Adam, thanks for the video! I enjoyed your flight! I am about 200lbs suited up, fly a Spyder 26 and can easily get 40 minutes with a nice reserve left. A friend of mine is about 145lbs and was flying a 19 meter wing and flew for about 50 minutes with about 80 volts remaining....so, he could have stayed up another 10 to 15 minutes. Lots of variables are involved. BTW: Because of the 2170 lithium ion batteries used, I watch the voltage instead of the percent remaining. I am comfortable coming in at about 75 volts remaining. I've always watched the voltage on my OpenPPG X4 LiPoly batteries, and they are still in great shape. Also, Paul and Zach did a great job engineering this frame. The best part is that it doesn't cost $1,000 if you trash it......very cheap to repair or replace....I like the Dyneema net too. Thanks again! Bill
Thanks for all that information Bill, I appreciate it. I'm still new to this so no expert that's for sure. Looking forward to testing out more and seeing what I can get out of it. Thanks for the voltage tip as well, I'll try that next flight!
Once you get down below 75volts you should be very easy on the throttle. If you go full throttle all at once at that point, it is a good possibility that the battery BMS will do a hard cutoff and you will have to land. As always, you should have an emergency LZ picked out at all times. Bill
Cool video and awesome review of the SP140 and Electric PPG. Thank you. I'm flying the OpenPPG X4. Also an awesome, if more slightly more delicate, frame. Four motors/props = zero torque which is really nice. One thing I've notice flying electric vs fuel. If you push your battery there will be a noticeable reduction in available power near the end of the charge and the controller may even cut it as Phil mentioned. Also your landing weight is the same as the take-off weight. This means climb performance on a go-around is reduced vs that at take-off. If you're an experience pilot with the 2 stroke you might be expecting equal or better climb on a go around and it could be an uncomfortable surprise.
I just did my 8th skydive and unfortunately my head/ears can't handle the constant altitude changes over and over again. I got into the sport because of the canopy flight. Looks like paramotoring is perfect for me. I like the idea of electric vs 2 stroke. Best thing for me like you, I can walk out my front door and go flying
Great stuff. I'd probably think about doing my outward leg into the wind for 50% of the battery and then return leg should be downwind with a better glide ratio. Provided the winds aren't scheduled to switch that is.
Appreciate the props bud! It takes a few hours to fully charge. It's not a fast charger that's for sure. Ideally having two batteries would be nice to swap but if I'm going to fly longer I just get the 2 stroke out.
Very nice video and review. Everything in my life is pretty electric right now (car, bike, solar panels), and this would be a lovely way to PPG. I never really liked being a “2 stroke mechanic “. Thanks again!
Great video! To maximize battery, have you considered a full flight just cruising using cruise-control for the whole flight? I think the Open PPG channel has a flight video showing a cruise-control feature but wondering if it's not standard on all models? Maybe that would help too?
Nice job. I’m waiting for delivery of my SP140 from batch 3. Curious what you think about the weight compared to the Maverick. Also I’m sure you notice that you land with the same weight as you launch with unlike Gas which burns off during flight. I’m a little worried about that but still looking forward to it. I think I counted about 12 times you said “can’t believe how quiet it is!” Which is a big motivator for me going electric. Nice video. Thanks.
Very cool, excited for you to get yours! The weight is just strange as it's up high, vs lower with a fuel tank. I think it weighs around 75lbs, but as long as you don't "biff" the landing like I did it's pretty similar to the maverick or any gas motor.
I love it... solar panel on the golf cart. I wonder if you will get longer flights when the temperature is warmer. Either way, 45 minute flights would work fine in many cases. And the value proposition for this motor particularly compelling if you can afford to own 2 motors and just use this one for the short & sweet, peaceful, local flights.
