Ace

Aviation

Magic Spirit Manual

 MAGIC SPIRIT MICROLIGHT

OWNER & USER’S MANUAL

Owner’s Name:…………………………………….

Address: ……………………………………….

………………………………………

……………………………………….

Trike Serial Number: ………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Wing Serial Number : ………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Date of manufacture …………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Factory Settings:

Hang Point Position: …… Rear position (Slowest trim)……………………………………………...

Sail Tension Position:……… Factory set before delivery………………………………

Cross Bar Tension Position:…… Set at Ace Aviation India……………………….

Manufactured by:

Ace Aviation, Downham Farm, Kalhatty 643 005, Ooty, The Nilgirs, Tamilnadu, India.
Phone: 0423 – 2252131 (Workshop)
0423 -- 2252088 (at all other times)

UK office: 11 Y-Crofft Llansaint, Carmarthenshire, SA175JQ

Website www.aceaviation.co.uk
Email info@aceaviation.co.uk
 SPECIFICATIONS

Wing area 14 sq.m.

Wing span 9.75 m
Empty weight 87 KG (With Mini 2 Plus)
M.A.U.W. 220 Kg
Fuel Burn at cruise 4.25 – 5.5 l/hr
Fuel tank capacity 18.9 litres
Stall Speed 27 Mph
Cruise Speed 59 – 67 Kph
Max level speed 90 Kph)
VNE 101 Kph
Climb rate 3 mps)
Propeller 2 blades Ace Aviation wooden
Take off distance 45 metres (Pilot weight dependent)
Endurance with 18 litre tank 3 Hrs 20 min
Engine Simonini Mini 2 Plus
Power output 28 Hp
Carburetor Wallbro 32/37
Ignition Ducati CDi electronic
Starter Electric via battery
Max RPM 7,200
Reduction By poly-groove belt 1 : 2.42
Air Filter Single K&N
Spark Plugs NGK B 10 ES
Battery 12 V DC
Wheels 4 inch / 100 mm / 70 mm wide
Tyres 4.00 x 4
Tyre pressures Front 16 - 18 Psi / 1.1 - 1.2 bar
Tyre pressure rear 14 - 16 Psi / 0.9 - 1 bar
1. INTRODUCTION:

The Magic Spirit and Laser Flexwing Microlight is a weight shift controlled microlight aircraft and NOT a 3-axis
aircraft. Hence it is recommended that to fly this microlight the user is expected to undergo a thorough and profes-
sional weight shift aircraft training and log at least 15 hours of flying after solo in weight shift microlights before
attempting to fly this microlight aircraft.
We also warn that this machine is not a toy to be played with but demands respect that one would accord
to any aircraft. Any recklessness might lead to incidents or accidents which may extend to fatal bodily injury to
you and others. Respect your machine.
The search for a high performance single seater flexwing Microlight has resulted in the design of the
Magic Spirit and Laser. With due care and sufficient previous experience on weight shift flying you will have
many years of great flying with your Magic Spirit and Laser.
The purpose of this manual is to give guide lines to the user as to rigging, transportation, flying, storing,
and maintenance of the machine to keep the machine airworthy all the times. In other words it will help you to
maintain your aircraft in an airworthy condition. However teaching to fly is beyond the purpose of this manual.
Most of the procedures of erection, transportation and so on which are detailed in this manual are expected to be
already familiarized by the user which should have been taught in his previous flying experience. If in doubt ask an
appropriate qualified flexwing instructor or an experienced pilot of Flexwing aircraft.
The user is expected to have sufficient training, knowledge and expertise based on a good number of
hours logged. The user is ultimately responsible to judge his capacities, the weather that he chooses to fly in is
within his handling capacities. He is also responsible to do all the preflight checks before each flight.
This manual read along with the engine manual which is supplied separately with the engine makes this
manual complete. You can find all the information regarding the engine as to assembly, running in, electrical cir-
cuit diagram, maintenance of the engine in the engine manual separately. You are advised to read the engine man-
ual thoroughly and strictly adhere to the procedures laid by the manufacturer. Within the limits you can exercise
your own judgment but certainly not in case of a doubt. If in doubt ask a suitably qualified flexwing maintenance
company or an experienced flexwing pilot.

2. LIMITATIONS:
3.
WARNING: This aircraft must only be flown by pilots who are properly trained on weight-shift controlled air-
craft.

This Spirit or Laser wing MUST never be flown

• Exceeding 60 degrees of bank

• Exceeding 30 degrees pitch up or down from normal cruise flying angle.
• as a hang glider
• for aerobatics.
• Inverted
• In a loop
• with more than one person in the cockpit.
• into a whipstall.
• with any auxiliary equipment without prior written permission from the manufacturer.
• with any modifications in any respect without prior written permission from the manufacturer.
• With more than the specified MAUW
• Exceeding the specified VNE
• Exceeding the load factors of + 4g or - 2

2.1 Load limitations:

3. Rigging the machine
A lot of thought, experience and effort has been put in while designing this microlight for easy rigging so that
minimum effort is needed from the pilot. The total process of rigging and erection of the machine, that is, the wing
and trike should take less than 45 minutes including the checks. When you get familiar with the rigging procedure
the time is substantially less. By rigging the wing and trike it is assumed that you have already assembled it out of
the export box and rigging therefore is a procedure of preparing the whole machine for flight. This procedure of
rigging is the normal way that you prepare your aircraft after you have transported it to the airfield on your vehicle.
There is a separate assembly manual for building the aircraft from the export box.

