Blackwood
Contributor
I was in San Diego looking into a potential job yesterday and swung by UTD to check out delta. Setting aside the DIRness of this wing, I thought clear up some loose ends.
Disclaimer: we didn't get into design details, so these are all my impressions. I may be technically incorrect on some points.
edit - I dove the prototype wing and can't speak for any differences between it and a production model.
Disclaimer: we didn't get into design details, so these are all my impressions. I may be technically incorrect on some points.
- It is not elastic, bungee or otherwise. One of the first things I did was fill it with the power inflator and then hit the dump button. It didn't flatten out or violently discharge gas. It reacted the same way my wings do.
- It's mechanically attached to the harness webbing at either hip to keep it flat (i.e. so it doesn't taco or flap around when empty).
- It will dump using the inflator hose from the vertical position. However, you'll never get it completely empty that way. The geometry of the wing is such that only a few pounds of lift come from the top. I think it's tapered, as if it has a triangular cross section through the thickness (i.e. perpendicular to the backplate), as well as being wider at the bottom. In any case, most of the air is contained in the bottom of the wing where the valve is located.
- It will also dump using the inflator hose from the prone position. It works best if you slightly rotate your body left-side-up such that the valve is completely above the bubble. Since the valve is on the side rather than at the center, it doesn't take much rotation. The right-hand-side pull dump works as you'd expect it to.
- I was set up massively overweighted (shortie, fresh water, steel 95 and heavy plate); the wing had to be almost completely full. I tried various positions, arms at my sides/legs extended; superman; holding 5# in extended arms; with 4# of weight shoved underneath one of my fin straps, etc.. It's very difficult to get in bad trim. I could pitch down at will, though I found it somewhat difficult to pitch up.
edit - I dove the prototype wing and can't speak for any differences between it and a production model.
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