Thanks buddy, yeah your right about the need for two motors as I wouldn't choose this as my only motor. If I'm heading up to watch the sunset, I'm not going to be up more than 35-45min anyway. Ha, I put a 100watt panel on the golf cart. Doesnt' make a huge difference with a 48v system but it's a nice trickle charge :)
Flight time feels perfectly adequate for recreational flying. Definitely leaning this way over gas. Just don't have the time or desire to mess with carbs etc.
I'm still trying to form an opinion as a newer pilot. As I start to do longer flights / exploring / XC type stuff, I find myself consistently losing track of time and have twice in the mirror saw 1/2 gallon left in the tank and have to force myself to head back. What I am getting at is, a short flight time might become limiting once you begin to spread your wings and start 'losing track of time' because you're curiosity is taking you places.
It is perfect for one spot paragliders. You ascend to the altitude, fly without engine a bit and return to the same spot. And you can do it several times. But for tripping -- no way. Don`t do it. Suddenly you discover you are out of battery but no where to land. Too dangerous.
Interesting - why isn't the SOC based on a shunt? It's based on voltage? SOC based on voltage with lithium batteries is never the way. I wonder if the ESC could brake the prop to prevent the windmilling when you're not using power - wouldn't that extend your glide?
Great video Adam, many thanks for posting. I agree with the comments below, great review and 45 mins of flying time would suit most. I'm eagerly waiting for batch 3 delivery. My question are: 1 - different modes, yours was set to SPORTS, are there other settings that would give enough power for take-off but use less power when cruising around? And 2 - is there a setting similar to cruise control where you set the throttle at a certain level and you don't need to apply throttle pressure? If so, have you tried either of these modes / settings? Many thanks 🪂🪂
Thanks bud, I appreciate the comments. I haven't tried the other mode, to be honest I wanted full power for what I do so I bumped it to sport right away. That's a good idea, I should try the other setting (I think it's comfort or something like that) to see if the overall battery life is longer. I'm guessing it's less thrust... just not sure how much less.
Hey loved the video!! How is the charging process? Do you need a separate hub to charge the battery? And does it all come with the SP140 or do you have to buy all that separately? Looking into the sport and electric may be the way to go
wow really loved this Video , my kinda flying if all goes to plan , great hear real feedback and performance info , all us wannabe s need this kinda reassurance cos this aint gonna be cheap :-) but hey that smile said it all , congrats and big thanks for posting another great and informative Video .. forgot to ask did the controller / Motor feel excessively hot after this flight , and loved the info about real currant Drawn during cruise Cheers the beauty about the throttle thing is that there will be other design options soon and your feedback may lead the way
Thanks for the feedback brother! No heating issues that I've noticed, however it's been cold so I'll be able to comment on that more when it warms up! yeah, more design options will be nice down the road.
Thank you for your opinion on that motor and the comparison to the maverick. I feel very confirmed to buy the maverick as a beginner. Thank you very much. Which helmet world you recommend to a new pilot?
Thanks Pascal, yeah probably best to start on the maverick or similiar. By the time your ready to upgrade, the battery tech should be better too! Not sure on the helmet, I've gone through a few so far. I do have an order in for the PPGSmoke headset.. still waiting on that.
What is the elevation where you live? I am the same weight as you and have a Scout with a Moster and was thinking of getting a Spyder wing. Trying to decide between a 26 or 28. I was also considering the SP-140 but didnt like the weight of the battery and the short flight times. I was also thinking down the road it may not be that hard to convert a frame to electric. Any thoughts?
Hey bud, thanks for the questions. I'm at about 800ft. The Spyder is awesome, I have a 26 but honestly would prefer a 24. I got a 24 sirocco 3 which is awesome. If you have some hours under your belt I'd go with the sirocco 3. It feels just as safe and handles amazing!
@@adam-newbloom Hi Adam. Really like your reviews. As a beginner I am about to choose the right Sirocco 3 for me. With sp140 my total load weight would be 265lbs(120kg) I am 150lbs and I was thinking of getting size 24(70-130kg) but my instructor and the shop recommend going with 26(80-145kg) What is your thoughts? I am just thinking that the wing will be huge.