3.1. Rigging of Wing

First inspect the place of rigging your aircraft and see that it is free
of thorns, stones, or any sharp objects which might damage the sail
and framework.
The wing is packed in a protective bag. Place the bag
pointing the nose of the wing into the wind. Turn the wing upside
down so that the control frame is facing upwards. (See image on
left). Make sure no wires have looped through the control frame.
Secure the control bar with the bolts and wing nuts and thread the
safety rings through the bolts. Turn the wing around so that the con-
trol frame is under the wing. The wing is now in the flying position.
If this is the first time that you are rigging the wing. That
means that you have just bought it new from Ace Aviation or an
Ace Aviation agent, then the outer leading edges have to be fixed.
This is done by sliding the outer leading edge tubes into the inner
leading edge tubes. There is a pin that locates the outer leading edge in the correct position. Whilst pushing the
outer leading edges into the inner leading edges, rotate the outer leading edges and the tube will slot into place.
Make sure that the right and left tubes are inserted into the correct side. They are marked Left and Right when they
leave our rigging workshop. (Left is from the pilot's seat).
Now the sail has to be located onto the ends of the leading edge tubes. Thread the rope that is supplied
(Which is on the X-Tube wire). through the bar on the outer part of the sail at the wing tips and pull this bar over
the leading edge tube making sure that the bar locates fully into the groove in the leading edge. This requires a very
firm pull. It will only be possible for you to do this if you put your
foot against the leading edge tube and pull against this.
Open the wing slightly and not all the way (See image on
Right). Pull the kingpost up and insert the top rear wires and luff lines
into the kingpost locating fitting. If the wing is fully open this task
will be difficult.
Look for the cross tube cable inside the keel pocket. A rope
is provided at the end of the cable. Pull the cable through the keel
pocket but do not locate it on the cross tube location pin yet. Make
sure that the rope or the cross tube wire is not kinked or curled around
any of the tubes as it goes through the keel pocket. The cross tube
cable should come from the centre of the cross tubes directly through
the keel pocket and to one side of the king post. It doesn’t matter
which side of the king post the cross tube cable is routed. This task should be done before the wing is fully spread
out. During this operation check the top cables by feeling for any fraying in the cables and check that they are not
tangled. No wire should be twisted.
Now gently open the wing, close to the ground, almost to its full span. Do not lift the wing tips on the
leading edges up away from the ground by more than approximately 15 cm`s as you do this. If you lift the wing up
by more than 15 cm`s it may distort the nose plates and the Cross tube plates. Any resistance felt during opening
the wing out, stop and look for the cause, tangled wires etc could be the cause. Do not force the wing open. Look
for the cause and solve the problem before proceeding.
Washout rods

Inside the wing tips there are the washout rods. One per side. (This is
an anti dive safety devise). These washout rods can not be taken out
of the leading edge unless the sail is removed. Pull the end of the
washout rod towards the trailing edge and then push it back towards
the leading edge tube and into the socket. The elastic bungee that is
attached to the assembly will ensure that the washout rod will be
guided onto the socket.

Compression struts (2 numbers)

These tubes are stored in the batten bag. They are 19 mm tubes and just over a meter long. Push these tubes into
the wing tip in between the upper and lower surfaces of the wing. The end locates onto a hook located on the lead-
ing edge. BEWARE TO LOCATE THESE COMPRESSION STRUTS ABOVE THE WASHOUT RODS.
YOUR WING WILL NOT FLY PROPERLY IF THEY ARE LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE WASH-
OUT RODS ! Please check this.

Inserting the battens

The battens should be inserted when the wing is slack. That is before the X-tubes have been tensioned. The battens
are color coded. Red battens go to the left side (Or port side) and Green battens go to the right side (Or starboard
side) of the wing. Do not mix the battens from left to right. Start inserting the main sail battens from the keel and
work towards the tips. Do not insert the elastics fixed on the sail at this stage. Do not try and push the battens all
the way in at this stage. If they do not go in easily try and push them in so that 10 to 15 cm`s sticks out from the
trailing edge of the wing. The final pushing in of the battens is done later. Once all the battens are in push the nose
batten in. Do not push the nose batten all the way in yet.

Cross Tube wire

Pull the cross tube

cable onto the pin at
the rear of the keel
tube. This requires a
firm pull and it may
help if you sit down
with one foot against
the end of the keel
and pull the cable
against your foot.
Locate the Tang
onto the pin. Make
sure that the tang goes to the bottom of the pin and off the
threaded part and onto the smooth shank of the pin. Screw the wing nut on and put the safety ring on. Do not
change the position of the hole. This entire operation is VERY IMPORTANT AND VITAL FOR SAFETY.
Batten elastics

Pull the elastics on to the batten ends now. As you do this give one
last firm push on each batten and they will go right to the end of the
batten pockets. The batten elastics go around the batten twice. Pull
the bottom of the elastic around the groove first and then pull the top
part of the elastic onto the groove. There should be a lot of tension on
each batten and the elastics should be very tight.

Batten Profile
The profile of the battens should be checked with the template supplied with the wing every 25 hours of flying.

Lifting the wing

Lift the wing parallel to the ground holding the nose and the back of the keel. Take the help of a friend if needed as
it is important that the trailing edge of the wing should not scrape along the ground causing damage. Push the con-
trol frame as far forward as it goes. If any resistance is encountered, check for kinked cables. Secure the control
frame with the front wire assembly at the nose plates by pushing the locating pin through the swan neck catch and
the channel. Secure it with the safety ring. Ask the assistant to hold the wing level by holding the bottom wire
front cables. Watch out if the wind had changed direction and has become a cross wind. Re position the wing into
the wind. The erection of the wing is now complete.

