Ram Harness question

[Flying Lobster]

Hey Marcel--I have a question about the ram/race harness that you apparently are using. I've often wondered how effective they really are--especially in terms of getting into and out of. How do you activate and use the speedbar/accelerator in a closed harness like that?

Thanks,
marc

[Marcel Dettling]

Hi Marc,

The biggest plus of a harness with leg fairing is IMHO that you are comfortably warm. Although it's "only" the legs, it makes a very big difference. On XC flights in cold temperatures, it can make the difference between wishing to continue and wishing to land.

Second biggest advantage is the ease of speedbar use. It is pre-stressed with 2 rubberbands in the pod. This means it's always right there, you can just get it with the heel, much easier, quicker and more convenient than with an open harness.

According to new studies by Advance, the leg fairing also yields quite a big gain performance-wise. In the documentation to the new Omega 7 (can be found on http://www.pgforum.com), they claim a l/d of 10.1 with leg fairing and 8.x without (same harness with leg fairing zipped off). That's a lot! And of course it also makes a difference if you're only soaring. Speed stays the same, so the leg fairing reduces min sink very effectively.

Getting in/out isn't a problem for me. Don't need to use the hands to get in, I can just get the bag with the tip of my foot. There is no zipper, the pod is just made of overlapping neopren.

So the handling/ease of use isn't an issue for me. That said, it's certainly not the ideal ground handling harness, but more appropriate for longer flights.

In Switzerland, pod harnesses are getting more and more standard (i.e. 90% fly the Advance Impress (me too), designed by sky god Nr.1 and national hero Chrigel Maurer). If you go to a site suitable for serious XC, almost everybody has one, open harnesses are already exotic.

Cheers,

Marcel

PS: I love my Impress

[Flying Lobster]

Hi Marc,

The biggest plus of a harness with leg fairing is IMHO that you are comfortably warm. Although it's "only" the legs, it makes a very big difference. On XC flights in cold temperatures, it can make the difference between wishing to continue and wishing to land.

Second biggest advantage is the ease of speedbar use. It is pre-stressed with 2 rubberbands in the pod. This means it's always right there, you can just get it with the heel, much easier, quicker and more convenient than with an open harness.

According to new studies by Advance, the leg fairing also yields quite a big gain performance-wise. In the documentation to the new Omega 7 (can be found on http://www.pgforum.com), they claim a l/d of 10.1 with leg fairing and 8.x without (same harness with leg fairing zipped off). That's a lot! And of course it also makes a difference if you're only soaring. Speed stays the same, so the leg fairing reduces min sink very effectively.

Getting in/out isn't a problem for me. Don't need to use the hands to get in, I can just get the bag with the tip of my foot. There is no zipper, the pod is just made of overlapping neopren.

So the handling/ease of use isn't an issue for me. That said, it's certainly not the ideal ground handling harness, but more appropriate for longer flights.

In Switzerland, pod harnesses are getting more and more standard (i.e. 90% fly the Advance Impress (me too), designed by sky god Nr.1 and national hero Chrigel Maurer). If you go to a site suitable for serious XC, almost everybody has one, open harnesses are already exotic.

Cheers,

Marcel

PS: I love my Impress

Thanks for the reply--good info. Tom and Juan like their SOL harnesses too.

marc