This would only be the case if the battery was cold to start with. The fact that it's in my heated garage I don't believe the battery gets cold enough to be an issue in the 40 minute flight.
@acvaultman sorry for the delay in this, finally going back through some old videos. The company was very responsive, and I talked to him over text messaging.
Very cool just stabilize your approach further out. I really want an electric one. I have an air Conception I may sell to get the electric one and I have a trike for my black devil corsair
Hey Adam! Have you heard about the new Propeller, which supposedly Can save about 30% of energy? Check out „Scout aviation Variomatic Propeller“ on UA-cam. I would like to see you Test that thing:)
Variable pitch props, like a transmission in a car, save fuel not energy. They save fuel b/c they enable the ICE to work in it's most efficient RPM zone and still jump to the best power zone when required. Electric motors don't really have much efficiency change from 0 to max RPM. Modern cars have 4-6 or even 8 gear ratios and even programing modes for economy vs sport. EVs have drive and reverse.
I See your point. But i know that there is a significant efficiency drop with higher rpm in an electric motor too. Especially using a synchronous PM Motor. So i think its worth a shot:)
Hello Adam I build a diy electric paramotor using the same type of MAD motor as SP140, except that I use an Eprop 135cm 2 blade prop and the battery is 72V nominal (20s config with 3.55 kWh). I'm amazed that you use 6kW while for me the consumption for level fly is 4kW. The major difference is probably the wing (I tested it with an Advance Iota1 EnB high free fly wing 26 square meters). It would be interesting for me to know what climbing rate you can get at a power of 12...13kW (in my case I got 2.5m/sec.).
Yeah I think the same way with a lot of things. Sort of like the F150 base truck is 40k, but a fully loaded is 70k... 30k in options, how do they justify that? However with this setup, all the R&D, parts are more expensive as they are not building a lot at on time, shipping is EXPENSIVE and so on. I don't think they are making a killing on each unit.
There's a lot of factors that come into play with regard to the cost. They're definitely long-term Savings in gas and maintenance. It's also super convenient just being able to pull it out of the garage door on my back and take off. It's definitely not for everybody, but there are some benefits.
@@marguskiis7711 this is a good point, battery degradation. I've had mine for over a year with many flights and I've probably lost three to four percent of the battery total. Not bad considering.
Adam, thanks for the video! I enjoyed your flight! I am about 200lbs suited up, fly a Spyder 26 and can easily get 40 minutes with a nice reserve left. A friend of mine is about 145lbs and was flying a 19 meter wing and flew for about 50 minutes with about 80 volts remaining....so, he could have stayed up another 10 to 15 minutes. Lots of variables are involved. BTW: Because of the 2170 lithium ion batteries used, I watch the voltage instead of the percent remaining. I am comfortable coming in at about 75 volts remaining. I've always watched the voltage on my OpenPPG X4 LiPoly batteries, and they are still in great shape. Also, Paul and Zach did a great job engineering this frame. The best part is that it doesn't cost $1,000 if you trash it......very cheap to repair or replace....I like the Dyneema net too. Thanks again! Bill
Thanks for all that information Bill, I appreciate it. I'm still new to this so no expert that's for sure. Looking forward to testing out more and seeing what I can get out of it. Thanks for the voltage tip as well, I'll try that next flight!
Once you get down below 75volts you should be very easy on the throttle. If you go full throttle all at once at that point, it is a good possibility that the battery BMS will do a hard cutoff and you will have to land. As always, you should have an emergency LZ picked out at all times. Bill
Cool video and awesome review of the SP140 and Electric PPG. Thank you. I'm flying the OpenPPG X4. Also an awesome, if more slightly more delicate, frame. Four motors/props = zero torque which is really nice. One thing I've notice flying electric vs fuel. If you push your battery there will be a noticeable reduction in available power near the end of the charge and the controller may even cut it as Phil mentioned. Also your landing weight is the same as the take-off weight. This means climb performance on a go-around is reduced vs that at take-off. If you're an experience pilot with the 2 stroke you might be expecting equal or better climb on a go around and it could be an uncomfortable surprise.