Wing check
It’s the time to check the wing. Start checking the wing from one point and complete the circle and end your check
at the starting point. See if there are any wires tangled around the cross tube or keel tube. Look in through the
zipped inspection hole on the undersurface to check that the wires are secured properly and that the tangs are not
twisted around. At the tips check that the compression struts and the washout rods are securely fixed. Check the
cross bar junction plates by undoing the protective covering (This is secured by Velcro strips). Feel the wires for
kinks or fraying. Check all the bolts and nuts which are accessible that they are secure. When all this is done, walk
a few feet away in front of the wing and check for its general profile. Re-check anything that you suspect that is
not quite correct.

3.2 Rigging of the Magic Trike

The Magic trike is designed in a way to minimize the effort of rigging.
First, make sure the ignition switch is off before doing anything else.
The ignition switch is off when it is in it's upward position. Do not
use the propeller or any part of the engine to lift the trike. The best
way to lift the trike off the trailer or out of the car is to hold it by the
front and the back of the seat frame. This is a natural balance point of
the trike.
The rear wheel axles swivel forward and backwards on articulated
joints. Push one axle backwards and locate the trailing arm into the U
channel on the horizontal tube of the trike. Push the locating pin
through the U channel and trailing arm tube. Push the safety ring
through to secure the pin. (See image on left)
Push the other axle backwards and follow the same procedure as
above. There will be some resistance on trying to locate this second
axle as the whole wire tensioning system of the trike is working against you but once the centre position has been
found it will be easy to locate everything in place. The trike is now ready for coupling the wing.
3.3 Coupling the Magic trike to the Laser wing
Place the nose of the wing on the ground and into the wind. Use the
wing packing pads for the nose as padding against the ground. Make
sure that the hang block assembly is straight and not turned to one
side. (see the image on the left). Roll the trike in from behind and
make sure that it is abso-
lutely straight and
square to the bottom bar.
This is to align the top
hole in the vertical tube
of the trike to the hang
block hole on the keel of
the wing. Roll the trike
up to meet the hang
block and slide the vertical tube of the trike through the safety loop
on the keel of the wing and into the hang block plates (see image on
right). Slide the hang bolt through and insert the safety ring. This pro-
cedure can take some time to perfect.
Now place the front vertical tube of the trike behind the rear
wheels to choke the rear wheels so that the trike does not move back-
wards. Lift the control frame from the ground holding the control bar
with one hand and upright with another and slowly move it upwards
and in towards the en-
gine in a backward mo-
tion while holding the
balance of the wing.
(See image on Left). If
your machine is fitted
with a nose faring, make
sure you do not scratch
the pod while doing this
operation. After the ver-
tical tube is pushed
back, insert the locking bolt through the vertical beam and secure it
with safety ring. (See image on right).

Fix the front tube into the channels

with the bolts and safety rings.
(See images on left and right).
• Fold the wing bag neatly keep-
ing all the ties and pads in the wing
bag.

Your trike is now completely

rigged.

4. POST ASSEMBLY CHECKS:

After the assembly is over, do the following checks. These checks are necessary before every flight of the day.
Always start from one place, like the nose of the wing and make a full circle around the wing ending back where
you started. Then the same with the trike. Pay special attention to all the quick release bolts pins and safety rings
Before you begin the checks ensure the ignition switch is off.

4.1 WING:

• Look and feel all the cables for any frays and kinks. Make sure that all the cables go directly to the bolts
and are not twisted around any tubes.
• Check that all bolts are secure with nuts, safety rings in their proper places. Check that the cross bar ten-
sion cable is properly fixed with a bolt and a safety ring.
• Check that all the aluminum and Stainless steel plates components are not distorted such as nose plate,
cross bar junction plates, control frame junction plates etc.
• The tubing components are not dented or bent or heavily scratched. Look through the sail from the tips to
see that the bolts and the fittings on the inside of the wing are properly fixed. Make an inspection of the cross bar
to leading edge junction area including all the bolts and plates. Make sure that the side cables from the leading
edge to the control frame are not kinked around the tangs. There should be a uniform smooth curve from nose to-
wards the tip.
• Check that all the battens are inserted correctly and the elastic is inserted on the batten ends for the main
sail.
• Check that the compression struts are properly seated on the hook on the inside of the leading edge and
that the compression struts are over the top of the washout rods
• Check the sail for any rips, frayed stitches etc.
• Check that the general aerofoil section of the wing is symmetrical on both the wings.

4.2. Trike (The information below for the engine is only after the running in period of the engine)

• Make sure that the whole flexwing is pointing into wind. Chock all the wheels so that it can not move.
Make sure that the wing is tied to the trike and parallel to the ground by securing it by rope to the seat frame.
• Remove the propeller cover. Check that the propeller bolts are tight and locked with mousing wire.
Check for any damage to the prop. This is very important after each transportation or flight. If you are flying from
an unprepared air fields small stones can be flicked up from the tyres and into the prop causing sever damage. Prop
repairs are covered under separate heading in this manual.
• Remove the covering for the pitot tube or ventury tube of your ASI.
• Make sure that you have enough fuel for the planned flight. Check for fuel leaks.
• Check that the engine mounting is firm and check for any cracks in the mounting rubber bushes. Similarly
check that the exhaust and its mounting bushes are OK and not cracked. Make sure that the connecting exhaust
springs are intact and are moused with wire. A broken spring will destroy your propeller.
• Reduction drive belt should be tight and in place. Look for fraying of the belt and it's causes.
• If dummy spark plugs are in use, replace them with the actual plugs. Secure the spark plug caps. Hear the
“click” sound to confirm that the plugs caps are secure on the spark plugs.
• Check for any loose electrical connections. Secure them.
• Choke is set to off (If a choke is fitted)
• Kill switch is set to off position.
• Throttle lever set to idling. Be careful! Pushing the throttle
lever forward is for increasing the rpm on the engine and back-
wards is for reducing the rpm. Accidents have taken place often in
confusion by not paying attention to this small detail !! SEE IMAGE
ON LEFT

This is the throttle lever position and the kill switch position at all
times when the pilot is not sitting in the seat and when the pilot is not intending to fly the Microlight. That is
throttle lever back towards the engine side of the console and the kill switch in the UP position.

