Sunday #387 thru #394

The wind started picking up right after sunrise.

I spent the time having breakfast, packing up my gear and policing the campground. When the wind finally abated I was on the field practicing take offs while was John was tooling around on his LZ buggy.

John Fetz

Today was much better, there were no incidents and I was feeling good about things. With the wing laid out in a chevron, I was able to bring it up clean and taxi the trike keeping the throttle just above idle. I didn’t stray too far …just launch take a few laps …land… and do it again. Eric came out to the field and complimented me on the improvement. He spoke well of the Falcon which meant a lot coming from a Green Eagle Dealer, one of the finest pilots in the world and a gentleman.

After my 7th flight Mo Sheldon asked if I would be willing to test fly new tandem rig they had just assembled. I was a little hesitant and worried that I wouldn’t be fast enough but it went very well. The only hitch was that my 120 pound frame was lighter than Mo had hang tested for so after we launched, I was hanging two feet higher than Mo and it was blocking his vision. At first he handed me the brakes because he couldn’t see to fly but he quickly sorted it out and took back the toggles. When my hands were free again, I pushed down on the stretcher bar which redistributed the weight and we rode almost level. The takeoff run was longer than I thought it would be but the landing was smooth as silk.

//www.youtube.com/get_player

Dinner was at the Mexican place… Jeff Goin, Jeff Hammon, Phil Russman and Mark MacWhirter. We reviewed recent videos,…. the conversation revolved around the twists of Aerial Videography …new technical innovations and the latest cameras and players. All topics beyond my experience. I’m amazed… hours of video to get a couple of minutes of good footage. For me it’s hard enough to Fly… to be a master photographer, editor and pilot all at the same time. Well…

If it was easy everybody would do it!

After dinner we gassed up and I followed Jeff Hammon’s Hummer / Camper under a full moon all the way to Glamis. Jeff graciously allowed me to crash on the floor of his RV so I would not have the hassle of setting up a tent in the dark. Thanks Jeff!