Greg and Bill, excellent additional information for the viewers, thank you. I'm learning as well!
Thanks for doing this, were all curious about the SP140. This is the first proper review video of it ive seen.
I appreciate that; you're welcome!
I just did my 8th skydive and unfortunately my head/ears can't handle the constant altitude changes over and over again. I got into the sport because of the canopy flight. Looks like paramotoring is perfect for me. I like the idea of electric vs 2 stroke. Best thing for me like you, I can walk out my front door and go flying
Existing is not living... love it! Fellow ppg pilot here great video!
Great stuff. I'd probably think about doing my outward leg into the wind for 50% of the battery and then return leg should be downwind with a better glide ratio. Provided the winds aren't scheduled to switch that is.
Great review! I’m half-way through the video and am wondering what the recharge time is on the battery? Thx!
Great audio, video, and editing too. 🤙🏼
Appreciate the props bud! It takes a few hours to fully charge. It's not a fast charger that's for sure. Ideally having two batteries would be nice to swap but if I'm going to fly longer I just get the 2 stroke out.
Very nice video and review. Everything in my life is pretty electric right now (car, bike, solar panels), and this would be a lovely way to PPG. I never really liked being a “2 stroke mechanic “. Thanks again!
If you just want to fly a little bit on one spot, then its for you. But if you fancy trip a bit, then now way, its too dangerous.
Great video! To maximize battery, have you considered a full flight just cruising using cruise-control for the whole flight? I think the Open PPG channel has a flight video showing a cruise-control feature but wondering if it's not standard on all models? Maybe that would help too?
Nice job. I’m waiting for delivery of my SP140 from batch 3. Curious what you think about the weight compared to the Maverick. Also I’m sure you notice that you land with the same weight as you launch with unlike Gas which burns off during flight. I’m a little worried about that but still looking forward to it. I think I counted about 12 times you said “can’t believe how quiet it is!” Which is a big motivator for me going electric. Nice video. Thanks.
Very cool, excited for you to get yours! The weight is just strange as it's up high, vs lower with a fuel tank. I think it weighs around 75lbs, but as long as you don't "biff" the landing like I did it's pretty similar to the maverick or any gas motor.
I love it... solar panel on the golf cart. I wonder if you will get longer flights when the temperature is warmer. Either way, 45 minute flights would work fine in many cases. And the value proposition for this motor particularly compelling if you can afford to own 2 motors and just use this one for the short & sweet, peaceful, local flights.
Thanks buddy, yeah your right about the need for two motors as I wouldn't choose this as my only motor. If I'm heading up to watch the sunset, I'm not going to be up more than 35-45min anyway. Ha, I put a 100watt panel on the golf cart. Doesnt' make a huge difference with a 48v system but it's a nice trickle charge :)
Flight time feels perfectly adequate for recreational flying. Definitely leaning this way over gas. Just don't have the time or desire to mess with carbs etc.
I'm still trying to form an opinion as a newer pilot. As I start to do longer flights / exploring / XC type stuff, I find myself consistently losing track of time and have twice in the mirror saw 1/2 gallon left in the tank and have to force myself to head back. What I am getting at is, a short flight time might become limiting once you begin to spread your wings and start 'losing track of time' because you're curiosity is taking you places.
It is perfect for one spot paragliders. You ascend to the altitude, fly without engine a bit and return to the same spot. And you can do it several times. But for tripping -- no way. Don`t do it. Suddenly you discover you are out of battery but no where to land. Too dangerous.
Backup battery👍
Can't help getting the heeby-jeebies every time you showed power lines!