• Seat belts are in place and secure.

• Fuel tank cap is tight and secured and no leakages. Tank belts are secured.
• Instrument panel nuts are tight. No cracks in the mounting bushes.
• Front axle nut is tight. No bend in the steering fork. Hard landings lead to bent axle and forks.
• Enough pressure in the tyres. Do not inflate more than the specified limit. See the specification page.
• Check the hang bolt and the safety rings. If needed climb into the seat to have a closer look. Make sure
that the
safety ring is in place.
• Make sure the safety loop is going underneath the front tube and vertical beam connection. It should be
underneath the channel that the front vertical tube is fixed onto.
• Make sure that no loose items are in your pockets.
• No loose clothing that would go into the prop. Do not wear a scarf as this can easily come off and tangle
in the propeller.
• Check that the all up weight of your Microlight does not exceed the recommended figure. Never exceed
the MAUW of the aircraft. Include the weight of yourself, your clothing, fuel, helmet etc. Remember more weight
increases take off distance, stall speed and landing speed. Hence, it is very important to never exceed the MAUW
of the aircraft.
• Sit in the seat.
• Never fly without a helmet. Strap your helmet on.
• Strap your seat belts and hear the click sound of the buckle. Pull the belt and check if it is secured. Push
the whole of your body sharply forward to see that the seat belt stops you. If there is too much forward movement
then re-adjust the seat belts. You should be comfortable before you fly.
• Look behind for any other aircraft, people, especially children or animals in the vicinity of the prop.
Make sure the prop is absolutely clear and no micrlolight aircraft directly downwind of the prop wash.
• Clearly and loudly shout “Clear Prop!”
• Press the Kill switch on. That is DOWN for starting
• Press the starter button. This is located underneath the control console
• Rev the engine gently and increase the RPM to 25% power.
• You should hear a healthy continuous sound with no miss firing or excessive vibration. Gradually in-
crease the rpm over a period of 10 minutes to 4,500 rpm and then hold it for 30 seconds at 4,500 rpm. Then the
engine can be revved to the maximum. This procedure is recommended only after the engine has been run in.
Read the Simonini engine manual for more details of how to operate your engine.
• Remove the chocks on wheels and taxi to the runway.
Remember, this aircraft is fitted with a reliable engine but it is an uncertified engine. Bear this in mind during the
entire flight envelope so that you can avoid any surprises.

The above check list was developed by experienced pilots during the evolution of Microlight flying. Generally
check everything and you can develop a system of your own as long as it covers everything and that you do it with
a system and without fail. Word of warning! Your flexwing Microlight will cause a lot of attention by the general
public so during the pre-flight checks avoid other people being around you. Please tell them that you are doing the
vital checks of the aircraft and that you have to be alone for the entire time of the checks. Many accidents that have
happened in the past have been due to other people distracting the pilot during these vital pre-flight checks. So
beware!

5. PREFLIGHT CHECKS:

Taxi the aircraft to the runway and stop at an angle of 45˚ to the runway to do your preflight checks. Never taxi
directly onto the runway and do the preflight checks. There may be another aircraft approaching to land! Keep
clear of the runway unless you are either landing or taking off. Do your preflight checks at a discrete distance from
the edge of the runway.
• Check the load of your aircraft now! Never exceed the MAUW of the aircraft. Include the weight of
yourself, your clothing, fuel, helmet etc. Remember more weight increases take off distance, stall speed and land-
ing speed. Hence, it is very important to never exceed the MAUW of the aircraft.
• Push the control bar away from you and then fully back towards your chest. Push the control bar fully to
the left and right. There should be no restriction in these movements. The movement should be free and smooth.
Check if you are able to access the foot throttle comfortably and all the controls.
• Harness and helmet are secured. Double check that your helmet is firmly located with the buckle. There
must be room for easy pushing out of the control bar in pitch for flaring whilst coming into land. Adjusting the seat
belt too tightly may not allow you to fully flare in pitch. Always click the buckle lock and to double check by pull-
ing in opposite direction. See the helmet is comfortably seating and the belt is locked in place with a click.
• Instruments must be working properly. If you have an ASI check that the pitot tube or the ventury tube
cover is removed. Make sure your engine is not overheating by looking at the EGT or CHT gauges if fitted. Even
your watch is an instrument. Make a mental note of your take off time. It helps you in maintaining your flying log
book as well as the engine log book.
• Make sure you have enough fuel for the planned flight. Take a look at the fuel tank level by looking
backwards and downwards to the fuel tube indicator. Fuel may be leaking while you taxi to this point.
• Weather and wind? Make sure the wind has not increased its velocity and changed its direction since you
taxied to the runway which may be beyond your capacity to control. Make sure that you are heading into the wind
for the take off. Check that no excessive thermic activity has built up which may cause difficulty in the handling of
the aircraft, especially on a concrete or tarmac runway. If in doubt ask a suitably qualified pilot before taking
off.
• Check if it is all clear on the runway, no obstructions on the runway and that no aircraft is approaching for
landing or trying to do a low pass over you. If you carry a radio make sure that it is switched on and that you act on
any information that is given about the air space that you are about to fly into.
There you go! Align the aircraft straight up the runway into the wind and gently increase the power to reach maxi-
mum RPM for take off.

This manual is not a training manual and the user of this aircraft is expected to have gathered sufficient experience
on weight shift flexwing microlight aircraft to fly it competently.

