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Skydiving Gear and Equipment: Main and Reserve Parachutes: Jump Shack : Firebolt : Reviews: Pages: 1 2 [>] [>>]

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has contributed 13 reviews

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(Review ID:2063)

4 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

Firebolt 200 !
Rated by: skyfox69 on 2008-09-13 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: Smooth and easy openings
Cons: None

After 100 jumps on the Firebolt 200, I have to say it is one of the best! Great opening (the best I've experienced)and flies like a mini- sport car. I load it 1.12 to 1. Good speed, but you do have to pay attention and fly this one. Great landings and good flare power. Easy to pack. The only negative is the four brake lines, but not bad after you get used to packing and stowing the lines. This is a great canopy, try one, you will highly satisfied!

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(Review ID:2040)

3 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

Firebolt
Rated by: cirrus1ag on 2008-08-08 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: Great openings (soft and on heading); easy to pack; great handling and flare
Cons: Most people don't know about this great parachute

I am 230 lbs geared up and have jumped several sizes of the Firebolt. The 164 for me was a fast but controlled hotrod yet it opened on heading, reliably and softly. I purchased a 182 because I am old and on hot, no wind days I still want a soft landing. I have that with the 182. It is an amazing canopy and Nancy,John, Suzie, Tim and everyone else at the Jump Shack are the best. Nancy is a person of high integrity and always a joy to work with. She also happens to be an outstanding skydiver (in all disciplines), rigger and pilot. She'll give you the straight answer and really try to help you. I have no financial or other interest in the Jump Shack but I have known them and others in the industry for many years. There are plenty of great people in the industry, Nancy and the rest are top notch. Give them a try I'll bet you be glad you did.

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(Review ID:1920)

5 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

Cushy; Fast and Fun
Rated by: mbondvegas on 2008-01-05 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: SUPER Soft Openings; SUPER Easy Packing; Sick Turns; Good Flare
Cons: No Input Glide is less than many other 9 cells.

I love the Firebolt. This canopy stands out for its outstanding opening characteristics, ease of packing, fun turns and very smooth, progressive, and powerfull flare.

I have flown via rental/demo the: Manta, Navigator, Spectre, Safire2, Sabre2, and Pilot and owned and flown a Safire1, Triathlon, and Spectre. I still own a Triathlon and love it for wingsuit flights. The Tri's docile nature is great for that purpose. But on other jumps...when I want a little more fun under canopy..I fly my Firebolt...I absolutely LOVE it. Prior to flying the Firebolt, I really liked the Pilot...it's openings were the best I had ever experienced...for both softness and on heading characteristics, it also was equal or better than the Safire2 and Sabre2 in all other characteristics. I had hoped to demo the Fusion and Firebolt as well, but Precision said they did not have demo program...which is just lame and enough reason for me to never buy a canopy from them! Nancy from Jumpshack replied quickly to my demo request but said that they currently did not have a demo Firebolt in my preferred size but that they were making a new one for their demo program. Following this quick reply, I was dissapointed in their lack of follow-up after this initial request and one subsequent request for a demo. So, I had pretty much decided to buy a Pilot.

Well...after that, I ran into a good deal on a virtually new Firebolt and bought it. Well...lucky me!

<p><b>OPENINGS:</b><br>
You really have to experience the openings to believe them. I think they might be softer than the Pilot (which is saying alot)...well...they are at least as soft and smooth. The Firebolt is consistently on-heading and does not suffer from the Sabre2's end cell closure issues. Soft, smooth, and symetrical...everytime! If you open low...beware...these soft openings do take a bit of altitude.
<p><b>HANDLING:</b><br>
The elliptical planform yields some pretty good fun! Crisp turns and steep dives are to be expected! I load my Firebolt at 1.25ish and it dives hard with strong toggle or front riser input. I know JS states that this canopy is OK for entry level jumpers at low W/L's but I wonder. I would not recommend this canopy to total beginners...at least not based on how reactive it is at 1.25 to 1. That said...when you're ready it is FUN!!!

It is worth noting that the glide ratio in full flight is kind of weak compared to say the Pilot, Sabre2 or Safire2.

<p><b>Flare:</b><br>
Excellent! The flare stroke is smooth and progressive and very powerful....I simply love how this canopy flares PERIOD.
Swooping...well I don't really swoop and this is clearly not a swoop monster...but it planes out really well and is really fun to land.