Interesting - why isn't the SOC based on a shunt? It's based on voltage? SOC based on voltage with lithium batteries is never the way.
I wonder if the ESC could brake the prop to prevent the windmilling when you're not using power - wouldn't that extend your glide?
the windmilling will make the trip much shorter
Great video Adam, many thanks for posting. I agree with the comments below, great review and 45 mins of flying time would suit most. I'm eagerly waiting for batch 3 delivery. My question are: 1 - different modes, yours was set to SPORTS, are there other settings that would give enough power for take-off but use less power when cruising around? And 2 - is there a setting similar to cruise control where you set the throttle at a certain level and you don't need to apply throttle pressure? If so, have you tried either of these modes / settings? Many thanks 🪂🪂
Thanks bud, I appreciate the comments. I haven't tried the other mode, to be honest I wanted full power for what I do so I bumped it to sport right away. That's a good idea, I should try the other setting (I think it's comfort or something like that) to see if the overall battery life is longer. I'm guessing it's less thrust... just not sure how much less.
I’m wondering about cruse control as well.
Hey loved the video!! How is the charging process? Do you need a separate hub to charge the battery? And does it all come with the SP140 or do you have to buy all that separately? Looking into the sport and electric may be the way to go
You will charge several hours and make one 30 min trip. Congratulations!
wow really loved this Video , my kinda flying if all goes to plan , great hear real feedback and performance info , all us wannabe s need this kinda reassurance cos this aint gonna be cheap :-) but hey that smile said it all , congrats and big thanks for posting another great and informative Video .. forgot to ask did the controller / Motor feel excessively hot after this flight , and loved the info about real currant Drawn during cruise Cheers the beauty about the throttle thing is that there will be other design options soon and your feedback may lead the way
Thanks for the feedback brother! No heating issues that I've noticed, however it's been cold so I'll be able to comment on that more when it warms up! yeah, more design options will be nice down the road.
Get a second battery to drop in when the first one depletes so you have more time to play.
Curious as to how high of an elevation you can reach with this. Most of the pilots I have seen in videos are flying pretty low.
you could burn through the power and get up to 4-5k or higher I'd guess. It's got prob 15 -20 min of full throttle.
What is your cruising speed?
What size of wing are you using?
This sounds so good I want one
Thank you for your opinion on that motor and the comparison to the maverick. I feel very confirmed to buy the maverick as a beginner. Thank you very much. Which helmet world you recommend to a new pilot?
Thanks Pascal, yeah probably best to start on the maverick or similiar. By the time your ready to upgrade, the battery tech should be better too! Not sure on the helmet, I've gone through a few so far. I do have an order in for the PPGSmoke headset.. still waiting on that.
Just learned about this! This is amazing!
Can you carry a extra battery.why not dual batterys .mabe a alternator for power to battery
The biggest holdup is the battery weight. If you had a trike option you could definitely do two batteries
What is the elevation where you live? I am the same weight as you and have a Scout with a Moster and was thinking of getting a Spyder wing. Trying to decide between a 26 or 28. I was also considering the SP-140 but didnt like the weight of the battery and the short flight times. I was also thinking down the road it may not be that hard to convert a frame to electric. Any thoughts?
Hey bud, thanks for the questions. I'm at about 800ft. The Spyder is awesome, I have a 26 but honestly would prefer a 24. I got a 24 sirocco 3 which is awesome. If you have some hours under your belt I'd go with the sirocco 3. It feels just as safe and handles amazing!
@Adam's Paramotor Life thank you for the reply. Will be sure to look into the sirocco.
Cheers!
@@adam-newbloom Hi Adam. Really like your reviews. As a beginner I am about to choose the right Sirocco 3 for me. With sp140 my total load weight would be 265lbs(120kg) I am 150lbs and I was thinking of getting size 24(70-130kg) but my instructor and the shop recommend going with 26(80-145kg) What is your thoughts? I am just thinking that the wing will be huge.