6. Flight:
Besides the fact that your Magic Spirit is a nice handling machine and you will enjoy flying it a great deal, choose
a calm day for the first flight of your Magic Spirit. A calm day means with hardly any wind, no thermal activity
and with good visibility. Select a big, flat and wide field without any obstructions in your flight path.
Plan your flight before you take off. Your maiden flight in your brand new Magic Spirit should be a local
one. It is recommended that you take off and land after one circuit. Repeat this if necessary to give you the confi-
dence on your new machine before committing yourself to a longer flight.
Gently but firmly increase the throttle to the maximum. Hold the bar in the neutral position and when you
feel the pressure on the control bar slowly but firmly push out little by little for your wing to bite into the air. You
will be surprised by the short distance taken by your Magic Spirit to take off. If for any reason you do not take off
by the 75% distance point of your runway, abandon the take off by easing back on the throttle and pulling in gently
on the control bar to the neutral position. If your Magic Laser is fitted with the optional front brake gently depress
the left hand foot lever firmly and keep the front wheel straight whilst doing this. THERE IS A TENDENCEY
FOR THE NEW PILOT TO PUSH THE BRAKE AND FORGET ABOUT THE STEEERING!
After your take off there is a surge of climb as the wing bites into the air. Gently pull the control bar back
towards you and it will naturally find the trimmed position after around 50 feet. Only a little amount of back pres-
sure is enough just to see you through this critical take off stage of the flight. By this time the end of the runway
must be passing underneath. Climb to 500 feet and reduce your throttle to maintain this altitude. Gently turn onto
your down wind leg and maintain 500 feet. Turn gently onto your cross wind leg and finally onto your final leg.
Reduce the throttle setting. The turns must not be sluggish but precise maintaining your airspeed in the turns. All
turns should be to a chosen reference point which should be the touch down point of your aircraft.
On the final-leg do your checks. Have your nose wheel straight. Reduce the throttle again to the tick over
and come into land. Always aim to touch down at the 25% point into the runway. If you are too high and feel that
you are going to over shoot, do not hesitate! Put full throttle on again and go around for another circuit. If you feel
that you are too low on your finals and in danger of landing before the runway gently push the throttle on to bring
the aircraft into the runway before reducing the throttle again to drop into the airfield and touch down. Make sure
your wings are level. As you reduce your altitude and come closer to the ground smoothly push out the control bar
against the bar pressure and just a few feet off the ground push out more and your aircraft will come smoothly
down onto the back wheels followed smoothly by the front wheel. Keep your throttle at tick over and roll to a halt
keeping your wings level. Although your flight has finished the wing is still able to be controlled by any wind or
thermal activity that is now present. It is very important that you keep your wing under control all the way to the
hangar. Taxi it back with the control bar in neutral position.

During your flight

Whilst flying look out for emergency landing areas. This must become second nature to you. If the en-
gine stops don’t panic as you would have already had an emergency landing area in your mind. Don’t waste time
in restarting the engine. Switch the kill switch off and chose the best available landing area. Watch out for power
lines which are deadly enemies for flyers. From a height it would be difficult to notice them. Make sure you are
landing into the wind. You can not afford to have mis-judged your height and find yourself too high as you will
over shoot the emergency runway so you have to get the height correct. It is better to be too high on an approach
than come in too low. You can always loose height by turning the wing before landing. If you have mis-judged
your height and find yourself too low then there is nothing that you can do to rectify the situation. Do not slow the
aircraft up too much on your emergency landing either if you find yourself too high. The correct approach height is
one where you can land coming straight in from the glide or one where you can burn off the height before landing.
Practice these emergency landings in a large airfield often in case you have to use the technique in a real
emergency. Land and then check for the cause for the engine stoppage.

5. De-rigging:
Reverse the rigging steps to de-rig the microlight.

6. Packing:

6.1. Trike:

Always have the propeller covered. We suggest you have dummy spark plugs while the machine is not in use. It is
easy to break a spark plug in transit. Remove the plugs and store them safely. NOT along with other tools in your
tool box please!.
If you are transporting the trike on a trailer we suggest that you remove the front vertical tube and lower
the rear vertical tube. Tie the rear vertical tube to the front tube bracket on the horizontal beam of the trike.
If you are fully de-rigging the trike remove the trailing arms on the axle legs and slide the wheels forward
so that the wheels come together at the centre underneath the seat and become a padded resting place for the hori-
zontal bar of the trike. The trike is compact now to go into the back of a vehicle. While doing all of this, we repeat,
never to use the propeller or engine to balance or handle the trike.

6.2. Wing:
If you intend to fly the aircraft for the next day, we suggest that leave the wing rigged but flat on the
ground. You can leave the wing in an open field if you feel if it is safe. We have developed a custom made wing
covers made from a UV resistant Polyester which comes as an accessory and bought separately. These cov-
ers come complete with ground sheet, wing cover that covers the whole rigged wing, all webbing straps and
pegs to hold your wing securely on the ground. Please enquire about these covers.

On the other hand if you intend to de-rig your wing the best is to pack your wing and store it safely. The steps to
de-rig your wing are here under. Reverse the procedure for rigging the wing (3.1)

a Pull out the nose catch. And lay the wing on the ground..
a. Release the cross bar tension cable on the keel.
b. Remove the main sail battens, nose batten and detach the compression struts.
c. Pull out the washout tubes.
d. Gently bring the leading edges towards the keel. Each wing at a time so that it lays close to the keel tube.
e. Take off the lufflines and the rear cable.
f. Lower the kingpost.
g. Roll the sail in a neatly in towards the keel tube.
h. Fix the webbing straps just in front of the hang block and at the tips and one other place in the middle.
i. Cover the wing with the bag and pull up the zip a few centimeters either side.
j. Turnover the wing along with the bag onto the other side (That is turn the whole wing 180 degrees).
k. Detach the control bar from the frame. Replace the bolts, nuts and rings.
l. Fold the control bar back and carefully pad to cover the sharp bolts which might poke a hole into the sail.
m. Insert padding around the hang block.
n. Fix the other 2 webbing straps And check that all are secure and close the bag.