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(Review ID:1747)

15 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

Best canopy I have ever jumped.
Rated by: rmahoney on 2007-02-18 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: Consistent, on-heading openings. Maneuverable, but quite forgiving.
Cons: None noted.

The only problem that JumpShack is that it does not do enough SELF-promotion. The Firebolt is a good example. I jump this 182 loaded at 1:1, and I cannot find anything this canopy does not excel in. Openings are smooth, predictable, and on-heading. Especially for an elliptical, it seems to be farily forgiving of body position. Stalls are easy and recovery is quick. The Firebolt has a lot of flare power, and landings are excellent. Being a hybrid ZP/F111, pack volume is nice and small, and it is very easy to pack.

Particularly for a relatively low-experience jumper, (100-500) this is an excellent upgrade that will provide fun, safe performance for thousands of jumps.

I liked this one so much that I bought another for my other rig!

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(Review ID:1492)

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

Firebolt 200
Rated by: CISSCO101 on 2006-03-02 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: Soft openings Great flare easy to pack one of the best dollar for dollar
Cons: None

I brought this canopy after selling my brand new Sabre2 and I am not sorry it opens softer and turns faster. Its a joy to pack especially when the next load is loading and there calling your name.

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(Review ID:1225)

16 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

Firebolt Canopy
Rated by: 2KRigs on 2005-03-11 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: Packs, opens, turns and flairs very good
Cons: None at this time, yet time tells all

I have jumped many canopies. The Strato Star & Cloud, Security Unit, Pursuit, Ravens, Monarch, Pegasus, Sabre, Stiletto, Spectre and then some. The various sizes put me in a wing loading anywhere from 1 to 1 on older canopies
and greater loading on recent built canopies. Some people like myself desire the openings of the Firebolt, on heading, consistant and smooth. The Firebolt gave me the ability to watch and interact with the openings. Therefore controling my canopy as it begins to inflate. That is, flying the canopy right out of the bag, like some other canopies I've flown.
It handled flat turns, stalls and heavy toggle inputs very well. It recovered from riser turns very well too. A mild "sinking one in", tight spot was an easy task. A carving hook turn, ( done only after a few landings), was easy to handle with slight smooth toggle imput. As for the flair, I'll just say, with the proper wing loading, it seems the Firebolt has plenty and then some. During my jumps on the Firebolt I used a Vector, Javelin and a Racer container with not troubles. Try One! Be Safe, Blue Skies!

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(Review ID:1206)

10 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

Love my Firebolt 164
Rated by: cbain on 2005-02-23 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: Fun, nice openings, great flare
Cons: None

I demoed (and then decided to purchase) a Firebolt 164. My wingloading is between 1.2 and 1.3. The openings are great once you understand it is elliptical and how important body position is. Very soft and consistant openings. It's fun to fly but not super scary either. Lots of flare, making landings easy and consistant. I don't swoop so can't say anything about that aspect of its performance. But from playing up high it can be fast and reponsive or also flies very stable in brakes or doing flat or flare turns. Bottom line is I enjoy jumping this canopy and it fits my needs/wants.

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(Review ID:1140)

8 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

The Firebolt 350 Tandem main
Rated by: SkymonkeyONE on 2004-12-10 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: great openings, low toggle pressure, great bottom end
Cons: none yet

My wife and I just bought a new 2k3 Racer Tandem with the Firebolt 350 main. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this canopy. I generally fly Sigma 370's at work, but have put jumps on a lot of different tandem mains. Openings are fantastic. Toggle pressure is lower than a Sigma 370, but a tad higher than an Icarus/Precision 365. About the same as a Cobalt 350 Tandem. MUCH pressure less than any EZ or other obsolete crap. The canopy has a fantastic bottom end flare.

Me likey.

Chuck

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(Review ID:1059)

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

over loaded
Rated by: neandertal on 2004-08-27 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: openings, very responsive, small pack volume
Cons: -

I flew a demo Firebolt 146 several times whit my 250lbs fully equiped weight and I loved the way that it opened and its ground aprouch.
I don't think its 2nd brake line is a big deal.
Try one and have fun.

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(Review ID:947)

5 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Great camera canopy
Rated by: cbgnome2 on 2004-02-27 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Firebolt in Unknown Tag: 'cat_linked'

Pros: great
Cons: great

I felt this was a great canopy for camera men they would love the way the firebolt opens, its always nice and soft weather you're doing a 5 sec delay or freeflying doing 170-200 or just RW doing 120 to 170 it opens the same every time!!!

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