You think cold winter weather will drastically affect your flight times?
yes
This would only be the case if the battery was cold to start with. The fact that it's in my heated garage I don't believe the battery gets cold enough to be an issue in the 40 minute flight.
is the battery lipo? Is there any risk of fire? Tanks
Nice
What was wrong with your first motor? did you send it back to the company for a warranty repair?
It had some grinding noise, they were able to fix it and sent it back. So far all is good!
@@adam-newbloom thanks. did you have to ship it back to them? they were responsive?
Interested in this question as well. Was the company fast at responding and did they pay for shipping back to them and was the turn around fast?
@acvaultman sorry for the delay in this, finally going back through some old videos. The company was very responsive, and I talked to him over text messaging.
How did you do the video looking back at yourself?
Very cool just stabilize your approach further out. I really want an electric one. I have an air Conception I may sell to get the electric one and I have a trike for my black devil corsair
Hey Adam!
Have you heard about the new Propeller, which supposedly Can save about 30% of energy?
Check out „Scout aviation Variomatic Propeller“ on UA-cam.
I would like to see you Test that thing:)
I did see that! What a great idea. I'd be willing to buy one to test it when it becomes available.
Variable pitch props, like a transmission in a car, save fuel not energy. They save fuel b/c they enable the ICE to work in it's most efficient RPM zone and still jump to the best power zone when required. Electric motors don't really have much efficiency change from 0 to max RPM. Modern cars have 4-6 or even 8 gear ratios and even programing modes for economy vs sport. EVs have drive and reverse.
I See your point. But i know that there is a significant efficiency drop with higher rpm in an electric motor too. Especially using a synchronous PM Motor.
So i think its worth a shot:)
Hello Adam
I build a diy electric paramotor using the same type of MAD motor as SP140, except that I use an Eprop 135cm 2 blade prop and the battery is 72V nominal (20s config with 3.55 kWh). I'm amazed that you use 6kW while for me the consumption for level fly is 4kW. The major difference is probably the wing (I tested it with an Advance Iota1 EnB high free fly wing 26 square meters). It would be interesting for me to know what climbing rate you can get at a power of 12...13kW (in my case I got 2.5m/sec.).
I'll have to pay more attention to that. How much do you weigh, all up weight with motor?
@@adam-newbloom the total weight is 130kg (287 pound).
I just don’t think the time limitation is worth it yet.
Hey partner,I’m up in your neck of the woods today lol.
How long are you hear for? Doing any flying?
@@adam-newbloom I got back home this evening…went to Pigeon Forge
@@Phantom911 Nice area! Hope you enjoyed the trip!
@@adam-newbloom yes sir was nice
How do they justify the cost ? You can bye all the parts for half the cost
Yeah I think the same way with a lot of things. Sort of like the F150 base truck is 40k, but a fully loaded is 70k... 30k in options, how do they justify that? However with this setup, all the R&D, parts are more expensive as they are not building a lot at on time, shipping is EXPENSIVE and so on. I don't think they are making a killing on each unit.
Solar charging.for battery
I want to do this. Dont think i have the nerve
The nerves pass brother... you don't want to regret not trying it. It's life changing!
Not as loud.
you look just like Emmett Brown
The back to the future guy?
The battery will last less and less.
Perfect for the one-spot paragliders who don`t plan any trip, just wanna fly a bit. For others -- no way.
Very little battery life...for the money.
And charging time -- several hours. And battery will last less and less.
There's a lot of factors that come into play with regard to the cost. They're definitely long-term Savings in gas and maintenance. It's also super convenient just being able to pull it out of the garage door on my back and take off. It's definitely not for everybody, but there are some benefits.
@@marguskiis7711 this is a good point, battery degradation. I've had mine for over a year with many flights and I've probably lost three to four percent of the battery total. Not bad considering.