Keep the battens separately in the batten bag. The compression struts also go into the batten bag. If you want to
short pack your wing then you have to take out the outer leading edge tubes. To do this you have to pull the sail
locating pin away from the tip adjusting tube. This does require some effort. Usually it is best to rig the wing and
leave it at the full length.

9.3. Tuning your wing for an unwanted Turn

Your Spirit wing should fly straight with hands off in nil wind conditions. After a certain amount of flying, or for
any reason you find that your Spirit is turning to one side without
pilot input you can do the following tuning adjustments to your
Spirit wing.
Before tuning adjustments, it is best to investigate the
cause. Check to see if both the wing tips have the same profile.
Check that the compression struts are straight. Check that the lead-
ing edge tubes are straight and have no bends in them. Check the
batten profile. Check for bent hang point plates also check the trike
alignment with the wing. Satisfy yourself that all these points are
correct before you embark on the tuning adjustments of your wing.
If your wing is turning to the Left then your right wing
needs to be adjusted. Inside the right wing tip at the back of the
leading edge tube there is an adjusting bolt (See image on right).
Slacken this bolt sufficiently so that you can turn or rotate the tip
adjusting bracket. Turn this tip adjusting bracket clockwise.
If the wing is turning to the right. Then the left wing needs adjusting. Inside the left wing tip at the back of
the leading edge tube there is an adjusting bolt. Slacken this bolt sufficiently so that you can turn or rotate the tip
adjusting bracket. Turn this tip adjusting bracket anti-clockwise.
The amount that you turn these tip adjusting brackets depends on the severity of the unwanted turn. If
there is only a slight turn in the wing we recommend that you turn the tip adjusters by only a maximum of 5 mm at
any one time. Then fly to see if the wing flies straight. This method of tuning keeps your wing in a mild state of
tune and makes sure that your wing always has docile stall characteristics. This is the factory recommended way of
tuning the wing.

9.1. TRIM:
The hang point bush on the keel of the Spirit or Laser can be moved forward to increase the speed. There
are three adjustment settings on the keel for this purpose. The hang point can be pushed one hole at a time. Each
hole forward will increase the speed. The factory setting comes with the slowest tuning,.
To adjust the hang point for greater speed take out the bolt from the front hole and push the Nylon thrust
washer forward and, insert the bolt into the next hole towards the nose, lock it with a nyloc nut. Push the hang
point assembly forward or push the wing backwards. This will be easy if you tilt the wing backwards (increase the
pitch) and then roll the wing from side to side. The wing slowly moves backwards on each roll cycle of the wing.
 Then take out the rear bolt and push the nylon Thrust washer for-
wards to touch the hang block. Re-locate the bolt onto this hole
and lock it with the nyloc nut. The control bar will move towards
the pilot as a consequence of moving the hang point forward and
in flight you will notice that the control frame is closer to the
pilot.

The Hang block (shown Left) is where you adjust the trim.

10. TRANSPORTING YOUR WING:

When transporting by road follow the following steps.

The Magic Spirit can be transported on a Car, or any other similar vehicle. The trike can be de-rigged by undoing
the trailing arm bolts where they fix onto the horizontal tube of the trike. This allows the back wheel axles to fold
forward underneath the seat. The vertical tube also swivels down to meet the nose of the trike. The whole trike can
be gently loaded into the back of your car or truck. Always load your trike upright if there is any fuel in the tank.
Secure the trike with belts or ropes so that it can not move whilst driving. You can use the propeller hub to tie it
onto the vehicle but NOT the propeller itself. Insert padding where necessary to protect your tike from damage.
After loading the trike, tie a red ribbon or cloth to the protruding parts at the rear of the vehicle. Its only a matter of
road sense.

The wing can go on the roof rack of your vehicle. Make sure that the wing is supported along most of it's length.
The only extra fitting to add to a family saloon car is a bar from the front bumper of the vehicle. This bar must be
level with your roof rack. This way most of the wing is supported. Generously pad the rack with a material where
the wing is loaded. Firmly secure the wing with rope, bungee or belts. Always load the wing nose front.

8. TOWING:

You can tow the trike behind a vehicle in a specially made trailer. Make sure the trike is well secured by ropes or
webbing straps before you move off. Make sure that the prop is horizontal to the ground and is covered with a pro-
peller cover. You can take the front vertical tube off and swing the rear vertical tube down towards the Front forks.
This will make the trike height less for traveling.

9. STORING:

In the season when you can not do much flying it is best to store your microlight safely. Store the wing above the
ground to avoid any moisture from getting to the wing. Store in a cool dry place and in a place that is not a fire
hazard. Watch for mice and rats or other creatures. We have seen the total destruction of wing material when left
stored in dubious places for long periods of time. Just remember that your wing fabric and seat can be the warmest
place for these creatures in an open building especially in the cold Winter.

Store the trike covered on an even ground, wheels chocked. If you do not plan to fly for long best is to remove
the propeller and store it carefully separately. Do not empty the fuel tank completely. Just leave about half a litre
of petrol in the tank.

10. MAINTENANCE:

Daily or each time you fly

Trike
• All cables and luff lines. Check for damage and frayed cables. Replace if damaged.
• Top wires firmly secured at back of keel at the
• All cable tangs secured to their bolts and fittings. Check for corrosion
• X-tube wire fixed to keel and the wing-nuts tight and safety pins in place
• All nuts and bolts secure with no corrosion
• No cuts in sail. All sewn seams intact with no fraying of stitches
• All tubes straight with no bends
• All plates and Channels undamaged with no heavy abrasion or cracks
• Check wing batten profile with no cracks of heavy abrasion on fibre glass parts of battens
• Compression struts are engaged into their hooks and are straight and go over the top of the washout rods.
• Angle of tip rotators should be the same
• Check for rigging tension — No really slack wires and no wires too tight
• Check that the aerofoil section of the two halves of the wing look the same
• The washout (Or wing twist) is the same on both halves of the wing.
• That the luff lines are all the same tension on both halves of the wing
• Look inside each wing tip and check that the washout rods are in place and that the leading edges have a
smooth curve and an equal curve.
• Look inside the wing from the X-Tube side (Or Root of the wing) to check that all bolts on the X-Tube are
secure. You can pull apart the X-Tube cushion to see this.
• Check that the X-Tube tension wire is un damaged.
• Check all batten pockets for damage.
• Check that there are no tools of other objects inside the wing

Wing
• All cables are secure and undamaged. They must also be at the correct tension which is tight
• All Tangs are secured to the bolts
• All nuts and bolts are in place
• Check all bolts for corrosion
• All quick pins and safety pins are in place
• All tubes and plates should be straight and free form heavy abrasion and cracks.
• All baggage compartments should be zipped up and no tears in the fabric.
• No cracks in the fibre glass parts if fitted
• Tyres should have no cracks
• Wheels should run freely. Pick up each wheel in turn and check for smooth running
• All engine bolts secure
• All engine mountings should have no cracks
• No holes or cracks in the exhaust silencer.
• All exhaust rubbers intact with no splits in the rubbers
• Exhaust springs intact and mousing wires in place
• No distortion on welds and no cracks on steering tube, steering forks, engine mountings, exhaust brackets or
back axles.
• No cracks or damage to propeller.
• All fuel lines intact with no splits or cracks. No damage to fuel filter or pump if fitted. No visible dirt in fuel
filter.
• All wiring secure and all terminations secure. No cracks or frays.
• Plug leads in good condition.
• Kill switch in good condition
• All seat webbing in good condition. No frays of rips
• All seat belts in good condition. No frays or rips.
• Seat secured to the seat support webbings.

The above are only guidelines and are generally used for most microlights world wide. Have a definite system
when you check and do not let anyone disturb you when doing these vital checks.

Every 10 hours
• Check the spark plug
• Check the fuel filter
• Full daily inspection

Every 50 hours or 1 year which ever is the earliest

• Change spark plugs
• Change fuel filter
• Check exhaust springs
• Check all locking wire
• Check for sail wear
• Check all webbing Seat belt in particular
• Replace fuel filter
• Full daily inspection

Every 100 hours or every 2 years which ever is the earliest

• Replace air filter
• Take the sail off and give it a full inspection for rips and wear. Especially the batten pockets, eyelets and wing tips
for wear and tear. Repair if necessary
• Inspect the whole trike and wing by stripping the tubes, nuts and bolts. Replace any suspect of wear and corrosion

Every 200 hours or every 4 years which ever is the earliest

• Carry our the full 100 hour inspection
• Inspect the whole wing and trike of all the individual parts. Inspect and replace anything that is worn or corroded

Heavy landing checks

The maintenance on the wing is minimum. Store the wing properly. After each transport check for any dents on the tub-
ing of leading edge etc. See that no holes are punched in the sail by any sharp edges during the transportation. Always
suspect the transportation if minor damage is seen. Its best to check often the battens with the profile template provided
with each wing especially after each transportation if the battens are carried in the wing bag. In case of getting any oil
stains etc on the sail, use mild soapy water to clean. Do not use any chemicals, thinners etc. Just plain mild soap and wa-
ter.

10.2 TRIKE:

Daily

Keep the trike clean. Remove all the oil stains etc off the trike. Look after your machine, it is the best guarantee that you
have of it giving you good service Keep your battery charged all the times. Fuel lines tend to get hard and brittle with
age. When you notice this replace them. The recommended oil is stated in the engine manual. Only use semi or fully
synthetic 2 stroke oil. Buy petrol from a reliable source. Always filter the fuel while pouring into the tank. Be very scru-
pulous about the fuel. Clean the fuel tank every six months. Clean the fuel tank using petrol only. Be meticulous about
maintaining your machine all the time.

Spark Plugs: Use the spark plugs as recommended by Simonini. This is in the engine manual. While handling hot plugs,
do not drop them. Treat the plugs with respect and they won’t fail you when you are flying over a forest. Never to use
emery paper to clean the plugs. Instead use a wire brush along with clean petrol. Maintain the electrode gap as stated in
the engine manual. A healthy spark plug electrode must be in brown color without any oil on it. Change the spark plugs
as stated in the engine manual. Even though you consider it would last longer, just change them at the recommended
time.

Propeller: If the propeller is damaged you can repair this to a certain extent without sacrificing the performance. With a
sharp object remove the loose wooden particles. Mix Araldite epoxy adhesive and hardener 50% each. Leave the mix-
ture for about 5 to 10 minutes to settle and apply onto the damaged area. Take away the excessive araldite and leave to
harden. The Araldite that we use for the manufacture of our own propellers is a Standard two part epoxy adhesive. Leave
it to dry for 48 hours. Then sand off with a smooth emery paper keeping the profile of the prop. Use a good quality var-
nish to paint or spray over the damaged area. Then balance the prop. Balancing the prop is vital. An unbalanced prop can
kill the engine, bearings and will perform very poorly.
We manufacture a prop balancing tool.

When mounting the propeller, do not over tighten the bolts as you will squeeze the wood between the propeller
plate and the hub.

Engine: Simonini engines are modern and have ceramic coated cylinders which makes the maintenance of the ma-
chine and flying very affordable compared to other engines. For example, one of the most popular 2 stroke engines
in the world has a de-coke time of 50 hours and a Simonini is 300 hours! We can list more than a dozen advantages
for choosing this engine. For the maintenance of the engine strictly adhere to the maintenance schedule given in
the engine manual. For major maintenance work like decarbonization of the engine or replacement of rings or pis-
tons, or overhaul of the engine, it is best to pack the engine and send it to a recognized Simonini dealer or a suita-
bly qualified 2 stroke Microlight mechanic for professional work. Power failure or less power at take off might
prove fatal. Do not trust it to your local car or bike mechanic.

Fuel Filter: Use good quality fuel filters. Change them every 25 hours. While mounting check the direction of
flow of fuel. There is usually an arrow marked on the filter. Secure it properly.

Carburetor: Your carburetor is set at the factory settings. Never fiddle with the adjustment screws unless you are
following the recommended way from the engine manual.

Air filters: Clean your air filters regularly. Use a good soft painting brush and fresh petrol to clean it. A petrol
bath will do a good job. The air filter should be cleaned or replaced as per Simonini engine manual.

11. REPAIRS:
Minor repairs to your aircraft can be carried out by yourself. Any structural bends that may happen after a hard
landing or bad transport, sail repair etc are must be carried out by a suitably qualified Microlight company. DO
NOT attempt this task by yourself unless you have suitable knowledge.

11.1. WING:

In case of small holes in the sail, or small tears not extending an inch, use an adhesive polyester tape on both sides
of the fabric.

If the battens have distorted and changed their profile, check with the template and bend them back to match the
template. While doing so make sure there are no cracks on the batten tubing.

If any structural tubing is bent or dented for some reason and is beyond repair it is best to replace the part with an
Ace Aviation factory part. Never replace them with any grade of aluminum tubing. We use a high tensile tubing
that is specially designed for Microlight use. Any structural repairs are best carried out with genuine Ace Aviation
parts. It is an easier prospect to buy these genuine parts and replace them yourself.

Under no circumstances try to repair the cables. The correct length must be kept and please understand that old
cables will have stretched so a new cable is essential. It is no good copying the length of an old cable. Spares are
available from Ace Aviation India.

Exposure of the wing to the UV rays of the sun is harmful to the sail cloth. When not in use it is best to keep the
wing packed in the bag and store it in the shade. After 350—400 hours of flying it is best to replace the sail. Ace
Aviation make a Flexwing covers for this purpose which can be used outside in most weather conditions or
inside a hangar. Please enquire for these covers to Ace Aviation.
11.2. TRIKE:

On the trike, as mentioned earlier in the maintenance chapter propeller repairs to a certain extent can be carried out
by yourself but once you do this, make sure that the propeller is properly balanced. This is very important. Ace
Aviation make a propeller balancing tool. Please enquire if you want one. The engine repairs and overhaul are
best done by a suitably qualified Microlight company and unless you have the knowledge do not attempt to do this
work yourself.. Remember, we are also authorized dealers for Simonini for India if you are an Indian customer. In
the case of repairs, never listen to other general vehicle mechanics, who usually appear to be knowledgeable. These
modern Two Stroke engines need a different kind of knowledge so find a suitably qualified Microlight mechanic
for these repairs or a Simonini engine mechanic. A sudden drop of power at the take off may prove fatal. Please
bear in mind that if you compromise on the cost and time with the maintenance or repair of your engine, you are
definitively compromising on the airworthiness of the aircraft which in turn effects your safety.

Do not undertake welding of additional parts onto the trike or wing which may upset the balance and alter the atti-
tude of the aircraft in flight.

If the engine has to be removed for any reason such as overhaul. make a note of where everything goes so that you
can assemble it correctly.

Finally, maintain a log book of your aircraft, separately from your personal flying log book. The aircraft log book
is very useful for you to trace the history of engine running hours, maintenance schedules, problems, repairs and so
on.

Look after your aircraft, keep it clean, follow the manual and you will have hundreds of happy flying hours on the
Magic Spirit.

Recommended maximum life of all main components.

It is recommended that you adhere to this schedule. It is the maximum required number of hours to change these
main components.
• Trike. All rigging wires - 250 Hours or every 4 years.
• Trike. Engine mounting rubbers for the Simonini Mini 2 plus - 60 hours
• Trike. Engine mounting frames - 500 hours.
• Trike main swiveling vertical tube - 350 Hours
• Trike bottom vertical tube - 500 hours
• Trike main horizontal tube - 600 hours
• Trike axle tubes - 400 hours
• Trike trailing arms - 250 Hours
• Trike front forks - 400 hours or when wear becomes excesive
• Trike front fork tube - 600 hours
• Trike seat frame - 750 hours
• Trike cruise and foot throttle cables - 250 hours

• Wing Main Hang block bolt (Pitch bolt) - 250 Hours or every 4 years
• Wing Main hang bolt bushes into hang block side plates - 250 Hours or every 4 years
• Wing Hang block bush and all bolts - 400 hours
• Wing back up loop. - 350 hours
• Wing Cross tube tension cable - 250 hours or every 4 years
• Wing Sail fabric. That is the whole wing covering. - 400 Hours or every 5 years (Which is the industry stan-
dard for Polyester sailcloth.
• Wing Outer Leading edge tubes - 750 hours
• Wing Inner leading edge tubes - 1000 hours
• Wing Keel tube - 750 Hours
• Wing Cross tubes - 800 hours
• Wing King post tube - 1000 hours
• Wing control frame and bottom bar tubes - 1000 hours

Thanks and have many happy and safe flying hours. From all at Ace Aviation